the new single and video “MINDS” from queer NYC based artist Saint Ahmad. Serving you smoking hot 90’s club kid nostalgia with a splash of unabashed originality tailored to the rise of a new club kid generation, “MINDS” will hit every spot.
Saint Ahmad is that b*tch. Transforming the NYC club circuit with his self-love anthems, Saint Ahmad is a Black, queer visionary. “MINDS” is inspired by queer revolutionaries RuPaul and Leigh Bowery who laid the groundwork in New York, London and abroad. Saint Ahmad gives us all the tea and reveals, “This song is a reminder for me to let go of all the past ideas I had of myself and what I felt I needed to be. I’ve been to so many raves…I’ve let go of a lot of my past trauma from allowing myself to really just be present in the space and just dance and let go. I wanted to channel that with this song and I wanted to encourage the listenster to let go and ‘get out of your mind.’ You can’t live your entire life inside of your head.”
A celebration of rave culture and creative expansion, Saint Ahmad unapologetically paints the town with fellow club artist Apollo, drag queen Syrennara and DJ Maxwell Vice in the video. Director Joe Cohen adds, “The video is a meeting of different generations and club cultures. I brought a lot of 90s club kid references to the video, coming from London and UK, it was an homage to club and fashion legends like Leigh Bowery, also the FIY punky spirit of making the video in a very lo-fi technique that were present in analogue videos from the 80s / 90s. It’s a fun collaboration with Ahmad and a new generation of NYC club kids, and where these two worlds collide. Trippy, weird, trashy and DIY, this was the vibe we were going for.”
Saint Ahmad has received high acclaim from Wonderland, NYLON, NOTION, and LADYGUNN to name a few. “MINDS” is from his forthcoming EP project, which explores Saint Ahmad’s various states of mind, illustrating his transformative evolution from a tumultuous past.
Watch and Listen to “MINDS”
Saint Ahmad is a Brooklyn-based rapper, singer, dancer, and songwriter. Radiating authenticity and an unapologetic sense of personal freedom, Saint Ahmad’s sound is not confined to just one particular genre. With a musical style that incorporates UK club, Jersey Club, pop, R&B, and throwback hip-hop, Ahmad is a versatile artist who can truly do it all. Ahmad radiates natural charisma and infectious energy, while busting out dance moves and flashing his signature big smile while commanding the spotlight. A hopeless romantic and an out-and-proud gay man, his music is confidently built around themes of personal empowerment, wild nights, love, and sex, where he explores the out-of- this-world fantasies that ruminate in his head.
Born in Tashikawahi-shi, Tokyo, Japan, Ahmad first discovered his love for singing and performing while at church and holds a BFA in Dance from Florida State University. Music for him has always been his chosen medium of self-expression, inspiration, and self-healing.
The songwriter began releasing music in 2021 with alt hip hop singles “It’s Just Me” and “Clouds”, earning him significant media acclaim by way of his fluid approach to music, avant-garde aesthetics, and top-notch choreography. Now in 2023, Saint Ahmad has evolved into his most raw and baddest self yet, creating a musical vortex of rich imagination filled with unhinged sounds, kaleidoscopic visuals, and messages of self-empowerment that culminate into a provocative dance playground.
Saint Ahmad’s recent single “LGC” features celebrated NYC artist Lolita Leopard aka “The Leopard Lady.” The invigorating club track captures the essence of a fierce, feminine confidence. Inspired by decadent club nights, hedonistic after hour parties, freedom of expression, and letting go both physically and metaphorically, “LGC” is the ultimate bad bitch self-love anthem. The song features a striking beat by Glasgow DJ and producer CASEMENT, with an energetic UK club sound and an addictive pop hook. Insanely high intensity BPMs collide with in-your-face hyperpop vocals and pulsating bass, defying sonic realms and lulling the listener to an otherworldly space.
The accompanying music video directed by Jonathan Fine captures Saint Ahmad’s extravagant and wildly captivating stage presence, while expressing a different side of the performer. He confides, “I knew that I wanted the video to take place in a club setting because that was the entire vibe of this record. The idea of being drag came because I wanted to feel outside of myself. I want to actually step into the idea of getting crazy and releasing a different part of myself.” With ingenious choreography and a larger-than-life personality, Saint Ahmad has managed to bring the best club night of your life onto your video screen.
His new single “MINDS” is a powerful tribute to his journey through the New York Club demographic. It chronicles how Saint Ahmad has overcome expectations, self-doubt, and hardship through finding community amongst his friends with the NYC club space at the core of his narrative.
Saint Ahmad is a magnetic creative force. Using his music to inspire others to live freely and authentically, “Minds” is another important release in his ever-evolving musical catalog.