LargeUp Premiere: Watch Naomi Cowan’s “Climbing” Video

Words by LargeUp Crew
Photo by Tori Haber

With her breakout 2018 single “Paradise Plum,” Naomi Cowan (daughter of music business titan Tommy Cowan and singer Carlene Davis) emerged to claim her own place in Jamaican music. These days, Cowan can be found moving with the growing group of women artists affiliated with Protoje’s Indiggnation camp, appearing alongside Sevana, Lila Ike and Jaz Elise on 2019’s Rock & Groove Riddim, and in this recent live performance clip from BBC1Xtra.

Today, Cowan gets back on her solo grind with the video for her latest single, “Climbing.” The track, which was produced by Emerson George (of WMG Labs), Sean Alaric and Cowan herself, consciously bridges Jamaica and Africa, with an afrobeat-leaning beat and the opening lyric, “There’s a new wave taking over, from Jamrock to Naija and Ghana.”

The video, directed by Kia Moses, takes a more localized approach, with Cowan in the role of a futuristic sea nymph climbing her way from water to land. As Cowan elaborates, the video’s concept actually evolved during its filming, at The Cove beach in Ocho Rios.

“After we shot and got into the editing, the main message I got from the video was that everyone can be their own superhero,” she says. “It reminds me of when I was a kid, and I used to dress up and pretend to be some action character. I would put leotards on and run around the house and jump from the couch and literally pretend I was in an action movie. It reminds me of that moment where you need to disappear into your own imaginary world, look in the mirror and encourage yourself: You’re gonna do this, you’re gonna kickass, you’re gonna conquer, you’re gonna slay…”

Relevant words, on a day in which the world is facing a new level of uncertainty. Watch the video below, and climb past those pandemic-inspired fears and insecurities with this uplifting single and video.