Neemz is an artist who is hard to define, and she likes it that way. She slips in between genres as nimbly as she does between mediums of expression. Repping both Palestine and Boston, where she resides, she transcends more than just geographical borders; seamlessly blending the worlds of fashion, music, film, photography, and modeling.
Neemz ended 2021 on a high note with the drop of her debut EP It’s Above Me, released in a series of singles that eventually accumulated to a fully-fledged project. Certainly an unorthodox roll-out method for most in the industry – but Neemz is notorious for going against the grain. The strategy proved successful as the rapper/singer/songwriter saw a sharp peak in growth, with her music videos amassing a total of 500,000 views and the EP reaching over a million streams on DSPs.
Now, she’s kicking off 2022 with a gorgeous collection of visualizers to top the EP off – the latest being for her Afrobeat hit ‘My Love,' which premiered on YouTube on February 1st. The 7th track off It’s Above Me, ‘My Love’ reads almost like a letter written for herself – a vow to hold the feelings of self-love and presence close, to choose herself first. Neemz described the track as such in a description of the video on YouTube:
“'My Love' embodies self love, and falling in love with the present moment. It’s important that we infuse positive energy and good intent into our daily lives and relationships. Living by this principle will help navigate us to greater heights in life! This year, the narrative is leading with light, focusing on wellness and committing to self-love, self-discipline, and self-care.”
The positive messaging of the track is reflected beautifully in the visualizer. Creatively directed and styled by Neemz, the video follows the artist around New York in VHS - complete with dolly zooms, fast cuts, and unique angles. DOP Waqas takes advantage of the city’s natural aesthetic, shooting Neemz in iconic spots only fitting for such an iconic artist. The whole thing screams “90s”. Dark lipliner, pencil thin eyebrows, headscarves and vintage mini sunglasses are mere accessories to Neemz’ modern Afrobeat sound.
This is Neemz' genius. Is it a fashion video with her music in the background? Is it a music video with fashion being the main attraction? With Neemz the answer is “it’s never one thing.” In bold colours and patterns, she saunters happily alone in an empty city, singing “I was really feeling better/Changing with the weather/Moving out of the shadows” in an effortless lilt.
With every element, Neemz tells a beautiful story on self-love, self-discovery, self-awareness and spirituality. It’s inspiring to watch stand-alone, but placed in juxtaposition with her other videos, it’s clear that each visual and song is only a chapter of a bigger picture: that Neemz will thrive in this world, protected by her love for herself and God's light.
