DUBAI: Grammy-winning US singer-songwriter Kehlani has released a new music video in support of Gaza and said that proceeds from related merchandise will go to Palestinian, Congolese and Sudanese families.
The singer, who has been at the forefront of protests in support of Gaza since October, on Friday released the song “Next 2 U” with an accompanying video. In the clip, she can be seen waving Palestinian flags while wearing suits adorned with the Palestinian keffiyeh.
“As an artist, I was nervous, terrified, worried after losing so much of what I’d valued for an album … paired with the crippling wonder of what music is appropriate to drop during the most historical tragedies of our generation,” the singer wrote on Instagram.
“I remembered my favorite revolutionary poets, singers, filmmakers. I remembered how much impact we have. I thought about my favorite James Baldwin quotes about the role of an artist in society. I listened to this song enough to recognize a love song is a protector’s song, is revolution,” she said, referring to her latest single.
The music video opens with an anti-war quote from US Palestinian poet Hala Alyan: “Keep your moon / We have our own / Keep your army / We have our name / Keep your flag / We have fruits and in / All the right colors.”
The singer collaborated with Palestinian designer Simsim and the Nol Collective on merchandise related to the song.
“100% of the proceeds are going to be distributed amongst Palestinian, Congolese and Sudanese family through @operationolivebranch (sic),” she wrote on Instagram.
The T-shirts are screen-printed in Ramallah and cut and sewn in Bethlehem, according to the Nol Collective.
Kehlani has emerged as a strong pro-Palestinian force on social media and spoke at a rally held in Downtown Los Angeles in October, saying: “I think it’s black and white, and you have a choice to see it or not … I want all my followers and peers to sit on the right side of history. I want them to make a decision that is larger than them. I want them to make an unselfish one. I want them to make an obvious one. And I just hope they choose to do the right thing.”
