Mónica G. Carter directs a blue-hued Nineties-influenced promo for up and coming R&B singer Essosa.

Successfully channelling the classic Hype Williams style in his music video directing pomp, the video for Waste My Time lives in an anachronistic space, blending retrofuturism with thrilling dance sequences, and centred around Essosa's absorbing performance. And the director says it was her intention for the video to feel timeless.

"I took inspiration from late 90s / early 2000s R&B/pop videos and mixed in a modern-minimalistic-futuristic feel," says Carter. "I wanted to make the viewer feel like they were traveling in time but not knowing whether they were traveling backwards or forwards: nostalgia colliding with avant-guard.

"We didn’t shy away from simplicity, on the contrary we leaned into it, ensuring that each department collaborated together to create something that felt uniform and exciting: From the cinematography, to the art design (betting on the monochromatic blue colour pallet), to the amazing choreography/ performance. I wanted to give the audience space to meditate, to feel Essosa’s captivating music."