Jamila Woods is currently down at South by Southwest promoting her debut full-length, HEAVN, one of the best albums of last year. While she’s mainly showing off what earned her an enthusiastic CoSign, the Chicago rapper/singer/poet/activist is also teasing what’s coming next. At Stereogum’s showcase at Mazda Studio, Woods premiered a brand new track called “Giovanni”.
The song is a warm and empowering stroll, a bright soul jam over which Woods declares, “There must be a reason why/ There must be a reason.” It’s about staying strong in the face of those trying to beat you down, and Woods knows she’s better at that than anyone: “I’m so nice, so nice/ You can’t not smile when I smile/ And I cry, I cry/ It’s just the rain so I can grow.” Check out video of the performance above.
