If you hear something distinctly Middle Eastern in Tsar B's debut single "Escalate", then it's mostly down to the Disney film Aladdin. Apparently the Belgian artist was heavily inspired by a musical version of the film she witnessed at an early age. That's not to say Tsar B's music sounds childish, or cartoony, or flamboyant. In fact, it's the opposite. Her dark-blue oriental R&B feels almost androgynous in places and recalls fragments of some of alternative pop's most daring artists: FKA twigs, Beyonce, and Banks.Today Tsar B releases the video for "Escalate", which was shot in Lisbon and directed by Maximiliaan Dierickx. Here's what she had to say about it: “The hunt of the dark creatures and the fearlessness of the mystery dancer reflects the power within the song”.Watch below.
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