Jon Batiste - FREEDOM

What this video is

Released June 10, 2021, during the first post-lockdown summer, 'FREEDOM' arrived as a cathartic celebration of Black joy, bodily liberation, and communal gathering. Set entirely on location in New Orleans' Faubourg Marigny — Batiste's cultural homeland — the video explicitly centers New Orleans' African American cultural institutions: the second-line tradition, Mardi Gras Indian ceremony, HBCU marching band…

Why it matters

A landmark of 2020s neo-soul and funk revivalism, 'FREEDOM' synthesizes New Orleans second-line, 1970s funk-pop, gospel, and HBCU band traditions into a cohesive visual-musical statement. Its Grammy win for Best Music Video signals institutional recognition of community-based, culturally grounded…

The director

Alan Ferguson (born August 5, 1963, Richmond, Virginia) is an American music video director, sometimes credited as Sky Dalton. He earned an MFA in film from Howard University and built his career directing for Jay-Z, Beyoncé, Katy Perry, Fall Out Boy, Lizzo,…