PREMIERE: Olivia Swann ft. Jane Handcock – Salty [@oliviaswann__] [@handcockjay]

Olivia Swann shares the quirky but vibrant official music video for her latest single, ‘Salty’.

Before getting into ‘Salty’ here is what Olivia herself has to say about the current climate highlighting the injustice against Black people:

Amidst all of the complete injustices in the world right now, my music video has been scheduled to release today & I have mixed feelings about the timing of it. Right now, I want to express my gratitude for Black culture and the Black people who created it, which has so heavily influenced me, my life & my music.⁣ I acknowledge my privilege as a White artist and I will always, advocate for Black Lives Matter, along with for all those who experience injustices. I really hope my video brings you some joy for a few minutes, in this time of darkness. ⁣I’m grateful to @guapmag for providing me a platform to put my art out into the world and I wanted to show the utmost respect for the privilege to be able do that.⁣

‘Salty’ is a sultry early ‘00s-infused R&B record that definitely plays on expectations. As the first verse starts out, it very much sounds like a breakup record, but then comes the revelation it’s about stolen trainers. This tongue in cheek ability to play on expectations is something we will no doubt see more of from Olivia, and with the writing skill displayed we’re in for a treat.

On this one, Olivia‘s supported by California’s Jane Handcock who you might not know but your favourite artists probably do. Before Jane stepped into the limelight she was a songwriter for names like Kelly Rowland, Tyrese, and even Rick Ross. On the track, she offers a verse that switches between, and occasionally blends, rapping and singing. She provides a balance to the track through providing diversity in delivery as well as doing a great job on supporting some of the vocals.

The visuals to ‘Salty’ are heavy on the playful nature of the track, which keeps things very light which was a nice choice. They pair up really well with the track and are pretty self-explanatory – Olivia really was ‘Salty’ over a housemate taking her favourite trainers, something very relatable if you have younger siblings. Simple is often the most effective and things are kept relatively simple here, but the few uses of animation and more widely the use of colour make the visuals really stand out.

All in all, this is a really strong release – especially a debut release. It hits the points of a very solid R&B track but that little twist in narrative is what takes it up a notch. Paired with an amazing artist in her own right as help on the record and some strong visuals, there’s nothing else we could ask for. It’s a great job all round.

You can stream the audio to ‘Salty’ here.