Laolu tackles depression in dark and gripping avant-garde music video for her single All In Me (Video)

Posted on 28 March 2018
By Khyle Deen
  • Share:

Coming on the back of her comeback single ‘All In Me’, which was recently premiered by The Line Of Best Fit, and met with rave reviews from fans and critics alike, South East London singer, songwriter and musician LAOLU is proud to unveil the dark and gripping avant-garde music video for ‘ALL IN ME’, as premiered via NOCTIS Magazine.

Taken from her forthcoming debut EP of the same name, ‘All In Me’ is Laolu’s first offering in nearly three years, having been forced to quit music due to her battles with depression.

Co-directed by Laolu herself, and searchmike (Rachel Foxx, Sippin Society), the visuals for ‘All In Me’ make for a thematic representation of the single and its thought-provoking lyrics, which see Laolu addressing her struggle with depression, and exploring the highs and lows of this constant battle. The visuals do well to highlight how the battle is within, and how Laolu must first overcome this battle, which, according to Laolu, “will give me strength to overcome this depression”.

Speaking about how the ‘All In Me’ video came about, Laolu says, “the idea came about quite easily, because I focused on the battle within myself mentally and physically, I focused on how I appeared okay, but inside I was in very dark space. We created a ‘me vs. me’ theme, pitting me against myself in something like a battlefield of the mind. The two characters in the video sing the words because both are a part of me, but only one is the real me and that’s who I should be.

I focused on having this ‘Ego’ character, which represents depression, hover and mimic me in a way, because depression can be very evil, it can manifest in your thoughts sometimes constantly attacking you, you beat yourself up and aren’t good to the real you. I focused on how depression can seep in slowly – on some days when you think you’re having a good day then out of nowhere, your mental space is just clouded with negativity and it’s very scary.

The real me is not seen in agony, but you can see I want to be free from the darkness, from this struggle that’s completely taken over, and there’s a bath scene which feels important for me, as it showed me letting go and freeing myself. This video for ‘All In Me’ means the start of a new me, it’s an introduction of sorts, it opens up the story to what happened in my past, an explanation of why I went M.I.A, and represents a new beginning, washed of all that held me back in the past”.

Laolu has been singing since the age of 10, and even went on to study Commercial Music Performance at university. Before her unforeseen hiatus from music, the London native had been working with Katy B, Little Simz, Blinkie (Major Lazer, Wretch 32, Lana Del Rey), and P2J (Stormzy, Tinie Tempah, Chris Brown), while performing alongside the likes of Chip, Ghetts and Ms. Dynamite. As she makes her deserved return, we’re excited for what is to come from Laolu in 2018.

http://www.instagram.com/uloalmai

http://www.laoluofficial.com