Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter and producer sali returns with “BODY”, a mesmerising, genre-defying single that merges alt-pop sensibilities with ambient textures, Afrobeat rhythms, and a deeply spiritual core. Featuring producer and rapper Linsey alongside celebrated Malian kora virtuoso Yacouba Sissoko, the track is an intimate yet expansive exploration of embodiment, identity, and ancestral connection.
Opening with a voice memo of sali’s sister speaking Bambara, the native language of their Malian heritage, “BODY” immediately sets a tone of intimacy and authenticity. What follows is a hypnotic layering of ethereal production, grounded lyrical flow, and Sissoko’s soaring, one-take kora performance. The interplay of these elements creates a sonic ritual: equal parts meditation, confession, and celebration.
“For me, ‘BODY’ is a channelling of my Malian ancestry,” sali reflects. “When I wrote it two years ago, it was like a self-guided therapy session. The song came out on Mali’s Independence Day—which felt full circle and spiritual.”
Best known for her jazz-tinged vocals and dynamic live performances with her band sali and the babies, sali has long cultivated a reputation for artistry that thrives at the edges of genre. Previous EPs charming and OTHER PEOPLE drew praise for their emotional honesty and sonic inventiveness, but “BODY” takes that experimentation to new depths.
The accompanying music video, inspired by cover art from Greg Bond, translates the song’s lush and layered soundscape into a surreal, visceral visual world, a collision of the spiritual and the physical. It’s a piece that refuses to be background music; instead, it demands presence, inviting the listener to inhabit the space between vulnerability and empowerment.
With “BODY”, sali doesn’t just release a single, she crafts an experience. It’s a work of reclamation, rooted in history, brimming with emotion, and resonating with the pulse of something timeless.