The latest slowthai song is called “feel away,” and features James Blake and Mount Kimbie. In the accompanying music video, slowthai offers to deliver his partner’s baby for her and carries through.
The song was co-written by slowthai and Blake and produced by Dom Maker of Mount Kimbie. Blake’s influence and Maker’s production helped slowthai give the song a more emotional tone than what’s typical for him, especially once Blake takes over the track during its climactic second half.
Slowthai commented on its meaning, “This song is about the doubts we have whether it be within friendships, your partner or with our family. It’s about putting yourself in the other person’s shoes so you have a better understanding of the situation.”
Music video director Oscar Hudson is best known for the videos for Radiohead’s “Lift” and Young Thug & Carnage’s “Homie” featuring Meek Mill. He proved himself capable of making the most of a single room in both of those, and in this video, keeps the shoot entirely within a maternity ward. The shoot did expand to a second room by including the waiting room, but otherwise uses camera movements, cast movements, two TV monitors and some human-shaped cake to create an entertaining scene.
While the video does play into putting yourself in someone else’s position and covers the doubts slowthai mentioned, it does so through a surrealist comedy telling of slowthai becoming pregnant. His partner leaves him for the doctor while he’s going into labor, she and the doctor celebrate the wedding while slowthai is giving birth, and then he and the baby both turn out to be made out of cake.
“Feel away” is slowthai’s fourth single of the year, after a trio of singles released in May, “MAGIC,” “ENEMY” and “BB (BODYBAG).” Those singles came a year after the release of his debut album, Nothing Great About Britain. Slowthai also featured on “Momentary Bliss” by Gorillaz along with Slaves and on “My High” by Disclosure along with Aminé.
This is James Blake’s second baby-related single released this year after Flatbush Zombies’ “Afterlife” had an x-ray with baby on the artwork. He also released three singles of his own this year, “You’re Too Precious,” “Are You Even Real?” and “Godspeed.”
Mount Kimbie hasn’t released any other music this year, but has recorded with Blake before for two songs on their last album, Love What Survives, “We Go Home Together” and “How We Got By.”
Leave a Comment