Iranian-Dutch Sevdaliza, born Sevda Alizadeh, is an internationally successful singer, producer and musician. She is known for her avant-garde aesthetic as well as sound, including trip-hop, electronic, alternative R&B and experimental. What she is also known for are her visually interesting clips which immerse you into her world so here are her phenomenal top ten music videos.
- Bluecid
Appearing on her debut album ISON (2017), Bluecid was accompanied by an enchanting music video starring Sevdaliza and François Sagat directed by Sevdaliza and Zahra Reijs. The pair share a dance in a hall in the Netherlands, reminiscent of her Human music video. When asked for her inspiration behind the piece, Sevdaliza provided a lyric from the song, (“And I could only have you in my dreams, so it seems”), and a passage from Dante’s Inferno: “My sage cried out to him: ‘You think, perhaps, this is the Duke of Athens, who in the world put you to death. Get away, you beast, for this man does not come tutored by your sister; he comes to view your punishments.’”
- Joanna
Her first single off of her sophomore album Shabrang (2020) had its music video directed by Marlou Fernanda and Sevdaliza herself. Sevdaliza is essentially Joanna, the black winged angel who has embraced her agony, and here is what she has to say about her: “‘Joanna’ captures the universal story of unrequited love. It is a reflection of the unbearable suffering crawling into our lives in different shapes. The kind of love that does not die. The kind of love that is hidden in a secret place, hungry, curled and wounded. Joanna has endless potential to live on. For some fortunate, you will be able to experience her. For some fortunate, you will be able to escape her.”
- Hear My Pain Heal
A hidden, unreleased track off of ISON (2017), Hear My Pain Heal found itself visually depicted by director Ian Pons Jewell. The tale of the video centers around a murder mystery in an average house with unusual haunting experiences. The pair shared a joint statement on the essence of the music video: “It’s difficult to explain ‘Hear My Pain Heal’ in terms of its narrative, as it came about as a hallucinatory or dreamlike experience,” they explain. “Sevdaliza mourning at these large bare feet, crying for her lost ones, his head covered by the shadows from the tablecloth. A strange synchronous relationship resulted in ‘Hear My Pain Heal.’”
- Darkest Hour
Perhaps the video most recognized as breaking female stereotypes, the deep house club track off of Shabrang (2020) had its music video drop in Women’s History Month. Directed by Sarah Benjamin and An Simin and in honor of the month, the video showcases unique women, in their own rights, around the world by sharing a series of mini selfie clips of them. Sevdaliza is shown only a few moments at a time leaving the floor for them to tell their stories.
- Marilyn Monroe
Initially released off of her second EP Children of Silk (2015) which then made its way to land a place on ISON (2017), the beat-driven lullaby Marilyn Monroe was directed by Iranian digital artist Hirad Sab who said: “Sevda reached out to me and her idea was to take Frida’s “The Broken Column” and draw upon that in conjunction with steampunk elements to illustrate a woman going through a mechanical transformation from a natural being to machine . . . At the time I was very inspired by the appearance of gadgets and technological inventions, if you want to call [them] “lab aesthetics”, which in turn changed the idea of a full transformation to more of an integration of the body and the machine and its acceptance.”
- Habibi
Habibi, meaning “my love” in Arabic on Shabrang (2020), marks the artist’s and co-director Anastasia Konovalova directorial debut as the duo sevda+ana. As described by the songwriter, “Habibi represents the animal nature inside us that we have to learn to control”. The female powerhouse duo have explained: “The forest represents Sevdaliza’s emotions: the frustration, fear and anger that every person has during their journey. The tower represents Sevdaliza’s reality and the people she encounters throughout her life. Although she comes face-to-face with these characters, she remains invisible to them all, except one — the older woman. The older woman is an older version of Sevdaliza and represents the end of her (everyone’s) life.”
- Rhode
Released as the sixth and final single off of Shabrang (2020), Rhode’s sci-fi clip was directed by Anna Himma which shows Sevda is far from showcasing her originality as the Rhode video outlines femininity in the most raw way by taking the viewer into a whole new universe. As soon as the song breaks open, we move from a futuristic setting to a sultry cabaret hall in which Sevdaliza draws all the attention. A rodeo ride rarely looked so captivating and razor-sharp.
- That Other Girl
The single that kick started the beginning of her career, That Other Girl on the Suspended Kid (2015) EP was directed by Polish artists duo Pussykrew who digitally scanned Sevda and placed her in a three dimensional glossy digital palace. Pussykrew elaborated on their creative choice: “The video is merging our and Sevdaliza’s universes. We wanted to amplify the way she constructs her image and plays the identity game. However, it expands to broader issues of femininity in our society as well as individual empowerment of one’s own realm.”
- Human
Sevdaliza’s critically acclaimed single off of ISON (2017) Human, which ultimately lead her to fame, was directed by long time collaborator Ghanian-Dutch filmmaker. The songstress is seen as a half-horsed woman dancing in a classy hall, eluding she is nothing more than human. Emmanuel Adjei has said: “It was a no-brainer, it needed visuals that would reinforce its universal message because it was clever and utterly powerful . . . Creating the video for “Human” was really fun because Sevdaliza and I knew we were telling this untold story that really reflected both our personalities in a way we haven’t done before.”
- Shahmaran
Presenting the opening track of ISON (2017), Shahmaran was also directed by Emmanuel Adjei and here’s what he has to say on the short film: “the piece questions the eternal fascinations and desires of the human mind. It’s the story of the black man, who continues life in a cycle of oppression. The modern chains on black men today are the aspirations of decadence, power, and success that create a false sense of autonomy and freedom. This leaves them victim of addictions to power and materialism, unable to venture outside what is “expected” of their behavior. This is visible in the strong symbolic nature of the work, reflected in both the visual and the music. It’s a stylized parable world that shares an almost biblical semantic.”