Over the weekend, the world took in Solange’s simmering new album When I Get Home. Multi-media artist that she is, Solange supplemented the record with a 33-minute long film of the same name. On Thursday, the Houston-native released the music video for album-standout “Almeda.”
The video is actually a five-minute excerpt from the film. Like the much of the full film, the “Alameda” segment is full of monochromatic, downright yee-haw majesty. In one stunning shot, a black cowboy on horseback trots in circles. As the camera pulls out, we see that he and his horse are enclosed in a metallic ring of no less than 12 DeLoreans, each with their headlights on and their left gullwing door left ajar.
As the videos from A Seat At The Table made abundantly clear, Solange is a fan of cyclical movement, black bodies in motion, slow deliberate choreography. Her visual work can sometimes elicit the feeling of having been dropped down in the middle of some sort of ritual. To whom is this elaborate and beautiful display being offered, on whose behalf has it been constructed? It’s hard to say. The only answer mildly appropriate answer seems to be that Solange constructs these moments for herself and people like her. They’re an homage to home base.
You can watch the video for “Almeda” above.
