Watch Michael Kiwanuka’s New Video For ‘Interlude (Loving The People)’

Michael Kiwanuka has shared the music video for his track “Interlude (Loving the People)”. The song originally featured on his self-titled album, released last year.

Directed by Phillip Youmans, the track’s music video illustrates an idyllic image of youth, stitching together clips of skateboarding in the sun, body painting and dancing to music. It also opens with a sample of a speech by late US congressman and civil rights activist, John Lewis.

“Listening to “Interlude (Loving the People)” feels like sunshine on my skin,” Youmans said in a statement. You can check the video out below.

“This film is an escapist trip where young black people revel in the psychedelic experience. For me, “Loving the People” is about the adrenaline of unconfined love and joy, a celebration of black youth and imagination.”

Kiwanuka’s latest album earned him the prestigious Mercury Prize in 2020, beating out contenders including Charli XCX, Dua Lipa, Laura Marling and Stormzy.

Kiwanuka exclaimed, “I’m over the moon. I don’t have words to say, I’m so, so excited. Like you said [the prize is] for art, for music. This is the only thing I’ve ever wanted to do so to win the Mercury is a dream come true. I’m so, so happy.”

“I hope it inspires people who maybe have a similar story to mine or people who, in other ways, maybe feel like they’re going into something that is maybe outside of their comfort zone or not usually the path they would be expected to take,” he said.

“I’d hope it inspires them just to keep going and to keep being true to themselves, to keep going but not to compromise. That’s something I really believe in and I hope that is something can garner from my music and especially the songs on this album.”

Typical of the rave reviews, NME gave Kiwanuka five stars upon its release, praising the record for its “brave experimentation and hard-won self-knowledge”.

Listen to the best of Michael Kiwanuka here.