Singer songwriter Michael Kiwanuka has shared a powerful new music video for his song “Interlude (Loving The People),” which was featured on his third studio album Kiwanuka. The video was directed by Founders Prize winner Phillip Youmans, an acclaimed U.S. filmmaker.
“Listening to ‘Interlude (Loving The People)’ feels like sunshine on my skin. This film is an escapist trip where young black people revel in the psychedelic experience. For me, Loving the People is about the adrenaline of unconfined love and joy, a celebration of black youth and imagination,” said Youmans in a press release.
The video for “Interlude (Loving The People)” shows a day in the life living in Los Angeles. People are shown gathered in a house singing in dancing, skateboarding down the LA streets, driving along the coast and surfing in the California waters. The video easily captures what a perfect day in LA might look like for a group of friends.
The tune of the song helps set the mood for what the video shows. The beginning features an excerpt of a speech by U.S. Civil Rights leader John Robert Lewis. It was pulled from a documentary about the sit-in movement for civil rights in the South, according to a press release. Once the excerpt ends, Kiwanuka and his band continue on with the music.
Kiwanuka is already widely known as an artist who uses his platform to speak up on social issues. Earlier this year, Kiwanuka released a music video for his song “Light,” which was also featured on Kiwanuka. “Light” was accompanied by a video that solely focused on the Black Lives Matter movement.
Kiwanuka, which was released in October of 2019, won the 2020 Mercury Prize this year. It was also nominated for Best Rock Album for the 2021 Grammy Awards.
The UK singer was scheduled to perform at Green Man Festival this year alongside artists like Thundercat and Little Dragon. The festival was set to take place August 20 t0 23 but was unfortunately canceled due to the current pandemic.