Jessie Reyez released her debut studio album "Before Love Came to Kill Us" earlier this year on March 27. Now, months later, she has created an animated music video for her track “Intruders,” a piece that has only added to the song's beauty.
The thumbnail and title scene are portrayed almost like the cover of a Disney movie, with the same font and soft colors, as well as a Pocohantas-like character in the spotlight, who is meant to be Reyez herself. There is lots of beautiful scenery and a meaningful short-film-like storyline too.
The song uses tons of metaphors and analogies, which makes the double-meaning of the video even more on point. While some believe this is about one specific thing, it is really meant to tackle two ideas: colonialism and love.
“I found you, cleared land / Put down my flag / This is mine from now on / When I see intruders / I load up my weapons / And fire my cannons,” Reyez first sings.
While she is talking about finding a person whom she loves and “marking her territory,” the video relates these words to Indigenous American people getting their land stolen by White Europeans. “Colonialism is the mitochondria of racism," Reyez stated in an Instagram post promoting the video.
In the visual, Reyez’ character is shown standing on an island that is really a man, demonstrating that he is her “kingdom.” Just like how ‘colonialism’ was really people intruding on someone else’s land, intruding in someone else’s relationship can be extremely harmful and hurtful too.
“Please, no intruders / I'd kill all intruders / 'Cause my love is ruthless,” she sings.
When people come and try to take her “land” in the video, she is a ruthless and strong warrior who fights off and kills all intruders that may ruin her happy place.
“I got heads on the table / Heads on a stake / Of people that failed / And done made the mistake / Of thinking I'd let them in / But this is my land / So don't you come in.”
Even after she kills her enemies and thinks she saved herself, though, she suffers loss anyway as her lover dies from battle wounds.This shows that putting so much into one person does not always result in happiness or go the way you want it to, no matter the lengths you will go for them or the relationship.
The way Reyez formed this into more than just music, but a true work of art with deeper connotation, shows her variety of talent and authenticity in the music industry. Reyez is of Columbian descent herself and has repeatedly spoken out about the issues of racism and police brutality so present in the world today. The description of the Youtube video even states that the profits made from streaming the video “will be donated to Colin Kaepernick’s Know Your Rights Organization for the remainder of 2020,“ giving me no choice but to support regardless.
While you can see this artist’s genius from her lyrics and sound alone, Reyez’ clever visuals add to her brilliance. If you have yet to listen to her music or watch her videos, now is the time to check out this underrated musician.
I would give this video 4 out of 5 Swoops.
