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Apr 19, 2022 By Joey Arnone Photography by Shervin Lainez

Zola Jesus (aka Nika Roza Danilova) has shared a video for her new single, “Desire.” It is the latest release from her forthcoming album, Arkhon, which will be out on May 20 via Sacred Bones. View the A.F. Cortes-directed video below.

In a press release, Danilova states: “‘Desire’ was written in one sitting at my piano at home. The song was an exorcism for my pain and lack of closure around heartbreak. Sometimes songs are written simply for the cathartic effect of playing them. This is one of those songs. Performing it feels like the most tangible way to experience that closure for myself. Some days I would sit at home playing this song over and over on my piano, just to provide myself that sense of control over what I was feeling. I recorded the song at the studio in one take, and also got video while I was there to document the memory of the performance. The footage of that day is the core of the video for ‘Desire.’”

Director Cortes adds: “I’ve seen Zola Jesus perform live many times in the past. Still, nothing prepared me to see the vulnerability of this piece unfolding as it was performed in front of my camera. It was visceral, personal, and profoundly moving. From that first shoot day, I knew I wanted to complement the live performance with a parallel story: A tale of grief, loss, and the capacity of a cathartic metamorphosis to overcome personal trauma. All set in a minimal space, a transitional moment of learning how to let go of the baggage of a previous existence. In making this piece I wanted to capture a unique moment in time that reflects the vulnerability of the music.”

Upon announcement of the new album last month, Danilova shared the song “Lost.” Her last album, Okovi, came out in 2017 via Sacred Bones.

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