Shura's music exists at the intersection of '80s pop and R&B. Words come out in a breathy jumble, the bass pops just because it can, and the synthesizers play long, sustained notes, gently dusting everything with their sheen. This sound has been making a comeback of late: Little Dragon claimed to be inspired by Janet Jackson slow jams on their newest album, and Carly Rae Jepsen's single with Dev Hynes and Ariel Rechstaid, "All That," sounds like a Jesse Johnson cover. Even Nick Jonas channels a variety of '80s sounds on his hit "Jealous."
But Shura one-ups the competition with this ambitious video directed by David Terranova: the "Three Years" clip is nearly 11 minutes long, a mash-up of three different Shura songs. (She’s been into big statements lately—her new song "White Light" stretched past seven minutes too.) In the first section of the video, the camera mimics the flow of the music, drifting over trees and lingering on the singer. Later, the screen darkens, the cuts get faster, and Shura moves towards a dancefloor-friendly tempo.
Watch the impressive clip above, and read FADER's GEN F profile of the singer.
