Sufjan Stevens has released the latest preview from his upcoming album, The Ascension. Titled ‘Sugar’, the new single arrives with an accompanying Ezra Hurwitz-directed music video filmed in Brooklyn and choreographed by Kyle Abraham, featuring dancers Raymond Pinto, Samantha Figgans, Celeste Mason, and Walter Russell III. Check it out below.
“‘Sugar’ is ultimately about the desire for goodness and purity (and true sustenance),” Stevens said in a press release. “On the surface the song is just a string of clichés, but the message is imperative: now is the time to gather what is good and pure and valuable and make it your own, and share it with others. Feed your soul and speak new life into those around you. Give each other love, respect and sacrifice. Relinquish all the old habits, all the old ways of thinking and doing, all former practices—‘business as usual’—and bring new life to the world. This is our calling.”
Speaking of the inspiration behind the choreography, Abraham explained: “The way I approach choreography tends to blend elements of the everyday with moments of abstraction. I was compelled by the tempo and the tone of the song…especially when choreographing the duet material and solo material for Samantha Figgans and Raymond Pinto. This song and its undertones created a lot of really fun scenarios to play with choreographically.”
The Ascension arrives on digital platforms on September 25, with the physical release being postponed to October 2 due to COVID-19. ‘Sugar’ marks the third single from the album, following ‘America’ and ‘Video Game’.