The Sadness

The Sadness brings together a trio of performers around the genre of 'Sad Rap', a home grown musical style that emerged on Soundcloud and other music platforms over the last years. Mostly self-produced, the genre combines emo-style lyrics that speak about depression, often with references to death and suicide, all set to melancholic instrumentals and hip hop beats.

At a time when the future has never been more uncertain, The Sadness aims to explore the prevalent feeling of futurelessness. Under the musical direction of Japanese American musical director Lynn Suemitsu, the performers' self-written lyrics are set to pulsating pop rhythms and heavy bass. While the choreography explores lyric dancing, setting movements to the lyrics of the song, so that a strong relationship is formed between words and gestures. A cross between a dance performance and a concert, the work is performed in the round in an intimate setting, where performers and public share the same space.

The Sadness explores live music making as a collective act that brings the performers (and audience) together. In the project the climate crisis and the feeling of inertia and anxiety that it produces are central. Rather than preaching to an already converted crowd, The Sadness gives voice to our repressed fears, using feeling as a powerful tool for empowerment and action.