Video: Santigold, ‘Chasing Shadows’

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santigold
Santigold

A touch of “Hard Knocked Life” serves as the springboard for Santigold‘s latest single, “Chasing Shadows,” a song about the artist’s struggle to maintain creative integrity, while keeping up with ambitions and not falling prey to the vacancy and isolation that comes with success. As a metaphor, the video, directed by Elliot Lester, depicts a stoic Santigold in 1970s colors, glam and shadows, shopping for groceries, watching TV and seated at a big table alone, with no one to share a huge basket of scrumptious dinner rolls. With backing vocals from the West Los Angeles Children’s Choir and produced by Vampire Weekend’s Rostam Batmanglij, “Chasing Shadows” appears on her new album, “99¢,” out Feb. 26 through Atlantic Records. Sampling styles and producers, “99¢” also features collaborations with Patrik Berger, Hit-Boy, HazeBanga, Justin Raisen, Zeds Dead, ILOVEMAKONNEN, Sam Dew, John Hill, Dave Sitek and Doc McKinney. 

Santigold’s last album, “Master Of My Make Believe,” topped the Billboard charts, but the path doesn’t seem to erupt into rainbows and margaritas once a milestone is met. To this point, Santigold says, “Caught in the web we spin around ourselves, a mixture of hubris and the guise of perfection, we fear being swallowed up by our own ambition. Never in the moment, as quickly as we reach our goals, our gaze shifts to those still looming in the distance.” That’s a bummer. But the song is good.

||| Watch: “Chasing Shadows”

||| Live: Santigold performs March 31 at Hollywood Palladium.