Equal parts magnetic and vulnerable, anaiis’ latest video for her song ‘Juno’, directed by Sierra-Leonean multi-disciplinary artist, Julianknxx, sees her singing straight to camera throughout as she invites the viewer into her inner world. The French-Senegalese singer is, obviously, very beautiful, but it still takes an extraordinary amount of courage and trust to allow a lens to get so close for so long.

The need for this intensity speaks to both the personal subject matter of the song, and anaiis’ interest in creating dialogue around mental health for women of colour. Part of a three-pronged project supported by Dr. Martens, we sat down with these two London-based talents to discuss their reative collaboration and the themes Juno confronts.

Julianknxx: The first time we had a conversation was when you came to one of my Julianknxx and Friends events. After that I came to your EP launch. Your voice was incredible, it’s insane! A few people came up to me after that and said they were tearing up and were left with waves of feelings - if only you knew that you're that powerful. And then there’s your song ‘Nina’. I like deep stuff and it's hard to find that balance with an artist where they're a great singer and not afraid to do something real. ‘Nina’ is one of those songs that was just, you know, that’s what’s up.

anaiis: What draws me to your work is your honest approach to everything you do, whether it's poetry, events, the musicians that you choose to work with or the films you create – through it all, you’re always seeking truth. You also have a sense of ease with the way that you approach everything, and you have a really strong intuition. Nothing ever feels over-thought, it’s like it just pours out of you in such a natural way. That ease is something that I want to strive for in my music. I’m always seeking something deeper and more profound. I want to add value to people's lives and not make music just to be successful. It’s not trying to make the coolest song in the world. I don't think like that. I think more in terms of how my perspective can enhance cultural dialogue.

Julianknxx: That's really cool. Because when I was listening to your EP 'Darkness At Play' I was struck by the honesty that comes across in your work. Then when we finally got to catch up, you're so genuine. If I get that connection to someone where I feel like they’re just trying to tell their story, I always trust them. I'm relaxed when it comes to working with people like you because you would ask for the instruction and I'd say, just be yourself because the truth is never going to feel contrived. When it comes to collaborating with you, in any shape or form, to me, it's a no brainer.

anaiis: I had another video planned for ‘Juno’ that fell through and it just happened in such a serendipitous way that I then spoke to you. It was a week before we needed to shoot, we just sat down, and I felt it in my heart to ask you. Once I told you about the song, we spent about two hours talking about everything I had been going through and you knew exactly how to capture it.

Julianknxx: You told me that the song is about being in your head and having these conversations with yourself, and about you moving away from your old label to go independent, how you're trying to push yourself. What was unique about you is that you wanted to embrace all of that stuff, whereas a lot of artists are hiding. I'm in search of truth, whatever that might be and with ‘Juno’, I felt it in my body.

anaiis: I decided this year that I'm going to face a lot of my fears and I’m going to do things that make me uncomfortable because I want to grow as an artist. It was a huge challenge for me to be in the video in this way – there are no distractions and I'm singing one of the most honest things I've written. When I first saw it, I couldn’t look at myself and it really made me realise how I experience myself on a day-to-day basis, because although we share a lot with people, we're not constantly aware of how we are being received. Those three minutes are like, wow, this is what I am, and that’s extremely challenging. But I’m not shying away, not hiding.

It’s actually beautiful to invite people into a piece of work where maybe I don't feel my performance is perfect. I'm growing and I'm welcoming a more compassionate and loving process into the way that we see the world. Right now, everyone sees the end results, where everything's just great. So, sharing something in which I'm not fully comfortable, is saying that it's also okay to show the process of becoming. We're all constantly learning, none of us are a finished product. To become great, you have to be okay with being mediocre first. I'm giving myself the opportunity that in five-10 years, I can do even crazier things, because I started at some point, I didn't run away from the fear.

Julian, I would be really interested in you saying more about the video. It was my dream to achieve something that appears really simple, but holds a lot.

Julianknxx: We spoke about surrealism and the idea of self-reflection, being trapped, isolation and anxiety, and how to place all of that into the space. Then how we could make your body interact with the space that you're in, in the most polished way we could. That made me think about René Magritte’s thought-provoking paintings, Shona Heath’ set design, references of Jacques Brel’s single take, FKA TWIGS’ one takes and also about how Juno means ‘queen of heaven’ in Roman mythology. I think we managed to find the balance of looking at something beautiful, but also creating something that captures your inner thoughts. And then we were looking for quotes to open the video and finding that one from Alice Walker – “The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don't have any” – just brought everything together.

anaiis: It helps that you’re not someone who panics because a lot of people would have given into my anxiety. We were limited on budget and time but there was this trust and the fact that we've been building a connection over a period of years.

Julianknxx: Any art is about listening and responding to what's happening in real time or around you. When it comes to collaborating, it’s about how I can present something that feels honest from both sides.

anaiis: We were really rooted in truth and transparency - we weren’t trying to do something just for the sake of doing it – and you were able to push me. That quote is so spot on to what my next album is about reclaiming my own power. Sometimes we have to walk away from a situation that is oppressive. There are a lot of things that we internalise - other people's thoughts, society's values and norms - and at some point, you have to say, okay, I don't have to let this control me.

Julianknxx: I feel like the industry does that to us. We’ve both made what we want to make and then there are reactions of, ‘oh, this is what everyone's doing’. Or, ‘yo, this doesn't sell’. When you look back at the artists that we respect, they’re the ones that went against the grain. I think that's the thing about living in this time, a lot of people present themselves as “woke” but you know, what are you awakened to do and what are you going to do about it? I think with risk, if you don't feel it in your body, then it means you're not pushing yourself hard enough. That’s where I always want to sit.

anaiis: Sitting with discomfort is where growth comes from. I'm not the artist that you're going to play to make you party. I'm the artist that you go to in your introspective space. It’s about the act of existing, representing and the way that people engage. This amazing artist messaged me and said, “You are full of grace. You’re doing a lot for people, for stranger’s hearts, people that you'll never know.” There was a moment where everyone was asking, what's a good song? Can you write a great song? But it’s so much deeper than that. With ‘Juno’, I think is good today, but it might do something crazy for you in 20 years. And it's the same thing with the video. I'm not even pressed about how people respond to it today because I just know that when people need to come across that piece, that's when they'll find it.

Julianknxx: When I was watching the video as an audience member, it reminded me of a quote from one of my favourite writers, Teju Cole, who said, “To look is only a fraction of what one is looking at. Even in the most vigilant eye, there is a blind spot. What is missing?” If only people knew the other conversations that we had when we were making it – but then it’s interesting to hear people’s interpretations. My daughter was watching it with me and when the zoom came out, she's like, ‘Daddy, she's in space, so where’s her helmet?’ – which is a valid question, we should have given you helmet! But she's my last filter, if she can get it right, then my job is done.

As told to Miriam Bouteba
Photography Alexandra Waespi

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Published on 21/04/2021