Lolo Zouaï Embraces Her Lost Roots In 'Desert Rose' Video

The new video for Lolo Zouaï's "Desert Rose" is here, and like the song that it captures the spirit of, the mesmerizing clip hones in on the feeling of displacement as soon as you're not quite familiar with your surroundings however desperately aspire to be. In it, the rising R&B-pop singer arrives in a new land and monitors the customs and cultures that define its people. The longing in her eyes lurks just beneath the slight frown that occupies her face, in case you look hard enough.


Zouaï is of Algerian and French descent, and the "Desert Rose" of the song's name is "a rose-like crystal that forms in the desert of Algeria," according to the singer herself, which is also mentioned to have healing properties." Zouaï's emotional tune finds herself grasping for safety in a partner or culture that exists whenever she crosses the Sahara desert into the nation that she has ties to.


In the video, she heads to a unnamed town and revels in its aesthetics, sailing on the seas underneath seagulls and learning customs from citizens who show her the ropes. As soon as she hangs out with kids and meets others though, there's a pained look on her face that never lets up. By the time that the video ends, she's got clear pools under her eyes as she rides away. She wants to be a piece of what she sees and hopefully, she can in the future.


"Desert Rose" appears on Zouaï's debut studio album, High Highs to Low Lows, that dropped in 2019. The LP features an appearance from California rapper E-40, someone Zouaï revealed that she listened to growing up in a interview with MTV News last year.


Check out Lolo Zouaï's stirring new video for "Desert Rose" up above.