Emanuel is one of the breakout R&B stars of 2020. After releasing his debut EP earlier in the year, he has since followed up with the single ‘Black Woman’, an ode to the resilience of black women which feels even more important in a time of such racial injustice.
Emanuel learned to sing at a young age and was influenced massively by listening to Boyz II Men, Lil Wayne and Bob Marley. It was then after hearing Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterfly that he became inspired to write impactful music. Emanuel’s upcoming debut album, Alt Therapy, is clearly shaped by his desire to make influential music with a strong message and which will prompt the listener to think.
‘Black Woman’ is his newest single, and a single which carries an ever-important message of the strength of Black women in the face of racial injustice. The song was written after Emanuel spent time reflecting upon Black history and his relationships with the Black women in his life. It is a song which recalls some of Emanuel’s most innate feelings, memories and reflections. To accompany the single, Emanuel also launched a digital portrait series honouring Black women which featured five influential Black women from Toronto’s communities.
Photo Credit: Ashley McKenzie-Barnes
The video for ‘Black Woman’ continues Emanuel’s contribution to meaningful, expressive art. Directed by Jamar Harding, the video explores the song’s message of Black female empowerment and recognizing and honouring Black women.
“‘Black Woman’ is about reconciliation and also a celebration -celebrating how strong our women are and how they hold us up,” says Emanuel. “People might think this song was written as a response to the moment right now but it’s saying the exact same thing it was saying when it was written a year ago -‘I see you, I recognize you, I appreciate you and I love you’.”
The video is almost episodic, as it explores different relationships people may have with Black women. Whether that is in the form of a mother-son or mother-daughter relationship, a romantic relationship, or a friendship group, Emanuel and the team behind the video tried to explore the importance of these relationships which we all will have experienced.
Continuing with his goal to create music that has a purpose, the ‘Black Woman’ single and video are truly important artistic creations of Emanuel, and we are glad to see national media taking notice of this.
“It’s a powerful message intended not just for these times, but for all times.”
“Emanuel wows with new single ‘Black Woman’… it’s an absolute stunner.”
We look forward to hearing more evocative and emotional songs from Emanuel as he grows as an artist and releases more of his Alt Therapy projects,
You can view Emanuel’s ‘Black Woman’ video here and you can also find his debut EP ‘Alt Therapy Session 1: Disillusion’ on Spotify, Apple Music, and other streaming sites.