Video: Brittany Howard, ‘Stay High’

Kevin Bronson on July 18th, 2019

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Brittany Howard, the driving force behind Grammy-winning rockers Alabama Shakes, will release her solo album “Jaime” on Sept. 20. After introducing the album in late June with the funk-punk blast “History Repeats,” Howard this week unveiled the video for the first single “Stay High,” a sweet, upbeat soul number that’ll have you reaching for the high notes.

Equally sweet is the Kim Gehrig-directed video, filmed in Howard’s hometown of Athens, Ala., and starring actor Terry Crews (“Everybody Hates Chris,” “The Expendables” “Deadpool 2” and “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” among others). Dedicated to the songwriter’s father, K.J. Howard (who has a cameo), the video casts Crews as a workingman on his way home from a day at the factory.

“The actors are my family and friends,” Howard says. “Terry Crews plays a man who isn’t out to change the world, he plays a man who just wants to come home to those who understand and love him best. We see his inner beauty, grace and humanity in a place that is so often misunderstood.”

Howard’s collaborators on “Jaime” include Alabama Shakes bassist Zac Cockrell, keyboard player Robert Glasper, drummer Nate Smith and engineer Shawn Everett. “It’s my first time making decisions on my own, being the captain of the ship,” she says of the album. “It brings up existential questions — why am I here, why do I do this? People think that touring in a band is super-fun, and it can be, but nothing about it is normal. You miss out on a lot of stuff, so I need to make sure I’m doing it for the right reasons.”

||| Watch: The video for “Stay High”