"Stan Walker"
Single by Stan Walker
LanguageEnglish, Māori
Released27 November 2023 (2023-11-27)[1]
GenrePop
Length4:30
LabelSony Music Entertainment New Zealand
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Michael Fatkin
Stan Walker singles chronology
"Father's Eyes"
(2023)		 "Stan Walker"
(2023)
Music video
"I Am" on YouTube

"I Am" is a song by New Zealand musician Stan Walker. A bilingual ballad sung in English and Te Reo Māori, the song was written for the soundtrack of the Ava DuVernay film Origin (2023). The song debuted at number 19 on the New Zealand Singles chart, and was nominated for the Hollywood Music in Media Award for Best Original Song in a Feature Film at the 14th Hollywood Music in Media Awards.

Background and composition

Director Ava DuVernay, while looking for an unexpected song for the closing credits of her 2023 film Origin, was shown Walker's cover of Kanye West's "Ultralight Beam" by her collaborator Paul Garnes. Feeling drawn to Walker's performance, DuVernay searched on Instagram for any mutual connections that she had with Walker, and asked New Zealand film producer Chelsea Winstanley to connect the two. The following day, DuVernay spoke to Walker on the phone, offering him the chance to perform the film's theme song.[2]

Walker cowrote the song with Michael Fatkin, Vince Harder and Te Kanapu Anasta as a response to the content of the film, taking inspiration from the themes of ethnic identity reclamation and reconnection.[2] Walker incorporated Te Reo Māori into the song's lyrics, feeling that this was important coming from his own perspective and own personal ethnic identity, and was surprised when DuVernay agreed to include the lyrics.[3]

Release and promotion

Walker first performed the song on 18 October 2023, at private screening of Origin in West Hollywood, where DuVernay announced that the song would be submitted as a contender for the Oscars.[4]

The song was released as a single on 27 November 2023,[5] and made its debut on US television on the talk show CBS Mornings on the same day.[6] A music video for the song was released on 28 November 2023, shot in different locations around New Zealand.[7] Walker co-directed the video alongside music video director Shae Sterling.[6]

"I Am" is planned to be the leading single from an extended play to be released by Walker in early 2024.[6]

Critical reception

Russell Baillie of the New Zealand Listener reviewed the song positively, calling it a "plus-size anthem" and naming it as one of the Listener's songs of the week.[8] The song was nominated for the Best Original Song – Feature Film award at the 14th Hollywood Music in Media Awards.[9]

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from Tidal.[10]

  • Te Kanapu Anasta – songwriter
  • Michael Fatkin – producer, songwriter
  • Vince Harder – songwriter
  • Stan Walker – songwriter, vocalist

Charts

Chart performance for "I Am"
Chart (2023–2024) Peak
position
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[11] 19
US World Digital Songs (Billboard)[12] 6

References

  1. ↑ "I AM (From the Ava DuVernay feature film 'Origin') - Single". Apple Music. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
  2. 1 2 Tangcay, Jazz (27 November 2023). "Māori Artist Stan Walker Releases Video for 'I Am' From Ava DuVernay's 'Origin'". Variety. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
  3. ↑ "Musician Stan Walker talks about his new song "I am"". CBS Los Angeles. Yahoo! News. 8 December 2023. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
  4. ↑ Davis, Clayton (19 October 2023). "Ava DuVernay's Origin to Submit Stan Walker's Original Song I Am for Oscars". Variety. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
  5. ↑ "I AM (From the Ava DuVernay feature film 'Origin') - Single". iTunes. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
  6. 1 2 3 Downs, Sarah (28 November 2023). "Stan Walker Celebrates Māori Culture in Song for Hollywood Film". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
  7. ↑ Zaugg, Leo (29 November 2023). "Stan Walker's latest project could see him earn an Oscar nomination". 1 News. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
  8. ↑ Baillie, Russell (3 December 2023). "Songs of the week: New tracks by Stan Walker, Lana Del Rey and Liam Finn". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
  9. ↑ Grein, Paul (2 November 2023). "Songs From 'Barbie' Pace 2023 Hollywood Music in Media Awards Nominations (Full List)". Billboard. Retrieved 10 December 2023.
  10. ↑ "Credits / I Am (From the Ava DuVernay feature film 'Origin'". Tidal. Retrieved 4 January 2023.
  11. ↑ "Stan Walker – I Am". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
  12. ↑ "World Digital Song Sales: Week of January 6, 2024". Billboard. Retrieved 3 January 2024.
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