Emerging singer-songwriter Mwanjé first emerged with her debut single, “The Divine”, back in 2019, but now she returns with a renewed vision and some pretty big plans. Her latest release is “Wildones”, a tenacious collaboration with the inimitable Botswana-born, Zambia-based Sampa The Great, and it’s the first hint of a debut EP.
Mwanjé’s own heritage spans at least two continents and, like her collaborator, it’s given her a pretty broad and multi-faceted perspective. On “Wildones”, the pair explore Black feminism, Afrofuturism, and a range of musical influences, including R&B, jazz, and spoken word poetry. Equally, the visuals from co-directors Michael and Calvin tape into some of those same influences with imagery that nods to ancient African traditions, to bring Mwanjé and Sampa’s vivid tale of free-spirited youthfulness to life.
Speaking on the track’s meaning and how the video came together, she shares: “‘Wildones’ expresses the notion of seeking personal freedom. In a more abstract light, it expresses the fact that we are all branches of the same tree. The visuals were inspired by the duality of youth in action guided by a deep sense of wisdom and knowledge that’s almost otherworldly. I vividly remember the first Zoom meeting between Micheal (co-director), Calvin (producer) and I, in which one of my main requests was that they found a way to make me levitate, and that’s exactly what they did.”
“Wildones” is slated to appear on Mwanjé’s forthcoming debut EP Seasons. While we wait, hit play on the new video up top and then be sure to add the track to all your playlists.
