anaiis - B. P. E.

Music video exploring the themes of Black identity, motherhood and the natural world.

French-Senegalese artist anaiis shares her mini-album anaiis & Grupo Cosmo out now in digital format, with vinyl scheduled for December. Alongside the mini-album, anaiis debuts the video for B.P.E co-directed with Ronan McKenzie and Tayo Rapoport. Created in collaboration with Brazilian artists Sessa and Grammy-nominated Luedji Luna, the project captures a profound fusion of global influences that explores themes of Black identity, motherhood, and the natural world. anaiis describes the album as “a sonic emergence of the person I was becoming,” reflecting her journey of self-discovery and artistic evolution.On the video for B.P.E, anaiis adds: “I wanted the film to explore the ways in which tradition and culture are passed down in this very universal and iconic way but also to invigorate the viewer with joy. The song is a celebration of Blackness, and it was important for me that the film captured the power of our spirit as a collective.” The album, born from an immersive, transformative experience, features Grupo Cosmo’s vibrant blend of Brazilian musical traditions—rock, bossa nova, and ’70s psychedelia—adding depth and dimension to anaiis’s sound. “We spent days on the beach, sharing meals, stories, and creating together,” anaiis recalls of the recording retreat. “Every track was recorded live to tape—no computers. By the end of the week, we had an album that truly captured the spirit of that moment.” The recording process, documented on 16mm film, lends an intimate, raw visual layer to the album, encapsulating the beauty of spontaneity and shared experience.

anaiis further adds: "When dreaming what the B.P.E film could be, I kept being drawn to a place of nostalgia, and collective memory as well as a place of longing. I wanted the film to explore the ways in which tradition and culture are passed down in this very universal and iconic way but also to invigorate the viewer with joy. The song is a celebration of Blackness, and it was important for me that the film captured the power of our spirit as a collective."

CREDITS

B.P.E
Directed or a film by anaiis, Ronan Mckenzie, and Tayo Rapoport
End of film-
anaiis & grupo cosmo
Creative Direction anaiis, Ronan Mckenzie
Producer Ella Kenny
Production Company NOIR
Production Manager Ruby Ukairo
Director of Photography Peter Bishop
1st AC Mike Linforf
2nd AC Clare Fuller
Steadicam OP Jake Whitehouse
Production Design Jade Rache
Art Assistant Luba Kuziw
Movement Director Waddah Sinada
Gaffer Greg Probert
Spark James Leech
Spark Dan Burns
anaiis styling Mark Mutyambizi
On set anaiis styling Skylar Kang
MUA Mariako Hirano
Hair Amidat Giwa
Cast styling Misha Davis
Cast:
Little Girl Sh’mya
Older Girl Timoni Longe
Brothers Nathan Lobban and Basit
Mom Kesiana Opute
Editor Tayo Rapoport
Grade: Alex Gregory at Harbor Pictures

Shot on 35mm
Thank you to MCX films, 5dB Media, and Kodak.