“I'm not every day trying to turn up to the sound of my own oppression. You feel me?”  

This is the opening lyrical sample in “Waiting For Me,” the new video and protest song from Madame Gandhi, the electro feminist, former percussionist for M.I.A and outspoken advocate for gender liberation. 

The video, directed by Misha Ghose, was conceptualized and produced by an all-female team and features queer, trans, female and gender non-conforming cast members.

With its contrasting industrial imagery and colour palettes, the visual brings to life the song’s empowering message, an eco-feminist call to action that eschews institutionalized power structures in favour of forging new narratives of self-expression. 

A heavy bassline on the track is reticent of Aitch’s ‘Taste’ or Ashinkko’s ‘Stupid’ and sets the tone for this resistance song in a time where POC and gender equality are rightly so under the microscope again…

Of the video, Madame Gandhi explains:  

“We as artists have the power to use our art to vividly reimagine the world we wished we lived in. ‘Waiting For Me’ is a song about questioning societal norms as they exist. 

‘Kiran’ AKA Madame Gandhi continued; “I want people to watch this video and ask; are my behaviours contributing to the oppression of somebody else? And what contributes to my own oppression? What does my version of freedom look and feel like?’” 

The video for “Waiting For Me” launches the next chapter in Madame Gandhi’s career, as she announces her signing with Sony Music Masterworks. Having released her first two EPs as part of an overarching short-form album trilogy, most recently 2019’s Visions Madame Gandhi begins her new partnership with Sony Music Masterworks ahead of the third and final instalment in the series.  

Today’s news and video arrive on what has been a massive week for Madame Gandhi, who made her NPR Tiny Desk (Home) Concert debut this Wednesday, performing tracks from both her Visions and Voices EPs – watch here. 

Selected as 2020 TED Fellow for her commitment to creating meaningful and positive change, Madame Gandhi will also participate in TED2020 this summer, joining multidisciplinary individuals across the globe for an online gathering of conversations, sessions and performances.