Mateo Dreams Big In His “Empire State Of Mind, Pt. 3” Video: Idolator Premiere
If you thought Alicia Keys’ “Empire State Of Mind (Part II) Broken Down” was the last reinterpretation you’d be hearing of Jay-Z’s chart-topping hit, guess again. (And, no—we’re not talking about this again.) Up-and-coming singer-songwriter Mateo completely reworked the song for his Underneath The Sky Ch. 3 mixtape (download from his site), and we’re happy to premiere the soulful singer’s music video for “Empire State Of Mind, Pt. 3” here on Idolator.
When describing his sound, Mateo — a former business consultant who cites Lauryn Hill and Coldplay as influences — says “It’s piano-based. It’s about love… And then some soul music… I write all my own songs. I think that’s what artists are, they observe the world and reinterpret what they see in music.” Watch the video for “Empire State Of Mind, Pt. 3” after the jump!
Mateo, who’s performed with artists such as Jordin Sparks, Day26 and Erykah Badu, literally has music coursing through his veins; his grandmother is vocalist Kitty Gartrell and his grandfather was a studio musician at Kings Records, where he played guitar on recordings by James Brown. In the Quddus-directed video for “Empire State Of Mind, Pt. 3”, we’re seeing a softer but brighter side of the Big Apple. (And did you happen to spot the cameo by our pal Jenna Andrews?) You tell us — does this mellow ode to the concrete jungle inspire you?