Exciting R&B talent MEYY calls on London rapper Jelani Blackman to enter her captivating world for the official video of their collaborative track ‘Rain’, out today.
Directed by MEYY herself, the video for ‘Rain’ channels an ethereal, otherworldly aesthetic: a seductive visual offering that stars both artists, and perfectly matches the mood of the track. The 3D art created for the visual is by MEYY’s long-term collaborator Romain Albers, who, together with MEYY, has established the dreamy universe that her music and visuals sit within.
The track first featured on MEYY’s ‘Neon Angel’ EP, a well-received record described by Clash Magazine as having “a transportive quality, with each song seeming to transcend its origins”.
The release coincides with MEYY’s performances at SXSW this week in Texas, where she will play at Higher Ground on 16th March and 3Ten Austin City Limits Live on 18th March. Meanwhile she will also play at Dour Festival in her native Belgium in July.
“When I make music I envision visuals simultaneously,” MEYY explains. “For ‘Rain’, I had several settings in my head all pivoting around a minimal aesthetic and angelic light. We made this with a small team and we had to jump through quite some hoops to turn this into a reality. Directing it from scratch was completely new and challenging for me, but I learned so much through the amazing creative team involved. From the creative director to DOP, set dresser, editor, and graders, it’s the team that made it all come together.”
Jelani adds: “I’m a big fan of MEYY’s aesthetic. It was cool to be brought into her world for this video.”
A singer, songwriter, producer and dancer, MEYY burst onto the scene with her acclaimed debut single ‘Angelic Lies’ in 2019. Her acclaimed second EP Neon Angel was released at the end of 2021, solidifying her position within the scene as an enticing artist on the rise.
Subverting stereotypes, Jelani Blackman’s sound blends the hard with the soft, the dark with the light, reflected in an impressively diverse rollcall of collaborators that spans from Brian Eno to Burna Boy, Wolf Alice to Big Zuu, and, more recently, Gorillaz, Barrington Levy and Manga Saint Hilare.
MEYY’s first release of the new year is the work of an artist destined for big things.
MEYY shows
March 16, 11:00pm at Higher Ground
March 18, 08:15pm at 3Ten Austin City Limits Live