(February 9, 2021) The best songs take the listener – or the viewer in the case of video – on a journey. The true artist takes you someplace. That place may not always be somewhere you want to go, however, you will almost always be better after going on this musical journey because you will learn something about the artist, the world and yourself.
Jamaican singer Sevana has proven to be that kind of artist, and her latest, “Set Me On Fire,” shows that she is an artist in the truest sense. On “Set Me On Fire,” Sevana paints a vivid and moving portrait of a woman’s journey from abuse at the hands of a man to her decision to take control of her life. The track sports an arrangement that features a drum that sets a martial pace, played off against haunting strings and Sevana’s powerful vocals as she takes her listener on a woman’s trek through longsuffering victimhood, mind control, anger and finally freedom.
(February 9, 2021) The best songs take the listener – or the viewer in the case of video – on a journey. The true artist takes you someplace. That place may not always be somewhere you want to go, however, you will almost always be better after going on this musical journey because you will learn something about the artist, the world and yourself.
Jamaican singer Sevana has proven to be that kind of artist, and her latest, “Set Me On Fire,” shows that she is an artist in the truest sense. On “Set Me On Fire,” Sevana paints a vivid and moving portrait of a woman’s journey from abuse at the hands of a man to her decision to take control of her life. The track sports an arrangement that features a drum that sets a martial pace, played off against haunting strings and Sevana’s powerful vocals as she takes her listener on a woman’s trek through longsuffering victimhood, mind control, anger and finally freedom.
The video, set on a beach, establishes the song’s tone. Sevana walks along the sand near the shore and the video gives the sense of a woman who is pondering her situation and working to ultimately take control of her fate. Sevana is an emerging international star and one of a growing corps of Jamaican artists putting their stamp on the music of the island. Her ability to fuse reggae with gospel, R&B, folk and elements of hip-hop captured the attention of the taste makers at NPR, and Sevana was recently featured on their Tiny Desk concert series. Check out “Set Me On Fire,” here and you’ll understand why.
By Howard Dukes
Sevana - "Set Me On Fire"