UB Artist Spotlight: Amaal Premieres ‘Coming and Going’ Visual

Rising Somali-Canadian artist, Amaal, has released the music video for her new single, “Coming and Going.” Directed by Kat Webber, best known for directing videos for SZA’s “Garden” and Drake’s “Nice For What,” the dream like visual stars Amaal as she cycles through her day reflecting on the impermanence of love and life. Filmed at a sundrenched home in the hills, the visual is a meditation on transience and seeks to flip the traditional response towards the inevitable passing of things from one of mourning to one of acceptance.

Originally released on March 21st, the “Coming and Going” track was handpicked by Nylon Magazine and The Independent, as one of the best music releases of the week and Earmilk proclaimed “Amaal’s honey-drenched vocals are arresting.” Watch the visual below.

“Coming and Going” is the second single from Amaal’s forthcoming debut project, set for release this summer.

The track follows up the breakout success of Amaal’s “Not What I Thought” video which recently surpassed 1 million views on YouTube. “Not What I Thought” has earned praise from prominent media outlets including Complex, The Fader and Revolt TV, while Line Of Best Fit named it song of the day and Apple Canada named Amaal their “Best New Artist of the Week” in February.

Amaal, born in Mogadishu, Somalia, was raised in a traditional Muslim household, the middle child of seven sisters and two brothers. When the civil war broke out in Somalia in the early 90s, Amaal and her family emigrated to Toronto, Canada in hopes of a better life. Amaal quickly immersed herself in the arts and she began singing at the age of 16, releasing her first singles 4 years later. Prior to signing with Universal Music Canada, she followed an independent career path into the music industry, utilizing social media as an important marketing tool to help push the music. Her songs subsequently went viral on YouTube, Facebook and other social networking sites, which helped introduce her sound to a global audience.

Amaal’s single, “Words Revealed,” alone achieved 200,000 YouTube hits within its first three months of release, and has inspired cover versions by fans. Another fan favorite, “With You,” earned 80,000 views in its first two months. While “Mufasa” is considered her biggest release to date with views and listens accumulated to over 2 million. Amaal’s lyrics have always been socially conscious, focusing on topics of growth, love/heartbreak as well as global causes. She draws influences from both her personal life experiences and her travels, including a trip to Uganda where she worked closely with women’s groups within local communities.