Jan 26, 2023

By Caleb Campbell

Photography by Giulia Daley

Alt pop singer/songwriter Mogli has been keeping up a prolific string of releases since debuting in 2017 with her full-length record, Wanderer, and last year may have been her busiest yet. She released her sophomore full-length record, Ravage, coupled with an accompanying full-length film which she also scored and wrote. Following the record, she also released a pair of remixes and a full EP of acoustic reimaginings of songs from Ravage, pulling out the tracks’ folk undertones from beneath their electronic sheen.

Today, she’s back with a new video for the acoustic version of “Animal,” premiering with Under the Radar.

The acoustic version of “Animal” entirely reframes the track, turning the dark and pulsing electronic edges of the original into a soulful and longing confessional. Though the track’s incessant driving melody remains, it is now carried by piano instead of synths and backed by guitar instead of sparse percussive beats. Where the original felt sensual and intoxicating, the acoustic version brings a different but equally potent allure, soaking the track in a yearning beauty.

The video also features captivating performances from the Ebinum Brothers, the choreographers, directors, and dancers who are most recently coming off of a tour with Kendrick Lamar. They act as the hypnotic centerpiece of the video, imbuing the video with a fluid visual language and vibrant soul. The resulting video is the perfect complement to the track’s warm acoustics, capturing the track’s deep longing in the ever-changing contours of the pair’s movement.

The Ebinum Brothers explain of the video: “Working on the song was exciting and an incredibly easy process as we really connect so well with the song and Mogli herself. The feeling we got from it, made it easy for us to express that through movements and we are excited to have taken part in it.“

Mogli says of the video, “I’m a particular fan of this version of ‘Animal’ because it keeps the drive of the original electronic version but is played on acoustic instruments. To translate this approach into the visuals, I am super grateful to be working with the Ebinum brothers – two brothers from Nigeria who manage to communicate their most vulnerable feelings with their movement.”

Check out the song and video below. Ravage and the Ravage Acoustic EP are both out now.