Exhumed

Nika "Zola Jesus" Danilova penned this cathartic song following a long period of writer's block. She explained in a NPR track-by-track: "'Exhumed' was one of the first songs I wrote after suffering from a sadness that made it impossible to create. Finally, I was beginning to wake up from my stupor. I slowly started to feel things, however angry, resentful, violent, or nihilistic. But at least I felt something. I put that intense emotion into this song, which took over a year to finish. It wasn't until the end of recording the album that I was able to take the song to where it needed to go."

This was released as the lead single from Okovi. Zola Jesus explained: "Even though it's not very indicative of the entire record, it felt like the right song to put out as the lead single. For me, this was the awakening that made this record what it is."

The song's dark video looks at the depths of processing death. Director and long-time Nika "Zola Jesus" Danilova collaborator Jacqueline Castel explained the thoughts behind the "Exhumed' clip: "Exhumed was personally conceived of and created whilst processing death - of family members and of relationships - and much like Okovi's core themes, it is a reflection on loss, heritage, and the often painful personal growth we must harness in the face of life's constant evolution. Shot intimately in one day, in the exhausting heat within the woods surrounding Nika's Wisconsin home, we sought to capture personal apocalypse, utilizing experimental shooting techniques to further our emotional goals. Practically and metaphorically, we fought to find the light in the darkest of forests."