Live Review: Jamila Woods gives everyday routine a spirit in video for 'Holy'
It's not often that a video comes along that is both cleansing and nourishing, but it's not often that an artist like JAMILA WOODS comes along either. Having just been signed to JAGJAGUWAR - also home to Bon Iver, Angel Olsen and Unknown Mortal Orchestra just to name a few - in conjunction with Chicago-based label CLOSED SESSIONS, Jamila Woods is giving us a spiritual, ethereal visual to coincide with the soothing sounds of 'Holy.'
The video, directed by close collaborator Sam Bailey, is a beautiful yet minimal journey through self-love and finding worth in life's most mundane moments. The song, which is as minimal giving prevalence to Woods' serene vocals, is equal parts soulful and fierce. It's a quiet fierceness in where Woods reminds herself of her ever-expanding power and worth that beams from within. "I'm not lonely / I'm alone / And I'm holy / By my own," she sings and you can feel her radiant smile and happiness warm your entire body up.
Of the video, which fittingly gives us an all-white set with specks of green and gold peppered throughout, Woods says that she wanted it to showcase how important taking care of oneself truly is. "I wrote ‘Holy' to remind myself that my worth is not dependent on anyone or anything outside of me," she said. " For the video I wanted to represent self-care as a sacred act, to make ordinary daily rituals in bedrooms and bathtubs feel magical." She pulls no stops when it comes to magic, whether it be her gorgeous braids suspended by an unknown force or the stunning dance sequence that celebrates the power of black women.
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The entire visual for 'Holy' is as essential viewing as the song is essential listening. It's cleansing, it's soothing, it's uplifting, it's powerful and it's so necessary for 2017.
Words by JACKSON LANGFORD
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