Haunting, half-broken and unforgettable are ways to describe the latest morsel from
The Roots. "Sleep" is the third video released on a Tuesday at 12:06 from The Roots' concept album
undun, coming out on December 6th. Produced by Tumblr famous
Hot Sugar and featuring
Aaron Livingston, the dripping beat could most certainly have been eked out on analog keys and synthesizers, a spare and compelling choice that befits the darkness of the images. It's unclear what is white and what is black as the story of a hooded figure with a dark past and future unravels. The lyrics "I've lost a lot of sleep to dreams / I do not miss them yet" sublimates the emptiness and eternal trap this character has to swallow everyday. On the whole, the song and its video are unglamorous, hard-hitting and impossible to stop watching/listening.