Still justifiably riding high after a success-packed year that saw her release her Tough Love project and get back into the swing of performing live, Brighton-born singer/songwriter IYAMAH is back with visuals for “Diamond In The Rough”.
Originally split into two parts for the album, the first part has a mellow, acoustic soul sound while the other packs a bit more of a punch with a rousing, full-bodied neo-soul arrangement—and now they’ve been seamlessly reconnected. Just like the track itself, the video is also split in two: the first half was filmed in the UK by director Celine Celeesi, and the other was shot over in Lagos by King Nonso Duke.
An autobiographical piece, it tells the story of self-discovery as IYAMAH learns more about herself, absorbing more and more of her heritage, as we’re taken to Lagos, Nigeria, with local dancer Daniella Nnamami playing the part of the singer’s ancestor.
“This is a completely independent piece of work taken from my own story,” IYAMAH said in an Instagram post. “As the hair gets longer, the roots grow stronger… All about learning how to dance freely, and discovering oneself again through movement. It has been probably one of the most challenging experiences from start to finish, but we never gave up on it.”
Peep the “Diamond In The Rough” video above, and stream Tough Love in full below.
