Shake it Up Single Release and BFI screening

Shake It up (2019)

Single • Music Video • Performance

A song and video that reflects the timeline of the emotional shift that happens on a Friday night after a long day at work.

Concept

Queen Soothes Alter-ego graphic

Concept: The visual language was designed to expand the music by creating a love letter to South London. While the song celebrates the freedom of Friday night, the video grounds those emotions in familiar places, people and everyday experiences, transforming Shake It Up into a South London anthem.

Creative Direction: I wanted the film to combine documentary style footage captured across South London with stylised cutaway performances filmed in controlled locations. The contrast between real life and constructed imagery reflected the balance between everyday moments and imagination.

Director / Collaborators: I collaborated with emerging director LEX, whose DIY, guerrilla filmmaking approach aligned with my own independent practice. We embraced the resources available to us, building green screens in bedrooms and transforming accessible spaces into creative sets.

Locations: Filmed across South London, using local streets, neighbourhoods and everyday spaces to capture an authentic sense of place.

Art Direction: The styling was inspired by everyday streetwear rather than costume, allowing the people, locations and atmosphere to remain the focus. The aim was to capture the energy of ordinary life rather than create a fictional world.

Colour Palette: Bright, saturated colours were paired with VHS textures and analogue effects to create a nostalgic yet playful visual identity that reflected the warmth and excitement of the weekend.

Editing: The pacing of the edits responded directly to the rhythm of the music, particularly the drums. Layered visuals, rapid transitions and overlapping imagery created a collage like aesthetic that mirrored the song's energy.

The lyrics became a space to express the sense of release, friendship and self care that comes with the arrival of the weekend. Rather than telling a dramatic story, I wanted to celebrate ordinary moments that often become our happiest memories. Drawing on my own experiences, the song captures the feeling of leaving work behind and embracing the freedom of a Friday night and a spontaneous weekend ahead.
The initial lyrics were freestyled while recording the demo, allowing the melody and emotion to develop naturally. They were later refined into the final version, while preserving the spontaneity of the original performance.
Junior XL produced the track, creating a gritty UK garage inspired foundation. In contrast, I developed the vocal arrangement by layering multiple harmonies and adding reverb to create a warmer, more immersive sound. The balance between the raw production and the softer vocal textures became central to the identity of the song.
Overall, I wanted Shake It Up to feel lighthearted and uplifting. It was written as an anthem for Friday night, capturing the excitement and optimism that comes with the start of the weekend.

Sound World

" I MIGHT GO TO THE PARK, STAY AFTER DARK, STAY AFTER DARK"

Radio Support: Shake It Up received support from independent radio platforms, including NTS and City Wall Radio Canterbury, allowing the track to reach audiences beyond its initial release.

Press & Interviews: The project received coverage and interviews from independent publications, including Coeval Magazine, creating opportunities to discuss the music, visual identity and creative process behind the release.

BFI Screening: The music video was selected for screening at the BFI festival No Direct Flight, where it was presented within a cinematic context beyond traditional music platforms. The screening highlighted the potential for music videos to exist as standalone visual artworks.

Panel Discussion: Following the screening, I participated in a panel discussion exploring the making of Shake It Up. I discussed my collaborative directing process with LEX, including developing the concept, creating storyboards, contributing visual ideas, shooting frames used in the final video and shaping the edit.

Independent Filmmaking Approach: The project demonstrated how a DIY approach can be used to create ambitious visual worlds. Working with limited resources, we transformed accessible spaces into creative environments, building green screens in bedrooms and
developing a distinctive visual language through experimentation.

Impact: The reception of Shake It Up reinforced my belief in music videos as a creative medium in their own right. The project became an early example of my multidisciplinary practice, where sound, moving image, personal storytelling and visual identity combine to create an immersive artistic world.

Shake It Up demonstrated how integral film and visual storytelling are to my music-making process. The project showed me that the world around a song can be just as important as the sound itself, with visuals helping to expand the emotions, themes and identity behind the music. Through developing the concept, collaborating with LEX and contributing across the production process, I began to understand music videos as more than promotional tools; they became a way of building a wider artistic world. The DIY approach, from creating green screens in bedrooms to experimenting with layered visuals and editing techniques, reinforced my interest in using accessible resources to create immersive experiences. Looking back, Shake It Up became an early example of my multidisciplinary practice, where music, film, personal storytelling and visual identity work together to shape the way I communicate my ideas.

Merchandise / Extended Visual World
Illustration Collaboration: I collaborated with illustrator Daisy to create original artwork for a T-shirt design connected to Shake It Up. The graphic extended the visual identity of the release beyond the screen, allowing the world of the song to exist as a physical object.

Creative Approach: The design explored the playful and colourful energy of the project, translating elements of the Shake It Up visual language into wearable artwork. This was an early exploration of how music releases can expand into wider creative experiences through fashion, design and community.

Merchandise

Reflection

Reception

References

References: The visual style was inspired by my Instagram Stories, which documented my everyday life through quick edits, overlays and spontaneous moments. These experiments became the foundation for Tracy TV, a recurring creative identity that explores the relationship between personal documentation, music and visual storytelling.

Visual Identity