Among the artists whose home is the South and whose work attempts to reclaim their ownership in its legacy is blues-schooled musician and poet Adia Victoria. In her new single “South Gotta Change,” produced by T Bone Burnett, Victoria stands up in the face of the cultural forces that keep hatred and injustice ingrained in Southern heritage and demands better.
Produced by T-Bone Burnett, “South Gotta Change” combines folk and rock influences to propel Adia Victoria’s hopes for the future of the South. The song was inspired by the loss of Congressman John Lewis this year, as his messages and accomplishments were a guiding light to many. “South Gotta Change” is a prayer, an affirmation, and a battle cry all at once,” Victoria said of the song. “It is a promise to engage in the kind of “good trouble” John Lewis understood necessary to form a more perfect union. No other place embodies the American experiment with the precision of the South. It is home to both unspeakable horror and unshakable faith. It is up to us, those who are blessed enough to be Southern, to take up the mantle Brother Lewis left us. As the old saying goes, “As the South goes, so goes the nation.”
Above, see the music video for the song. The footage includes Victoria and bandmate Mason Hickman working on the song in the studio as well as scenes shot from a car window driving through the countryside and around small towns. There’s footage from around the Tennessee State Capitol as well.
After the song is over, there’s a clip of the Capitol building, over which you can hear Victoria speaking with someone who’s questioning what she’s doing there.
