Lungelo Manzi, known for exploring many touch-points of self-awareness in his music, has been developing an overarching narrative in his catalogue, one that altogether lays the foundation for his forthcoming debut album ADULTING ANONYMOUS.
With the visuals for his current single “BALANCE (feat Lisa Mbali)”, the growing pains one navigates in their twenties have worked in cohesive tandem to curate a canvas for a mature Manzi. He melodically raps out actively making peace with the ticking clock of mortal life and in so doing, repeats the words of the chorus to inspire encouragement.
The music video’s story was written and directed by Lungelo Manzi in partnership with DNT SLP – founded by filmmaker/musician Ngwato Mamiane and the visuals were rolled out with two preceding pieces of content, “SEKSEDUZE” (A Prelude) and the official trailer for “BALANCE”. The former is accompanied by an eerie a capella of harmonies scored by Manzi that echo “BALANCE’s” chorus imagined with a new arrangement.
“SEKUSEDUZE” shows a simple story of an artist from Durban who we meet, arriving in Johannesburg. This after Lungelo made a career change after having finished a digital marketing qualification, moving to Johannesburg for the dual function of working for an agency and being closer to music opportunities in Gauteng.
The video’s visuals capture the sustained optimism in a feeling akin to reaching a promised land in the chorus”Sek’seduze, kusele kancane” (we’re almost there, just a little bit more), with the use an intimate motif and focused A-Roll shots of Lungelo Manzi in his signature one-location shooting style that reflects the ruminative quality of his perspective.
By portraying the different facets one feels seeking balance – the calm anxiety chainsmoking, the self-talk we give in times of woe or taking stock – Lungelo invites us into a shared and vulnerable experience where we, like him, are in new stages of our adult lives and do not know what to expect in these new environments. Overcoming one’s own self-doubt, it’s in the actions of bringing our purpose to life that can often preserve the eagerness to explore the infinite possibilities that reside on the opposite side of fear.
From a songwriting perspective, we find Manzi caught in a limbo of “It’s looking like a brother gotta take some help/so I knead flows, read notes/Take the pill“ and “Chasing the dragon alone.” The verse and bridge of “BALANCE” articulates Lungelo’s bout with hopelessness coupled with the willingness to overcome the dues he and all adults have to eventually pay to endure the cost of adulthood in its entirety.
While we may feel that adulting is a scam and we miss the parts of our childhood when we didn’t have as much responsibility, Lungelo reminds us that the key to enjoying our process of becoming, surviving, and adult thriving is in redefining freedom and responsibility while consistantly striving towards being in a constant state of BALANCE.
