Martha Da'ro Shares Cinematic Single 'Mr Fear'

Brussels-based, multidisciplinary Belgian-Angolan artist, Martha Da'ro, shares the captivating new single and visualiser “Mr. Fear” and also reveals the gritty artwork for her forthcoming project, Philophobia, out 17th November.

The follow-up to recent releases “Perfection” and “Fast Life”, supported by Crack, The Fader, COLORS and more, the haunting “Mr Fear” showcases Martha's enchanting vocals and boundless creative vision.

A cinematic exploration of the consequences of fear within a relationship, Martha's storytelling is spellbinding with rich, orchestral instrumentals, sparse percussion and a blend of vocals and spoken word, brought to life with the eerie visualiser, simple yet unnerving.

On the single, Martha shares: "As an anecdote, I had just finished writing the first verse, and I later realised that it was a story I had written a few years ago. I've always liked writing tales, which has also more recently led me to writing scripts. 

This story was rather dark, it was about a woman being in her home and going into conversation with characters such as Mr Fear.  In the first verse, I kept the moment they meet, told by the woman. For the second part, I as Martha, explored the consequences of fear within a relationship."

Due for release in November 2023, Martha's long-awaited debut solo LP, Philophobia, is a new challenge for the ambitious artist. Across the record, Da'ro draws from her experience in cinema and storytelling to create a unique sonic experience. This first excerpt is an introduction to her journey and her story.

Martha Da'ro made her acting debut in the films "Black" (Adil El Arbi / Bilall Fallah - 2015) and "A Girl from Mogadishu" (2019 - Mary McGuckian). In 2023, she continues her journey in cinema, this time with Netflix. She will be featured this autumn in the new season of the series, "Lupin."

In parallel, she ventured into music with her multilingual hip-hop collective, Soul'Art, from 2014 to 2017. This experience allowed her to start her solo project, Martha Da'ro, in 2018 with her first single “Summer Blues”. This was followed by a tour throughout Belgium and the release in 2020 of her first EP Cheap Wine & Paris, a project she describes as 'diaspop' (music made by the diaspora).

After her first EP, Martha collaborated with Chassol on his project Chou, a true sonic portrait of the city of Brussels, and lent her voice to the artist 'Clap! Clap!' on his track "Moving On," which has garnered over 3 million streams.

“Fast Life” and “Perfection” marked Martha's awaited return, her debut LP Philophobia out 17 November heralds a new era for the star.

Credit: Cyprien Bourrec