Lebanese/Palestinian-Scottish artist Salwa, a true force across acting, filmmaking, modelling, and songwriting, unveils the music video for her defiant and dynamic single, ‘Ghost You’. Fusing electro-pop and space disco with raw, whimsical storytelling, the track and its accompanying visuals explore the complexities of nightlife, relationships, and reclaiming power.
Raised in Beirut and now based in East London, Salwa (also known as Lana MacIver) is a creative powerhouse trained at the renowned Drama Centre London. Her career spans global modelling campaigns, avant-garde filmmaking, and poetry. Yet, music remains her ultimate artistic calling. Salwa’s genre-blending sound draws from Electro-Pop, Disco, Prog Rock, and Jazz, weaving tales that mirror her own experiences as a bipolar woman navigating a big city’s highs and lows.
The video for ‘Ghost You’—directed by Ted Clarke—offers a vivid exploration of nightlife’s duality: its glossy, alluring beginnings and the raw, bitter truths that follow. Inspired by the aesthetic of 80s gym auditoriums and live performances, the visuals evoke “nightmare nostalgia,” combining the dreamlike textures of Super 8 footage with darker thematic undertones.
Speaking about the song’s origins, Salwa explains, “The idea came when I was stuck in a frustrating WhatsApp chat and said to myself, ‘Sometimes I just really want to ghost you.’ It evolved into a track about city nightlife, unwanted attention, and reclaiming agency. I wanted this song to be a bold, unapologetic anthem—a loud, defiant *fuck off* to men who don’t know when to back off. It’s for every woman who’s felt that anger and needed to own it.”
Musically, ‘Ghost You’ pays homage to Salwa’s formative inspirations, including Justice’s ‘D.A.N.C.E’ and Caravan Palace’s ‘Mighty’. These tracks’ iconic use of choirs became a blueprint for ‘Ghost You’, which incorporates a chorus of fierce, vibrant women as its pulsating backbone.
With a career steeped in storytelling across multiple mediums, Salwa continuously pushes boundaries by fusing music, fashion, and film into cohesive artistic narratives. Her work reflects the ironic and often painful truths of modern life, turning vulnerability into a bold statement of empowerment.
About Salwa:
Born to Lebanese/Palestinian-Scottish heritage, Salwa grew up in Beirut and trained at London’s Drama Centre. Her multidisciplinary career spans acting, modelling, filmmaking, poetry, and songwriting. Drawing from diverse influences, Salwa’s music fuses eclectic genres with introspective storytelling, tackling themes of identity, mental health, and the intricacies of urban life.
Music Video Credits:
Music and Lyrics: Lana Salwa MacIver
Production and Mixing: Michael Stroudinsky
Mastering: Marie Pieprzownik
Director/Concept: Ted Clarke
Director of Photography: Michael Lloyd
Set Design: Anna Shearing
Makeup and Hair Design: Lydia Peckett
Styling: James Loyns
B-Roll and Editor: Lana Salwa MacIver
Grader: Kat Przado
Still Photography: Olek Kucmierczyk
Produced by Ted Clarke & Lana Salwa MacIver.
With special thanks to LNDN Film, Jubbi Georgia Rose, Daisy Butler and Jakub Kotwica
