Frans Karoo has a knack for navigating the macabre and moody. His 2022 single “O God” squared up to God with the burning question of just why most people receive the short end of the stick. This time around “Jou Lewe” is taking a cold hard look at life, but mostly death, with a shrewd eye and ear.
Coming just ahead of his upcoming debut album, due to hit the airwaves on the 25th of January, “Jou Lewe” takes an indie acoustic slant on the eventuality of death and just why we need to come to terms with it. All this delivered by his Bob Dylan-esque vocal drone, as he waxes poetic on gratitude for life – hidden beneath the harsh reminder that fear will get you nowhere.
To counter this actually rather wholesome premise, the lyric video takes a rather macabre angle on the whole thing. Composed of a split-screen reel of footage lifted from horror movies from across decades past, it provides a harsh and, quite frankly, terrifying counterpart to drive his message home.
Leaning in on that fear-based message, only taking it several steps further, Karoo invites us all to confront the reality of our eventual demise with a little humour, a little horror, and a healthy dose of gratitude.
Feature pic by Ruan van Jaarsveldt
