Toronto-based singer-songwriter Emanuel stuns fans yet again with the music video instalment of his latest single, ‘Black Woman’, an uplifting ode to the beauty, strength and resilience of Black women.

As is the origin story of most great creations, the idea behind ‘Black Woman’ came almost by accident. Inspiration struck Emanuel during a trip to the Cayman Islands over a year ago, whilst he was there he happened to watch a clip of a 1971 conversation between James Baldwin and Nikki Giovanni which got him thinking about the beauty, struggle and rich history of Blackness and of Black women specifically. Unbeknownst to him, his thoughts soon led him down a path that would become the beginnings of his latest RnB single, one he hoped would heal, uplift and venerate the very people who inspired his song – Black women.

Directed by Jamar Harding the music video for ‘Black Woman’ is less of typical music video and more of a slow-paced montage featuring a number of still images and videos of Black women and girls. The simplicity of the music video is where its beauty truly lies, each image acting as gorgeous ebony backdrop to the moving, heartfelt lyrics of Emanuel’s song.

Black women are pictured in scenes of romance, joy, sorrow and everyday life, with the visuals delicately reflecting the nature of the lyrics. Emanuel calls for Black women of all shapes, sizes, skin tones, religions and ethnicities that we see on screen to be appreciated at all times – through the joy, through the sorrow, through the sunshine and through the rain.

“The biggest message I would want to be received by this song is ‘Wake up and see the queens around you and see these beautiful women and the work that they do and stop hindering them,” says Emanuel. “On a personal level, for other black men who have active black women in their lives or who encounter black women in their life, I hope this song inspires them to take stock to see if they hold any negative filters when they view black women, to take stock of how black women are treated, and to really appreciate them for who they are. The message of ‘Black Woman’ is a display of love to try to wake people up.”

– EMANUEL.

 

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