Papi Shiitake Implores Us To ‘Do What You Say’

With his new single, ‘Do What You Say’, Brooklyn-based, indie dream-pop producer/artist Papi Shiitake reaches deep into his subconscious, while taking inspiration both from Phil Spector and Kanye West. The end result is a sound that we can’t help but get swept up into.

His new single ‘Do What You Say’, from his upcoming album, ‘Wabi-Sabi’, siees Papi Shiitake skilfully spin a web of elegant soundscapes. Making use of hypnotic guitars, Polynesian percussion and thundering 808 bass, he ties it together in a surprising pairing of hip hop beats and warm surf rock melodies, underpinning the pensive vocals. Mastering engineer Larry Anthony, known for his work with Migos, Janelle Monáe, and Lil Baby, lifts the track even  by lending his signature Atlanta sound to the single.

The music video stars an alluring young woman, slow-dancing to the camera as scenes of flowing water, mountain tops, starry skies, sunsets, volcanos, sharks and more calmly play behind her. Self-directed, the video is a serene, psychedelic trip, with Papi’s lyrics, included throughout, drawing you further in. By the end, you’ll be ready to dive back into the experience all over again.

“It’s actually amazing, when I approached dancer/choreographer Jadée Nikita about doing the piece I had no idea that she hadn’t performed since the beginning of the pandemic. I like to give artists I work with space and creative freedom, so on the day of shooting we kind of just let the cameras roll. I don’t think Jadée expected to be the sole focus of the video, but when we looked at playback it was absolutely mesmerizing. She’s like a bird flying again. Feeling again. If you watch her eyes throughout the video it becomes much deeper and a new story emerges. It’s very moving.”

Watch the clip for ‘Do What You Say’ below and check out Papi Shiitake and his music online on his website.

Papi Shiitake - Do What You Say (Official Video)

About the author

Lisa has been writing for over 20 years, starting as the entertainment editor on her university newspaper. Since then she's written for Popwrapped, Maximum Pop, Celebmix, and ListenOnRepeat.

Lisa loves all good music, with particular fondness for Jedward and David Bowie. She's interviewed Edward Grimes (Jedward), Kevin Godley, Trevor Horn, Paul Young, Peter Cox (Go West), Brendan B Brown (Wheatus), Bruce Foxton (The Jam), among many many more. Lisa is also available for freelance writing - please email lisa@essentiallypop.com