Marian Renta Summons Her Smooth-R&B Roots in New Boom-bap Single + Video “Bed of Flowers”

Spring is finally upon us after a brutal and tumultuous winter. Fresh off the heels of her last single “Water Deep”, Gospel-soul singer Marian Renta drops her smooth and groovy new single “Bed of Flowers” today along with its nature-esque, stunning music video.

The throwback-inspired track, written and produced by Renta, is a flaming dart right at the enthusiasts of mid-90s R&B. With a funky boom-bap beat, soft chords, and sultry vocals, “Bed of Flowers” is nothing short of an amalgamation of Renta’s 90s influences and adoration of the R&B from the days of old.

Breaking with trends, Renta opted for a syncopated rhythm utilizing acoustic crusty drums and funky bass as the foundation. Laid over are the sensual chords of contemporary R&B fare reminiscent of Mary J. Blige and Maxwell. Expounding on this, Renta states:

“I had this idea for a smooth retro-ish song that makes you wanna roll around in a grass field on a warm spring day. I wanted it to feel care-free, so I kept the production relatively stripped back. I sang the vocals in a way that could be sung lying down, on my back, looking up at the blue sky. I kept thinking of songs like “Dreamlover” by Mariah Carey, Maxwell’s “Ascension”, and “Love is All We Need” by Mary J. Blige. It was the spirit of those songs that I was conjuring. But most importantly, the song is about gratitude to Christ and reveling in the rainbow after the storm. It’s that joy and freedom.”

The music video, directed by Renta, was shot in Hillsdale, New York, in upstate New York. The shooting location sits along a massive farm, near Copake, coincidentally where the video for her comeback EP’s title-track “Headfirst” was filmed. The “Bed of Flowers” shoot, however, was met with a myriad of problems. Renta elaborates:

“This was the most chaotic video I’ve ever been a part of. I absolutely love the music video, but all I can think of is the drama that ensued. We busted a tire on the way to the shooting location somewhere in Mount Kisco, had to wait almost three hours to be towed, waited another two hours for the tire to be replaced, then another three hours to head up to the shoot location to salvage what we could for the day. We began initial shooting at 4PM as opposed to 8AM, and it was already freezing. I was wearing shorts and a t-shirt, and I had to pretend to be living my best life in fifty-degree weather. My eyes were tearing, my nose was running, and the sun was going down quickly. This was supposed to be a one-day shoot, but it turned into a two-day shoot to make up for lost time. The most disturbing aspect was the way the large, towering Hudson Valley mountains turned black as the sun went down. It was terrifying. It’s so dark upstate since there’s no light pollution or even streetlights in many parts. The mountain range looks like enormous, black, ghostly figures hovering over you. Aside from that, I enjoyed frolicking in the grass and running along those majestic hills. I love the shots of me lying on my back looking at the camera in an upside angle. I especially loved riding that scooter thing.”

The soulful single is the latest installment in a string of Christ-centered singles aimed at praising Jesus, expressing gratitude to Him, and professing faith in the finished work of Christ on the cross. Discussing the prospects of a full-length Gospel album, Renta states:

“Nothing is made official yet, but the last few singles have been playing in my head as belonging to an album. I want to put out a Gospel album this year, but everything right now is still in the air. I’m still playing with my sound and seeing where it goes.”

“Bed of Flowers” is available on all streaming platforms, including Spotify and Apple Music. The music video can be streamed on all video streaming platforms, including Youtube and TIDAL.