2 Music Videos from Michael Kiwanuka's debut album, Home Again.

Below are Two Music Videos from Michael Kiwanuka’s Incredible Debut Album, Home Again.

Michael Kiwanuka - I'm Getting Ready

Dim lights Embed Embed this video on your site

I’m Getting Ready was first released on July 24th, 2011 and was later released as the second single from the artist’s debut studio album, Home Again on March 11th, 2012.

On January 8th, 2012, I’m Getting Ready debuted at number Twenty-Six on the UK Independent releases chart.
Vincent Haycock Directed the music video for I’m Getting Ready. Vincent Haycock has in the past directed music videos like Calvin Harris ‘Feel So Close’, The Editors ‘Racing Rats’ and Cheryl Cole, featuring Will I am, ‘3 Words’.

What is so incredible about this music video is Michael Kiwanuka’s performance in this music video. Michael as soon as the lyrics are heard has a full understanding of the music video image, and his role within it, as the performer.

This video brings to mind, Tracy Chapman’s Debut single Fast Car (1988) where you could tell she was in complete connection with the song’s lyrics. This is not just, what you call miming to a track; you have to have a real acting ability. It is this kind of performance, which Michael Kiwanuka is showing in this music video. Michael does not blink once, so as a viewer you are fully locked into the performance of Michael Kiwanuka.

In Michael’s performance is also to be found the cultural identity of the Black, British African Artist. Like Tanita Tikaram before him, Michael Kiwanuka will in future have no problems in connecting with music genre world musicians.

This is one of the greatest performances I have seen from a Black British Artist in ANY Music Video.
This is a REAL lesson for ALL artists (whatever colour, creed or religion) working in this music genre, in how to connect with lyrics in song ballads, as part of music video performance.

Michael Kiwanuka - Home Again

Dim lights Embed Embed this video on your site

Home Again was released in the UK as a digital download on the 1st January 2012. On the 8th January 2012, the song entered the UK singles chart at number 37, going on to 29 the following week.

In Belgium, the single reached a chart position of 3 on the Ultratop 50 Flanders Chart and also a position of 11 on Belgium’s Ultratip Wallonia chart. In the Netherlands, the single reached a chart position of 29 on the UK singles chart.

Ben Reed Directed the Music Video for Home Again.

Director Ben Reed has made a music video here, which in Ten years time will become iconic. His use of adding old time animation effects, gives the music video an old fashioned quality of old age films.

This like I’m Getting Ready has a real folk/soul performance with Michael Kiwanuka playing acoustic guitar. Michael truly understands this genre, so gets a heartfelt performance in the Music Video’s image. Michael like Bill Withers is connected to the very core of the song’s lyrics and music.

I thought it could not get any better with this song, when I heard this song on the album, but seeing the images of this music video justifiably matches the song’s lyrics and music.

Again, for me, this is one of the greatest performances I have seen from a Black British Artist (Male or Female) in ANY music video. This is a musician fully connected to the identity of music, and he portrays that identity uniquely in music video.

I don’t know how Michael Kiwanuka will match or progress on from the greatness of these two music videos, but whatever he does in  the future in terms of music videos, you can be guaranteed these music videos will have an effect on the whole wide world.

You can read the review of Michael Kiwanuka’s Brilliant Debut Album, Home Again in the Reviews Section of MusicVita.

Roger Howard.