Aja Monet Releases Bold Video For “Hollyweird” With Vic Mensa + Carnegie Hall Performance On May 20th
Photo Credit: Casanova Cabrera
Surrealist blues poet aja monet returns with her first new music since 2023, unveiling the timely single “hollyweird” via drink sum wtr. Produced by monet alongside Meshell Ndegeocello and Justin Brown, the track arrives with a striking visual co-directed by acclaimed filmmaker B+ and monet herself. The video also features Chicago rapper and close collaborator Vic Mensa, adding another layer of urgency and perspective to the release.
“I wrote ‘hollyweird’ on scraps of found paper, frantically jotting down observations and sentiments of the moment during the Los Angeles fires and its aftermath,” monet explains. “The song is an Afropunkesque ode to frustrations and feelings around our current culture of social isolation and performative solidarity. I wanted to speak to the emptiness of ‘hollyweird’ not as a place but as a way of being where insincerity is normalized. Where social interactions become void in of sincerity and we lose sight of community and connection.”
“hollyweird” marks monet’s first offering since her celebrated debut album, when the poems do what they do, released in 2023 to widespread critical acclaim. The project earned a nomination for Best Spoken Word Poetry Album at the Grammy Awards, solidifying monet’s position as a singular voice in contemporary poetry and music. Across the album, she explored resistance, radical love, and the enduring pursuit of joy with a fearless lyricism that set her apart from her peers.
Continuing her ascent, monet will bring her immersive live performance to Carnegie Hall this spring, taking the stage at Zankel Hall on May 20. The performance underscores a new chapter for an artist whose work continues to blur the boundaries between poetry, protest, and song.
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Aja Monet Links:
Official: https://ajamonet.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/poetajamonet/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ajamonet/
