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New York, NY (Top40 Charts) GRAMMY-nominated global artist Matt B has released a new music video for single “JOLENE,” taken from his Afrobeats album ALKEBULAN, out now via Vitae Records.
Incorporating a fusion of world sounds, the alluring downtempo track finds Matt confessing his affection to someone keeping him at arm’s length. In the accompanying visual – directed by PhillyFlyBoy and Matt’s wife, manager, and producer Angela Benson – we see him pray to Oshun, the West African goddess of divinity, love, and freshwater who is known as the granter of wishes, asking her to bring the love he desires into his life.
On the track, Matt shares, “‘JOLENE’ is really special to me. It’s a song about forbidden love and exploring how to navigate those feelings. It speaks on the tragic feeling of when being with the one you love could completely destroy the relationship you have with your family. It makes you question: should you follow your heart or throw the love away for the sake of maintaining the relationship with family? This is exactly what I found myself faced with a long time ago when dating a beautiful woman who eventually became my wife. Both of us chose one another despite how our families felt about it.”
“The music video is a symbolic representation of the thoughts in my head and the feelings in my heart during that time, while also illustrating this using elements of African culture,” he adds. “You see the West African goddess, Oshun, who is the river goddess of divinity, femininity, love, and beauty. In the video, I pray to Oshun in hopes that she will grant me the desires of my heart and allow me to be connected with the love of my life. The water where Oshun dwells represents purity, divine generosity, and vulnerability.”
A powerful display of Matt’s artistry as he aims to build a bridge of unity between his Motherland and America, ALKEBULAN (pronounced al-kee-boulan) debuted on six Billboard charts including #27 on Top New Artist Albums, #33 on Top Albums, #82 on Top Current Album Sales, and #120 on Digital Albums.
Meaning “Mother of Mankind,” the album offers a culturally rich listening experience infused with African elements such as conga shakers, djembe and bougarabou drums, and call-and-response singing, elevating the soundscape he has so brilliantly captured with his various Afro-inspired releases.
The album includes “JOLENE” alongside previously released singles “SHAYO” which brings the common phrase amongst Nigerians and West Africans meaning happiness to life, “FREEDOM” featuring Motswana Mo Erongo that draws inspiration from the tale of a caged bird experiencing newfound freedom, and “GUNJALE” with Ugaboys which speaks to those who have no care for the digital world, but instead place a focus on living in the now. Other standout tracks include the hip-swaying “SALETEMA” and a reimagined version of GRAMMY-nominated hit “GIMME LOVE” with Eddy Kenzo.
Matt initially began bringing ALKEBULAN to life earlier this year at the 65th annual GRAMMY Awards where he and Angela garnered praise for their iconic royal looks from Vogue, Washington Post, Entertainment Tonight, iHeart, and Esquire — who named Matt one of the best dressed men — as the power couple channeled the energy and presence of their ancestors who once reigned as kings and queens of Africa aiming to share its importance and beauty with the new generation.
While ALKEBULAN first started as a way for Matt to search for his identity and come to terms with his purpose as both a person and artist, the album ultimately reignited the spark needed to fuel his creativity unlike ever before and encapsulates his transformative journey as he rediscovered his purpose and love for music
Known for his romantically-driven R&B music, Matt B has cemented himself as a bona fide talent and a force to be reckoned with. The Chicago native and Los Angeles-based songsmith has built a worldwide fanbase with his chart-topping singles and albums including his 2014 international debut, Love & War, and sophomore album, DIVE.
Both releases went #1 on the iTunes R&B Charts and were later followed by his 2018 EP, RISE, produced by GRAMMY-Award Winner Bryan-Michael Cox (Mariah Carey, Usher, Mary J. Blige). In 2021, he released his debut US album, EDEN, which featured production from Cox as well as Tricky Stewart (Beyoncé, Britney Spears, Rihanna) and landed in the Top 40 on Billboard’s R&B Albums, Digital Albums, Heatseekers, and R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Charts.
Since then, Matt B has released a string of eclectic singles including “Gimme Love” and garnered media support from the likes of GRAMMY.com, SPIN, 1883 Magazine, Rolling Out, Singersroom, and more.
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