Academy Award, Grammy, and Emmy award-winning artist Common has released his new single “Imagine” featuring PJ. The veteran MC also released a powerful music video for the track.
“Imagine” dares listeners to imagine a world the way it should be. One where people treat each other with respect, listen to diverse points of view, and whose actions are community minded. Featuring PJ, Common’s dynamic counterpart on “What Do You Say,” this imagined paradise comes to life in a spirited music video by director Emmanuel Afolabi.
Of the release Common said, “I wrote ‘Imagine’ at a time when we were all going through a lot. But something kept telling me to focus on the good and the things I wanted to see in the world. For me, music is one of the things that gives me hope and happiness throughout these times, whether I am creating it or listening to it. So I wanted ‘Imagine’ to create that feeling of how you can play a song and feel inspired. How a song can make you move and also move your spirit. Essentially, I want us all to feel like days are getting better and that great times are ours for the taking. And the first step in feeling that way is imagining it.”
Back in May, Common enlisted Marley progeny and singer-songwriter Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley for a remix of his hit single, “What Do You Say (Move It Baby).”
The track was taken from Common’s latest project, A Beautiful Revolution Pt 1. The record was a delightful surprise for fans of the MC, coming just a week after Common made the announcement.
Regarding the project, Common had this to say: “It is music to uplift, heal, and inspire listeners dealing with racial injustices as well as other social injustices. It’s affirmation. It’s recognition. It’s elevation. It’s music to go with a movement. Because the truth is, there is still so much work to do. Regardless of the outcome of the election, we need to make sure things do not return to the status quo. The intention of this first EP is to channel all of our pain and outrage into something productive, inspirational, and good. It’s to help lead a movement into our next phase of the work to be done.”