Montenegrin musician Marija Božović She released a new song and video at the beginning of the week, which can be viewed on her YouTube channel.
The song is called "Ulice", and Božović is responsible for the lyrics, composition, direction and editing, while Nikola Božović was in charge of audio production, mix and mastering.
"What makes this musical work particularly interesting is the fact that the song was performed exclusively with voices: in addition to the main vocals, I also imitated the accompanying instrumental parts with my own voice," explained Marija Božović, announcing the new single.
"In addition to the musical part, I am also directing, recording and editing the video, which for the first time since the beginning of my career gave me complete creative control over the project. This allowed me to shape an authentic visual creation that fully conveys my internal processes, dialogues and struggles, making this project very personal and unique," adds the musician, and for "Vijesti" she reveals how the song "Ulice" itself came about, that is, how the idea of recording it without music and only with vocals came about.
"This was definitely a step out of the comfort zone. I believe that's exactly what's most important when you're an artist: to constantly explore, to change, to not be satisfied with what you know. Art is constantly evolving, and through these changes we ourselves grow," she says.
"One of those moments when you really need to say what's on your mind, but at that very moment there's no one to share it with. Luckily, music is always there. I wanted to see how much and how I could convey emotions if I took out the instruments, if I let the vocals carry everything. To express feelings and thoughts in the most stripped-down form possible, without makeup, without embellishment, just the voice, the word, the truth," the musician continues.
When it comes to the work process itself, Božović answers the question of whether it was more difficult or interesting than the typical recording of a song with music.
"It was both harder and more interesting, a huge challenge, because you no longer have anywhere to 'hide'. That's exactly why the process was extremely inspiring. When you don't have instruments that 'carry' the song, then the voice becomes everything - melody, rhythm, color, dynamics, you look at it in a new way, without support. Then even silence becomes music. And it's there, in that vulnerability, that I think I found a new kind of freedom," she believes.
This time, Božović decided to film the video herself, and she talks about what it was like to be tasked with this task.
"I got into it out of a desire to keep everything 'Ulice' carries authentic, to make every frame an extension of my inner world, or rather the song itself. While working on the video, I realized how important it is for an artist to free himself from the idea that he has to do everything by the rules or through large productions. Art is often most honest when it is raw. This process taught me to surrender to the moment, not to chase perfection, but to capture honest emotions," Božović said.
As she says, the audience can expect more of these or similar projects in the coming period, when it comes to her work.
"Absolutely. I'm always looking for new ways to express what I feel, whether through music, visual projects or collaborations with other artists. 'The Streets' opened a new chapter for me, showed me how much room I still have to grow and how much more I can try, beyond what I've done so far," she emphasized.
Bonus video:
