Afro-Cuban, French twins Lisa-Kaindé and Naomi Díaz, also known as Ibeyi, have shared the third single from their forthcoming third-studio-album Spell 31. (May 6th, 2022 via XL Recordings.) Titled “Lavender & Red Roses”, the new single features the Brit-Award winning Jorja Smith and speaks on the powerful realisation that we can only save ourselves. The single lands alongside a truly spiritual and captivating visual, directed by Lucrecia Taormina, which sees Ibeyi and Jorja embodying the roles of the three sisters of fate on a journey through the desert, attempting to shower the beauty and love of “Lavender & Red Roses” over a troubled and lost loved one; but, eventually realising their efforts are in vain and that they must cut those emotional ties.
Ibeyi also announced today their return to the live stage with three intimate performances set to take place on May 1st in New York City, May 14th in London and May 17th in Paris in which they’ll perform new music and old favorites, accompanied by a band.
A love song in essence, the single was written after Jorja came to the studio to hear the entire album, and fell instantly in love with the song. Lyrically, ‘Lavender & Red Roses’ explores that familiar, desperate desire to help someone, yet it culminates in the realisation that even if you want to save someone, you can’t. You cannot be pulled into their darkness; you cannot deplete your own energy.
Speaking on the song and video, Lisa-Kaindé explains: “We knew we wanted to create something with Jorja that would be different from what we’ve done previously that would allow us to connect with the true meaning of the song. When we came across the three sisters of fate from the Greek mythology that personify fate we knew immediately that it would be the right idea. Clotho, Lachesis, Atropos are sisters, one of them creates the thread of fate, the other analyses it and the third one cuts it. “Lavender and Red Roses” is a song about the feeling we all experience when we love someone troubled. It could be a partner, a sibling, a parent, a friend. We wanted to talk about the pain of witnessing a loved one hurting, repeating patterns and getting lost. And how it triggers in us the desire to reach them, hold them tight and wash their troubles away with lavender and red roses. But the truth is you can’t save them, if they pull you into their darkness, you will have to protect yourself, and allow them to find their own strength and light, their own way.”
On the forthcoming Spell 31, Lisa and Naomi set out to remobilize the power of their birth given destiny as Ibeyi, which has led them on a path to restoration in pursuit of true harmony, healing and magic. Inspired by ‘Spell 31’, taken from The Ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead, the project features 10 tracks, written, produced and recorded by Ibeyi, who beautifully crafted the songs alongside their expert long-term producer Richard Russell (Ash, Ibeyi). Featuring Jorja Smith, Pa Salieu, BERWYN, Ibeyi’s father and mother, the album also contains a reimagining of Black Flag’s “Rise Above.”
Building on an already paramount anticipation, ‘Lavender & Red Roses’ featuring Jorja Smith, follows in the wake of the beautiful ‘Sister 2 Sister’, and the phenomenal first offering from Spell 31, ‘Made of Gold,’ which features Gambian-British rapper Pa Salieu. “Ibeyi’s Spell 31 is Ibeyi’s boldest offering yet, an antidote to apathy in a divided world,” explains activist and storyteller Janaya Future Khan in an essay on Spell 31. Read the full essay here.
More on Jorja Smith:
Jorja Alice Smith (born 11 June 1997) is an English singer-songwriter. Born and raised in Walsall, she has been writing songs since the age of 11. After her first two singles received broader recognition, Jorja went on to release two EPs throughout 2016 and 2017. Her debut studio album, Lost & Found, was released in 2018 to critical acclaim, and peaked at number three on the UK Albums Chart. The same year, Smith won the Brit Critics’ Choice Award. In 2019, she was named Best British Female Artist at the Brit Awards and was also nominated for the Grammy Award for Best New Artist. Her third EP Be Right Back, which was released in May 2021 received glowing reviews.
More on Ibeyi:
Since the release of their critically-acclaimed sophomore album Ash and the duo’s globally acclaimed, eponymous debut album, Ibeyi’s music has garnered fans and collaborators in some of the most iconic artists of today including Beyoncé, Residente, Alvin Ailey, JR, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Prince, Roy Hargrove, Adele, Kamasi Washington, David Byrne and Emicida; a result of Ibeyi’s uniquely, captivating blend of Yoruban music with modern jazz, pop, electronic, soul and hip-hop. Their music and original compositions have been featured in the films ROMA and How to Stop a Recurring Dream, and in campaigns for Chanel, Nike, and Louis Vuitton.
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