A romantic relationship rarely ends in a single moment. It is shaped by everything that comes before the separation: the excitement of getting to know someone, the intimacy that develops over time, the disagreements, and the gradual changes that can pull two people apart. This emotional journey forms the basis of Relations, a music video for Ekene featuring Braye, directed by Nigerian filmmaker and creative director Olamide Rowland, popularly known as ROJ the Goat. Rather than treating the song as something that simply needs accompanying visuals, Rowland approached the project as an opportunity to tell a complete story. His intention was to celebrate the life cycle of a romantic relationship, following a couple through the experience of breaking up while acknowledging the moments that made their relationship meaningful.
For Rowland, the central challenge was finding a way to communicate that emotional progression through film. Relationships are rarely straightforward, and their endings can carry conflicting feelings of affection, disappointment, attachment, and acceptance. Relations explores these complexities through the couple at the centre of its narrative, using the music video format to bring their experience to life. The project reflects Rowland's broader interest in filmmaking as a form of storytelling, where individual scenes contribute to a larger emotional experience. By focusing on the relationship's life cycle rather than only its ending, he gives the story room to consider what exists between two people before they eventually go their separate ways.
Rowland directed and handled the cinematography for Relations, taking responsibility for both the film's creative direction and how its story was captured. He also edited and colour-graded the finished video, giving him involvement across production and post-production. The project was produced by Madame Producer, with an assistant director, production manager, camera crew, lighting team, fashion stylist, makeup artist, and art directors contributing to its development. Art direction was handled by Silverlynn and Tangeri Studios, while Mistura worked on fashion styling and Zahra on makeup. These contributions brought together the visual elements necessary to establish the film's characters and their world. From the choices made during filming to the final edit, each stage offered an opportunity to support the emotional direction of the story.
Relations also reflects an important development in Rowland's creative practice. Having established himself through motion design, 3D animation, and visual experimentation, he has increasingly expanded into live-action filmmaking and music video direction. Working through ROJ Archives, he has developed a portfolio of music videos and short visual projects, including collaborations with Ekene on Feedback, Red Benz, and other releases. In an earlier conversation with Gida Journal, Rowland discussed his interest in allowing filmmaking to remain open to discovery. Rather than treating writing, shooting, and editing as a rigid sequence, he sees each stage as an opportunity to find something new within the work. This approach gives him room to respond to the people, environments, and unexpected moments encountered during production.
What makes Relations particularly interesting is its decision to approach a breakup as part of a larger story about love. In sharing the project, Rowland explained that he wanted to celebrate the life cycle of a romantic relationship, an intention that gives the film its emotional foundation. It is also a reminder of how music videos can function as independent pieces of storytelling, using the atmosphere of a song to explore experiences audiences recognise from their own lives. Through Relations, Rowland continues to develop his filmmaking practice, bringing together his interests in visual composition, music, narrative, and emotion. The result is a project that treats the end of a relationship not simply as a moment of loss, but as an opportunity to reflect on the connection that existed before it.
