M. Night Shyamalan directed his daughter Saleka’s new video for “The Sky Cries,” which appears on an upcoming episode of Shyamalan’s show, Servant, airing Friday.
The clip features Saleka as Vivian Dale, a haunting figure who performs the sultry track in the house of the Turners — the protagonists of Servant. Saleka roams the halls, dances on the kitchen counter, and takes the stairs, ultimately performing the song accompanied by her band.
“This was the fourth video Saleka has made and she was so confident in her performance that I treated her like I would a normal actress,” Shyamalan said in a statement. “We actually shot this video right before we started Season Three, so it was a great way to kick things off for all of us.”
Saleka admitted she was intimidated and nervous before the shoot. “There were a lot of physical logistics with the choreography and I’ve never been directed by my dad before, but once we were on set it actually felt really natural,” she said. “He always emphasizes the emotional intention over everything. Since I wrote the song, we were able to easily talk about the meaning of each line, how it connects to the movement and contributes to the arc of the overall video.”
Saleka released her debut single “Clarity” last fall. “The Sky Cries” — out via Lakeshore Records — follows “Mr. Incredible” and “Graffiti.”
From Rolling Stone US