Exclusive Premiere: Alexis D’Souza’s Song ‘I Love You’ Gets A Heartfelt Music Video
The Goa-based R&B/soul artist and filmmaker/photographer Mithun Bhat team up with video makers 7&O for a story about an older man giving dating apps a shot
In late 2020, Goa-based artist Alexis D’Souza released her album You’re Nobody, You’re Perfect, tapping into self-reflection as well as wisdom, going over soothing R&B and soul arrangements. The seven-track record brought in wholesome, openhearted songs like “I Love You,” which could have been interpreted as gospel or a simple, charming song of romance.
D’Souza says that the song, at its core, is about “a spiritual love.” Now, “I Love You” gets an additional layer of interpretation with a music video made by director Anirudh Sridhar and produced by Varun Khanna from the company 7&O. Featuring Fermino F. Goes and Amber Mascarenhas in the role of a father and daughter respectively, with the former trying to navigate the world of online dating and being unsure of how to bring it up. Through the course of the song, there are innocent moments, slight comedic detours and a heartwarming rapport to tie it all together as the daughter figures it out and becomes a source of encouragement for her father.
Khanna mentions that the moment he and Sridhar heard “I Love You,” they were keen to be “part of its journey.” They launch 7&O with this music video. “Anirudh and I have always wanted to tell stories we’d want to watch ourselves. We’ve often discussed the trivialities of dating culture when you’re either too young or too old and how they mirror each other,” he adds.
While D’Souza does agree that artists like her are protective of their work and its interpretation, she was convinced by the filmmakers intent. 7&O even brought on-board filmmaker and photographer Mithun Bhat, who has worked on several projects with D’Souza. She says, “I probably would never have come up with a concept like this for this song, but I’m glad they did. It grounds the transcendental love which I was thinking of in an earthly relationship, which I really appreciate.”
Like the making of You’re Nobody, You’re Perfect with Bengaluru musicians Leslie Charles (from rock band Thermal And A Quarter), guitarist Ramanan Chandramouli and drummer Prabhu Muraleedharan, there was no “agenda” with the music video for “I Love You.” D’Souza says it was all “pretty pure.”
Since the release of the album, D’Souza hasn’t been particularly intent on thinking about making more music. “With this last album, I experienced for the first time writing only when inspired, never forcing a song out and so I kinda promised myself I would always write like this going forward. So I really don’t know when the next release may be. If I’m lucky, it’ll happen again and soon,” she says.
Stream ‘You’re Nobody, You’re Perfect’ below.