Saleka is bringing the fictional story of her new character Lady Raven to life — with the help of Kid Cudi!
Ahead of the release of her Aug. 2 soundtrack and its corresponding film Trap — in which she appears as pop star Lady Raven — the real-life musician, full name Saleka Night Shyamalan, unleashed her latest offering “Divine” on Friday, July 26.
The song, which marks her third release off Lady Raven (Original Music from the Motion Picture Trap), features assistance from Kid Cudi during both its chorus and sticky bridge. The album was written, produced and performed by 27-year-old Saleka.
“Show me spirits so divine,” Saleka and Cudi sing together in the chorus. “Where they go, heaven’s secret / Ooh, fall in a dream / Mother Earth calling / Swimming in the love / Walk in a glow It’s divine tonight.”
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The soundtrack itself, which she wrote to pair with her father M. Night Shyamalan‘s script for Trap, also features the likes of Amaarae and Russ, as she noted its “duality” in a press release. “I wanted to make an album that could stand on its own and embody the sounds and genres I love,” Saleka said of the forthcoming album and corresponding thriller.
“At the same time, every song was made for a specific scene with clear intention. Having the external storyline made the process so inspiring though. I could write in a way that was incredibly free since I wasn’t thinking about myself,” she added. “I ended up editing myself less and exploring facets of my own emotions that I would be too scared to dive into without having Lady Raven to speak through.”
Shervin Lainez
As previously reported, Saleka appears in Trap as pop star Lady Raven, who Josh Hartnett‘s serial killer character takes his teen daughter (played by Ariel Donoghue) to see in concert — despite the whole thing being a trap to set him up and catch him.
Speaking with PEOPLE during the film’s premiere this week at Alice Tully Hall in New York, Saleka said she looked to Taylor Swift — who she called a “boss woman and CEO” — as someone she channeled for the role, alongside a few other pop stars.
“I watched a lot of videos of Rosalía performing on stage, and Billie Eilish and just artists that I love because for me, I’m kind of this introverted, shy person, so walking out on stage with confidence is not something that comes naturally to me, so I was trying to channel all of the beautiful pop stars of our generation,” she said.
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Saleka also revealed on TODAY that her first concert was Beyoncé , who she saw live with her parents when she was 10 — a moment she now looks to as “a core memory for me.”
Working with his daughter, M. Night also told PEOPLE at the Trap premiere, still means she’s treated “always the same” as other members of the film’s team. “Everybody, you know, when you come to work with me, it’s really serious,” he said. “The art is serious.”
“For us, we don’t compromise anything. You have to be prepped, you’ve got to be — you know, everything about it is sacred,” Shyamalan added. “So, you know, the same thing goes for, you’re my daughter. I just met you for the first time, whatever it is, you’re a superstar actor. It’s all the same.”
Trap and its soundtrack, Lady Raven (Original Music from the Motion Picture Trap), both arrive on Aug. 2.
