Shekhinah has dropped a short film for her single “Fixate.” Released on Valentine’s Day, it contradicts the euphoria of the day celebrating love. “Fixate” is the singer and songwriter’s first release since her debut album RoseGold and launched the pre-order for her sophomore album Trouble In Paradise.
She said of the new album, “My new project Trouble in Paradise is a continuation of my first album “RoseGold” which spoke to blissful ignorance. The idea is that all that was RoseGold is now ablaze. Paradise is no longer the place it used to be and trouble has come. Red for me signifies the burning of Paradise and the polaroid picture on fire [in the cover art] signifies memories of the past. A broken heart ties in the melted ice cream (to signify comfort eating), the cassette tape (speaking to treasured memories/nostalgia) and the car illustration which is an ode to the “Suited” music video which brings the concept full circle.”
She extends the concept with the release of the short film. Directed by Monde Twala, the short film explores themes such as resilience, nostalgia and rebirth. Being a ‘team player’ in both the literal and artistic sense, there are athletic motifs speaking to the mood throughout the film. She’s joined by castmates Barbie Jackson, Nkuley Masemola, Bandile Koketso Mbuli and Tamara Moeng in the production styled by Boogy Maboi, which closes out with a teaser of her upcoming single, “Insecure.”
Of the song, she said, “The making of this song has been quite extensive and over a long period of time; we started working on the song in the beginning of 2018, gradually and consistently added and changed a lot of things, till we settled on the version you hear today. It was inspired by “imposter syndrome”, I think that’s what it’s called… It was inspired by a lot of ups and downs and change, from I guess young adult to adult. It’s a reminder to always be on my side, being a team player on my own team; it’s a love letter to self and really sets the tone for the rest of the project. On this particular song, I worked with Bey T, a super talented artist from Kenya whom I met at MR EAZI’s Empower Africa in Cape Town 2019. I just loved her sound and really appreciated her work ethic, it was such a great time in studio and having her in Johannesburg.”
Check out the visuals for Shekhinah’s “Fixate” below.
