St. Beauty’s “Going Nowhere” Is An Ode To The Uncertainty Of Young Love

Meet the Atlanta duo in Janelle Monae’s Wondaland crew.

November 19, 2015

Atlanta duo St. Beauty is composed of Alex Belle and Isis, two singers who draw from folk, soul, and hip hop to make up their blissfully eclectic sound. Their first single "Going Nowhere," was released earlier this year along with Janelle Monae's "Yoga" and Jidenna's "Classic Man" on Wondaland Presents: The Eephus, a compilation record of artists on Monae's imprint.

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"I'm so honored and excited to work with two strong, creative, beautiful, and visionary artists like St. Beauty," Janelle Monae told The FADER over email. "Their emotion picture for 'Going Nowhere' is just a taste of what's to come from such a dynamic and unique force."

Premiering above, "Going Nowhere" is St. Beauty's visual debut, where you meet the two girls in the middle of a road trip, sporting natural hair, decked out in denim and Doc Martens. Looking to the '70s for aesthetic inspiration, St. Beauty is accompanied by friends and lovers in an orange van as they breathily sing about the pointlessness and uncertainty of young relationships: We're lying down, side to side/don't make a sound, enjoy the ride/to going nowhere. Throughout, a piece of red yarn is exchanged between the couples.

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"The song 'Going Nowhere' is inspired by a Chinese theory called 'The Red String of Fate,'" St. Beauty explained to The FADER. "In a relationship, two people are at each end of the string; no matter how tangled it gets and how hard the relationship becomes, this string will never break. In other words, it’s about love for eternity."

St. Beauty’s “Going Nowhere” Is An Ode To The Uncertainty Of Young Love