Hear Rostam’s Heartbroken Electro-Pop Anthem ‘Gravity Don’t Pull Me’
Rostam Batmanglij has debuted a poignant new song, “Gravity Don’t Pull Me” – his second solo track following his departure from Vampire Weekend. “The worst way I ever felt was from the same boy that I still miss,” he croons in elongated, silky patterns over electronic swirls. “‘Cause I messed it up, and it broke my heart.”
The accompanying video, directed by Batmanglij and Josh Goleman, finds the musician singing in front of two dancers, Jack Grabow and Sam Asa Pratt, who translate his heartbreak into elaborate pop-locks. “Gravity Don’t Pull Me” is available to purchase or stream via multiple retailers.
Rostam will make his live solo debut on June 12th, opening for Brian Wilson at Brooklyn’s Northside Festival.
The singer-producer announced his departure from Vampire Weekend in January. While noting plans for future collaboration with the band’s frontman, Ezra Koenig, Rostam emphasized, “My identity as a songwriter and producer, I realized, needs to stand on its own. Still connected to the [people] I work with, but through the songs we make together.”
Koenig followed with his own statement, explaining, “A couple years ago, Rostam and I sat down at his house & talked [about] whether our collaboration was dependent on being members of the same band. We both firmly agreed that nope, it was not. In fact, we agreed that our collaboration was more important.”
Rostam released “Wood” – a Persian-inspired, self-described “queer love song” – three days after making his departure announcement.