Alicia Keys has released “The Gospel” this week, a short film to support her latest album, titled Here (now available on Spotify). The film was written and directed by Queens-native A.V. Rockwell, whose talent at presenting the poetry of the urban landscape we discovered through her “Open City Mixtape” series.
Shot entirely shot in black and white, the film opens up with a dialogue between two police officers narrating a youth arrest. It goes on to reveal a true life picture of life in poor and working class city neighborhoods, including its cool bodegas, kids playing in the streets and sidewalk flirtations, but also family tragedies.
A sharp contrast to typically glossy visual albums, Keys presents the complex beauty of her version of the beautiful mosaic that is New York City.
