South African artist Desire Marea released their debut album Desire in early 2020 (it was one of our favourites of those months), but it didn’t get as much attention as it deserved. Not that that perturbed Desire, who continued to write and perform, and has now caught the attention of Mute Records, who will reissue Desire on August 6.
To celebrate the news, Desire has shared a new video for album highlight “Tavern Kween”. It’s a tribute to his assertive aunts, who held their ground in a male-dominated society. Desire says:
“It’s an ode to them, an ode for defiance and feminine manifestations everywhere, an ode to people who come alive at night, to people who enjoy being free and also an ode to people who are fierce about claiming their freedom.”
On the steamy, vibrant clip for the song, director Alison Swank says:
“This video is a tribute to all of the Tavern Kweens that lived dangerously before us, especially the queer icon Lebo Mathosa. It’s a statement of gratitude to those that survive and thrive now. It’s a love letter to the free and fierce future Kweens we hope to inspire.“
Watch “Tavern Kweens” below.
Desire Marea’s Desire comes out on August 6 via Mute (pre-order/save). You can find them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
