Premiere: Jamila Woods Shares Her Empowering New Video for "Blk Girl Soldier"

Jamila Woods breaks out on her own on "Blk Girl Soldier" off her forthcoming debut album. Its clear signifier that she is ready to make a new name for herself.

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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

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Singer and songwriter Jamila Woods celebrates her heritage and her strength in the powerful video for "Blk Girl Solider." The visual opens up with a close-up as she sings the opening chords of the powerful song. "Hair beads and rollers are symbols of Black girlhood to me. I thought, what would it look like to arm ourselves with our own essence?" Woods told Complex over email. "I wanted to celebrate the power and resilience of Black women but also highlight the importance of allowing space for more quiet, vulnerable moments where we can refuel ourselves and each other." 

"The goal of the 'Blk Girl Solider' video is to lift up the Black women throughout history and today who inspire me and who are doing brilliant artistic and activist work. Knowing my history and what my people have survived before me has made me stronger," Woods added. The whole visual complements the song's message and serves as a mesmerizing call that encourages black women to fight for their rights as decades of women have done before them.

Many know Woods from her work on Donnie Trumpet & the Social Experiment’s "Sunday Candy," assisting Macklemore and Ryan Lewis on their controversial "White Privilege II," and most recently for her vocal contributions to Chance the Rapper's recent Coloring Book track, "Blessings." However, "Blk Girl Soldier" is a clear signifier that she is ready to make a new name for herself on her own terms and through her own voice.

Watch the powerful and empowering video for "Blk Girl Soldier" above and look for it on her forthcoming solo debut, Heavn, set for release at the end of June on Closed Sessions. Also, be sure to catch Jamila Woods at her album release party at the Double Door in Chicago June 23.

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