When she’s not writing poetry, illustrating comic books, directing films, studying at NYU, fronting international fashion campaigns or schooling her peers on intersectional feminism, Amandla Stenberg is an actress. In her latest film, Everything, Everything — which already has Beyoncé’s stamp of approval — Stenberg plays Madeline Whittier, an 18-year-old girl with a severe immunodeficiency (SCID) that’s left her allergic to just about everything. Then young love strikes, inspiring Madeline to defy fate and venture outside her hermetically sealed home. (Get ready to exercise those tear ducts.)
Stenberg, Jane of All Trades that she is, shows off her vocal talents on the film’s soundtrack. Her debut single, a cover of Mac DeMarco’s “Let My Baby Stay,” is bluesy, ethereal and very Solange-reminiscent. The accompanying music video, released today on Vevo, is equally impressive, mostly because it was recorded, directed and edited by Stenberg herself.
Image: YouTube/AmandlaStenbergVEVO
The message is fairly straightforward: obsessive phone use inhibits you from fully engaging with the world. In the video, Stenberg dances in a hazy, Technicolor, “Hotline Bling”-reminiscent room. She’s surrounded by a crew of zombie-like teens who’ve been completely hypnotized by their screens. (Like we said, none too subtle.) The setup is simple yet striking, and the extras, though static, are stylish AF. We can’t wait for more where this came from.
Watch the full video below.
[ via The Cut ]
