Her voice is tranquil, yet a strong force of nature. Icelander JFDR fills her music with a variety of moods and it feels like waves of a thousand emotions washing over you every time you press play. The experienced musician with the civil name Jófríður Ákadóttir is known for her presence in many diverse musical constellations on the Icelandic music scene, but JFDR is her solo project. And her latest music video for the dark, intriguing song, ‘Destiny Is Upon Us’, is another gem to add to her impressive collection of masterpieces.
Sounds of waves lashing the shore and an unsettling guitar accompanies a completely black screen. Little by little JFDR’s face emerges from the dark. We can only see half her face, but her unease is clear as day. As the song intensifies she takes a few steps back and we see her battling her inner demons with intense and distraught body language. She conveys every shade of emotion from insecurity to determination and fear to happiness as she starts running towards the beach. She spins a few times around herself, falls in the sand, but gets up. All in all, the video for ‘Destiny Is Upon Us’ is a moving and relatable tale of a person tackling bewilderment and turmoil.
Since JFDR released her debut single, ‘White Sun’, in November last year, she has been praised by many music blogs and was named as an inspiration by compatriot Björk. ‘Destiny Is Upon Us’ is featured on her debut album Brazil, which was released in March and she has some exciting concerts coming up – including a performance at the May edition of Ja Ja Ja Berlin and SPOT Festival in Denmark. One thing is certain: JFDR has an astounding ability to create heartfelt, touching soundscapes and she is truly a force to be reckoned with – you’ll see if you watch the video below:
