We can safely say that no-one does Afrikaans electro-pop quite like SAMA-award-winner Janie Bay – and, not one to leave listeners lonely and longing for more, she’s back with a brand new music video for her new single “Kalmeer”.
Taken from her third album Prisma, which was released to much aplomb in August, Kalmeer injects a healthy dose of drama into her standard sugary pop style as she explores the unpredictability of the world we live in.
Equal parts atmospheric and earwormy, “Kalmeer” is the kind of song that’s destined for mainstream success, due in part to an anthemic chorus that’s sure to get most people’s heads bopping. Drenched in synth and powered by a driving beat and bassline, the song is energetic and enjoyable – while bringing nothing particularly new to the table sound-wise.
Captivating us all with her honeyed vocals, Bay takes a lyrical deep dive into the tumultuous world of uncertainty we’ve all found ourselves in, and the anxiety that comes with living in these crazy times, asking a question I’m sure we all have on our minds: what are we gonna do to calm down?
The accompanying music video, directed by Damiane van Reenen, eschews any narrative in favour of cutting from one visually stunning shot of Bay singing to the next – often at breakneck speed – to create an (at times anxiety -inducing) artistically chaotic and undeniably dramatic accompaniment to the song. All in all, an apt visual representation of the generalised chaos we’re all dealing with at the moment.
