Moses Sumney

Director, singer-songwriter and actor Moses Sumney evades definition as an act of duty: technicolor self-directed videos and monochrome clothes; Art Rock and Black Classical; blowing into Fashion Weeks from a small town in North Carolina; seemingly infinite collaborators, but one staggering voice. Akin to his upbringing between Southern California and Ghana, his work migrates seamlessly through genre and disciplines.

His latest release, the self-directed 90’s R&B-inspired music video for his new single “Vintage”, bears the hallmarks of his past directorial work – the auteurial lushness of his 2021 live concert film Blackalachia, where he showcased his mastery of cinematic spectacle with angular choreography and songs performed acrobatically mid-air; and the comedic surrealism of “Cut Me,” and the kinetic physicality of “Virile” (a standout from his second album græ).

Consistent across the worlds of film and music is his assertion that the undefinable still exists and dwelling in it is an act of resistance.

His music videos have been lauded by SXSW, the UKMVAs, the Webby and Camerimage awards; and his albums have topped the critics’ lists of The New York Times, NPR, Pitchfork, The Guardian, and Rolling Stone. In addition to his own videos, he has directed for Thom Browne and i-D Magazine, and starred in major campaigns for Calvin Klein and Burberry.

Soon enough, the cinematic flare of his videos led him to act in two A24 productions, the second of which is his film debut, MaXXXine, premiering this summer.