Former NYU students Thandiwe and Niambi Sala — known as the performing duo OSHUN -— released their first music video for their track “Sango” this past Thursday. OSHUN, named after the Yoruba deity that inspires them, strives to spread messages of empowerment in all forms: cultural, spiritual or women’s empowerment. “Sango” mirrors all these themes, with lyrics like “A weak woman goes where she is smiled at / But I’ve never seen a smile quite like yours.”

The yellow tones that “Sango” plays with are a nod to the Yoruba movement, and a warm glow is cast over a bedroom as the song opens. Director Jonah Best’s cinematography breaks into dream-like sequences and first-person shots of the muse, Xxavier “Superzay” Polk.

The film takes viewers into the deepest, most relatable parts of love, as Thandiwe sings “Even though you kept it real with me and you been blunt / Saying that we won’t be together and this is only lust.” She is pensive in every shot, often staring at the ceiling and admiring little trinkets from Polk.

Both Thandiwe and Sala address their awareness of the camera, which grounds the scenes in real time. The breaking of the fourth wall is paralleled with a speedy progression of their relationship, a surrealist tactic director Best has clearly mastered. The camera frames Polk as if he were the viewer’s muse as well, and the duality of the interactions between Polk, Thandiwe and Niambi also makes this experience ours.

The emotionality of OSHUN is characterized by its blurring of reality and fiction. Clouds and smoke are incorporated into the colors and textures of Best’s ethereal video. The styling, done by Stitch n Run, adds to the already otherworldly, spiritual feelings that “Sango” masters. Hopefully, this is only the beginning of Best’s thoughtful showcasing of OSHUN.

A version of this article appeared in the Monday, April 3 print edition.

Email Sabeena Singhani at [email protected].