Seinabo Sey's double-side single "I Owe You Nothing/Remember"– along with stunning visuals for each – left us hopeful that her follow-up to 2015's Pretend would be dropping sometime in the not-so-distant future. But now her latest release, "Breathe," has caused our anticipation to reach a fever pitch as she delivers another aural and visual work of art.
The empowering anthem extols the virtues of accepting the beauty that lies within each of us; a timeless but pointed message, particularly for women of color. Ms. Sey wrote the song last year while on an impromptu solo trip to Dakar. Via press release, she explains that she was "sitting there, thinking about why I really enjoyed being there. I love it here because I don’t have to explain myself to people...I realised that as a black woman, so much of our time is spent explaining obvious things about our culture or ourselves, when she would rather just be.” Say. That!
Dramatic strings set the tone while a gospel choir's background vocals underscore the defiant spirit of the powerful message. Seinabo's rich vocals provide encouragement, reminding us, "When the going gets rough, and life gets tough, don't forget to breathe." Further enhancing the beautiful song are the captivating visuals, directed once again by Sheila Johansson and NewLand. Like "I Owe You Nothing," "Breathe" proudly displays Sey's Gambian heritage with bold colors and picturesque landscapes. What make this even more personal is that the video features three of her childhood friends and their daughters. This gorgeous display of sisterhood and melanin magic is a sight to behold.
Scroll down to watch the short clip, then listen to "Breathe" in its entirety. The track is available for download via your favorite retailer. While we wait for more newness from SeinaBae, you can hear more of her creative songwriting on Naughty Boy's new single "All or Nothing" featuring RAY BLK and Wyclef Jean.
