Immy Owusu’s latest single, “Curly Hair,” is a razor-sharp meditation on feeling out of place in the so-called ‘Australian dream.’
Produced by Sensible J (Sampa The Great, Cool Out Sun), “Curly Hair” is a fusion of highlife melodies, fuzzed-out psychedelia, and restless rhythmic energy, the track is a defiant response to years of being labelled the ‘weird, troublesome neighbour’ in an otherwise quiet suburb.
Owusu, who grew up on the Surf Coast of Victoria, often found himself at odds with his community. His neighbours—wary of his music and lifestyle—saw him through the skewed lens of an Australian media that has long sensationalised the portrayal of African youth culture.
The song’s title playfully nods to a remark from one such neighbour, who referred to him as “the curly-haired one,” despite his caucasian housemate’s curls being far more pronounced.
The irony wasn’t lost on Owusu. Nor was the hypocrisy: while his music—described as a fusion of ‘Bob Marley, Hip-hop, and heavy metal’—was deemed a disturbance to the delicate sensibility of suburbia, those same neighbours had no issue revving chainsaws at dawn on a Sunday morning.
Lyrically, “Curly Hair” weaves together a patchwork of these absurd experiences—being falsely accused of stealing from a church for ‘black magic,’ dealing with invasive backyard snoopers, and ultimately realising that some places will never accept the unconventional.
The song is a break-up letter to his coastal hometown, a cathartic farewell wrapped in hypnotic guitar loops and West African groove.
The track’s unique sound is a testament to Owusu’s heritage and musical lineage. The son of Kojo Noah Owusu, one of Australia’s most respected West African musicians, and the grandson of Ghanaian highlife legend Koo Nimo, Immy—Immanuel Kwabena Dreessens-Owusu— has spent years honing his own sonic identity, coining the term ‘Afrodelik’ or ‘Lo-Fi Highlife’ to describe his fusion of traditional Ashanti music and psychedelic rock; a musical hybrid of both his genealogical and geographical homes.
The accompanying music video, created by Swedish animator Freddy Wallin, follows Ghanaian rollerblader Samuel Tuffour as he glides through the streets of Kumasi, Ghana—a vibrant contrast to the song’s suburban frustrations.
“I loved the idea of creating this fictitious city of Torqumasi (blending the cities of Torquay and Kumasi),” says Freddy. “I felt that these three parts, all from different continents, matched each other. The free spirit rollerblading footage together with Immy’s music and my animations—for me it’s like an international declaration of love to troublemaking.”
Immy Owusu’s “Curly Hair” is out now.
