Ananya Kouds leaps into the past with emotional ‘Long Jump’ music video
Mbulelo Mpofu,Zimpapers Arts and Entertainment Hub
In a fast-paced world where the present often eclipses the past, Ananya Kouds dares to pause and look back. The Zimbabwean-born, London-based singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist has unveiled the visual companion to her reflective single Long Jump, inviting audiences on a deeply personal and nostalgic journey through memory, identity, and home.
Released last month, the audio version of Long Jump captivated listeners with its emotional resonance. Now, the newly-released music video, filmed in Ananya’s hometown of Harare, elevates the song’s sentimentality into a cinematic experience rooted in both heart and heritage.
Far from the polished sets of high-budget productions, Ananya chose authenticity over glamour. The video was filmed in a single day, with much of the action taking place on the very school field where she once played as a child. The barefoot runs, the sunlight flares, and a surprise cameo by her childhood drama teacher, who helped cast the role of young Ananya, all these details converge to tell a story that is both intimate and universal.
“It was full circle in the most emotional way. Filming that long jump scene with Angel, my 10-year-old mini-me, we just kept laughing. Our director of photography even joked, ‘I’m gonna need you to jump a little further than that.’ It was one of the most joyful moments I’ve ever had on set,” Ananya said.
Directed remotely by Eleanor Grace Hann, the video embraces imperfection as a deliberate aesthetic. Its soft visuals, warm lighting, and handheld camera work evoke the feel of an old home video, unpolished but emotionally authentic.
“We didn’t want slick or over-produced. We wanted raw, real, and deeply human. That meant no special effects, no choreography. Just feeling,” Ananya explained.
At its core, Long Jump is a tender reflection on childhood and the innocence that time inevitably transforms. It speaks to the quiet, private moments when the weight of growing up feels heavy, and the desire to return to simpler times grows louder.
“It’s about the version of you that existed before life got complicated. And in a way, it’s a promise not to forget them.”
That vulnerability is what makes Long Jump resonate. In both sound and image, Ananya balances longing with lightness, melancholy with joy.
Long Jump follows the success of her critically acclaimed debut EP I Woke Up One Night, which has already garnered over a million streams across platforms. The project established Ananya as one of the most promising voices in alternative pop, celebrated for her lyrical depth and genre-blurring sound. – Follow @MbuleloMpofu on X
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