At first listen, I was taken aback by Wynter Gordon's "Stimela" with its African pop production and chorus sung in Zulu. The track was inspired by Hugh Masekela's anti-apartheid song of the same name, and is the first single from the singer-songwriter's Human Condition: Doleo EP -- the first release of a four-part series. The sound is darker and certainly different from Gordon's dance pop roots, but it is representative of her new approach to music. She's just making the type of music she wants to hear, unrestrained by the sometimes crippling views of what everyone else thinks she should be doing. This is a bold yet refreshing step. The music alone pleased my eardrums and now the accompanying visuals prove to be just as satisfyingly captivating. Shots of a limber Wynter dancing with a beautifully wild mane of hair are interchanged with those of a bare-chested drummer, a braided dancer and even a tiger in what turns out to be a visually arresting complement to the song. She has done what we've begged many artists to do. Ms. Gordon has eschewed what may be popular, pushed the boundaries and explored a new sound with a worthy video to support it. The only question now is, will you?
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