Entertainment

Sophia Bastian “Blind Ambition” Video Premiere

Can you take the heat?

by Kaitlyn McNab

Imagine your favorite soul singer and hip-hop artist had a love child. Do you know what that love child would look like? We do—and we know her name, too: Sophia Bastian.

The New York native first broke out on the music scene in 2012 with her debut EP, Juvenile Blues. She is a kid of the classics, citing Ray Charles, James Brown, and Nina Simone as a few of her biggest influences. This shows in her music, with its soulful rhythms and high spirit, paired with her nostalgic voice. She may be young but her pipes are wise beyond her years; just listen to “Blind Ambition,” the first single off of her sophomore EP due out this summer.

Today, NYLON is premiering the official music video for the track, a playfully sassy and sly visual work that features Bastian with a squad that you’ll be dying to join by the end of the video. It's pure, unfazed fun, which is exactly what Bastian and producer Phil Simmonds intended. “‘Blind Ambition’ is about that fantasy of how you’ll show up your frenemies. It's that schoolyard mentality," the singer says. "[It's for] when you're feeling down—left out and betrayed, even—when you've just got to hype yourself up for a boost of confidence to let these damn tables turn. As a joke, we called this style of music 'gangster gospel.' And now I stick with it.”

Bastian just delivered your official “Hi, hater” anthem for the summer. Check out the video, above.