Brittany Howard Unveils New Single “Stay High” with Terry Crews-Starring Music Video

Alabama Shakes powerhouse Brittany Howard has unveiled the second official single from her forthcoming debut solo effort Jaime, a soulful, effortless cut titled “Stay High.”

The single is as gentle and stripped-back as what you imagined Howard’s solo work would sound like. Easy acoustic strumming, warm, unembellished percussion and what truly sounds like a toy piano put Howard’s stunning bluesy vocals at the forefront. There’s no big chorus or blaring, thundering instrumentals à la Sound & Color; “Stay High” is smooth and bright—another easy entry point into the rest of the musician’s forthcoming solo project.

The single’s accompanying music video is perhaps more contented than the song itself. Starring Terry Crews as a father in the moments after his shift at a factory ends, the video celebrates the mundanity of what happens when 9-5s come to a close and give their way to hot summer nights: Unwound parents and teenagers trickle into grocery stores to buy milk and eggs, the lines outside of roadside soft serve stalls triple in size, and diners become filled out by drowsy patrons in search of ice water and working ceiling fans.

Howard herself makes a few cameos around the 30-second and two-minute marks, marking the first time the musician has ever appeared in a music video.

The video was shot in Howard’s hometown of Athens, Alabama, and it surely comes off as an ode to childhood afternoons spent playing outside in the yard and staining white shirts with melted ice cream: “The actors are my family and friends,” Howard said in a statement. “Terry Crews plays a man who isn’t out to change the world, he plays a man who just wants to come home to those who understand and love him best. We see his inner beauty, grace and humanity in a place that is so often misunderstood.”

Howard unveiled details of her debut solo record and shared its opening track “History Repeats” earlier last month. Jaime is set to release Sept. 20 via ATO Records, and you can revisit the album’s details and lead single here.

Check out Howard’s new single and an Alabama Shakes performance from the Paste archives below. Further down, you can find Howard’s full itinerary of upcoming North American tour dates in support of Jaime.

Brittany Howard Tour Dates:

August
17 – Asheville, N.C. @ Orange Peel
18 – Asheville, N.C. @ Orange Peel
19 – Nashville, Tenn. @ Ryman Auditorium
23 – Washington, D.C. @ 9:30 Club
24 – Washington, D.C. @ 9:30 Club

September
18 – Milwaukee, Wis. @ Riverside Theater
19 – St. Paul, Minn. @ Palace Theatre
20 – Chicago, Ill. @ Riviera Theatre
22 – Toronto, Ontario @ Rebel
24 – New York, N.Y. @ Beacon Theatre
25 – Boston Mass. @ House of Blues
27 – Philadelphia, Pa. @ The Fillmore

October
05 – Austin, Texas @ ACL Festival
08 – Los Angeles, Calif. @ Theatre at Ace Hotel
09 – Los Angeles, Calif. @ Theatre at Ace Hotel
12 – Austin, Texas @ ACL Festival
13 – Atlanta, Ga. @ AfroPunk Festival