British soul singer-songwriter Michael Kiwanuka has released a music video for the first single, “You Ain’t The Problem,” off his upcoming third studio album, Kiwanuka. The new album will be released on October 25th through Polydor Records in the UK and Interscope Records in the US. His previous album, Love and Hate, was released to unanimous critical acclaim in July 2016, and even debuted at #1 on the UK album charts. Love and Hate went on to achieve a Gold sales certification in the UK, and was included on many major music publications’ Best of 2016 lists.
Kiwanuka will also be performing a few US shows in support of the upcoming album. His first show on this brief tour, and only solo show, will be at Brooklyn Steel in Brooklyn, NYC on September 25th. He’ll follow up this solo date with three consecutive nights in support of Gary Clark Jr. throughout California. On September 27th, the pair will be performing their first show at the Santa Barbara Bowl in Santa Barbara, CA. The next night (September 28th), Kiwanuka will be supporting Clark Jr. at the Greek Theatre in Berkeley, CA. The two artists’ live partnership will conclude on the night of September 29th at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles.
The visual aesthetic of the “You Ain’t The Problem” music video attempts to match the warm, loving, and supportive sound of the song. It cuts between a few different very outdoorsy and bright images; Kiwanuka singing the song in a golden open field, a group of young men frolicking with one another in a more grassy field, a professional dancer vibing along with the song, an elderly couple enjoying each other’s dance moves, and a young woman in a dress floating and relaxing in a small body of water. These images work perfectly in conjunction with one another to reflect the happiness, comfort, and self-love that Kiwanuka’s song is probably meant to provoke, especially during the light-hearted “la, la, la…” parts of the song.
MICHAEL KIWANUKA LIVE IN THE US:
Sept 25 – Brooklyn Steel – NYC
Sep 27 – Santa Barbara Bowl – Santa Barbara w/ Gary Clark Jr
Sep 28 – The Greek Theatre – Berkeley w/ Gary Clark Jr
Sep 29 – Hollywood Bowl – Los Angeles w/ Gary Clark Jr
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