Seemingly out of nowhere, August Alsina has decided to ring in the new year with new music and a new perspective on life and love. His opening salvo was the song “Drugs,” a metaphor for the feeling of bliss he gets from his lover. Now we have the video for the song, and the visual is quite a departure from what we've com to expect from the New Orleans resident. The fever dream-esqe video evokes thoughts of norse mythology, vodun and even Biblical themes of love and paradise.
Directed by Amber Gray and Alsina, the clip starts with a quick cut montage of someone popping pills, crumbling herbs and lighting a spliff before we are transported to an Adam and Eve-inspired scene of two bodies intertwined with a snake. When the dust settles, we find our hero on a rowboat in the middle of a wintry seascape, covered in tribal body paint. Meanwhile, models swim like sea nymphs beneath his vessel. The ladies soon push young Alsina overboard for a little frolicking in the water. The whole piece is an exotic and very sensual piece of art that shows August Alsina has come along way from his usual hood aesthetic.
“Drugs” is the title track to Alsina’s upcoming album. The name is a reference to what the artist describes as his own addictions, whether they be love or drama. “I realized how addicted to certain ways of living life I was, addicted to chaos, drama, confusion,” he said. “Lately, for me, it’s been about breaking the cycle and creating a new normal. That new normal is love. I have a newfound addiction. Through love and beautiful women, I’ve been able to find myself, reach higher places within myself.” Given Alsina’s own personal drama that has haunted his career, it’s a great thing to see that he not only wishes for change, but is actively working towards it, which is reflected heavily in his art.
