Sophie Ellis-Bextor has shared the captivating video and dance routine for her new track ‘Hypnotized’ with Glaswegian producer, composer and performer Wuh Oh, which is out now via Cooking Vinyl. Directed by long-term collaborator Sophie Muller, the ‘Hypnotized’ video is a mesmerising visual for the track, which was filmed at Glasgow Barrowlands and sees Sophie performing an entrancing dance routine alongside an ensemble of dancers accompanied by Wuh Oh DJ’ing. The track is a return to her original dance roots, but in her true alternate style with the avant-pop track, which features an experimental off-kilter melody backed by immediate lyrics. Sophie says; “As soon as Sophie Muller heard the song she had a vision of me line dancing in Glasgow Barrowland with 100 dancers while Pete DJ’d on the stage. The video has brought that vision to life. I love it all. The dance routine, the venue, the crying and the latex. It really brings out the wonky pop of the melody and the lyric, and just like all the best videos, it brings new dimension to the song.”
Katy J Pearson has shared a video for ‘Howl,’ a track from her most recent album, Sound of the Morning. View the video, directed by Clump Collective, above. Clump Collective state in a press release: “Having previously worked on the shoots for ‘Miracle’ and ‘Alligator,’ we know how fun Katy is to work with, so we felt really comfortable in exploring quirky ideas for ‘Howl.’ With the resurgence of cheesy ’80s horror, we thought it would be hilarious to plunge her into that world, especially as it feels a real juxtaposition to her music. “Our team of five works collaboratively in direction and production, with each of us heading off different areas of the art department relevant to each video. Gathering references for ‘Howl’ was a joy—and we settled on a cross between Scooby Doo and Friday the 13th. We wanted the video to be equal parts silly and gross, with Katy proving herself as a force that can’t be stopped.” Pearson adds: “‘Howl’ was written five or six years ago, when my brother and I were in our previous project. I started playing the keyboard line and then myself, Rob and Josh Day-Jones (our friend, also in the project) wrote it in a day and produced it on logic. We sent it to our management and label at the time but they thought it wasn’t good enough and too ‘indie.’ It had been hanging about for years, and when we started thinking about the next record it resurfaced. Heavenly (Recordings, my current label) encouraged me to work on it and I’m really glad they did as it was such a fun song to arrange and record. My friends Freddy Wordsworth (caroline) and Campbell Baum (Sorry) came to the studio to lay down saxophone and trumpet on it and my good friend Orlando Weeks sang backing vocals, which was really special as I’ve been a fan of his for so many years. The song is about when you love someone, and how the emotions towards that person can feel quite primal, like a wolf howling.” [via Under the Radar Mag]
Over the past few months, the Canadian duo Partner have put out some songs, including ‘Time Is A Car’ and ‘Not Today,’ and now they’re announcing that those and a few more will be included on a new EP called Time Is A Car. They’re also sharing another single, the catchy ‘Fear That Closes The Heart.’ “This was the very first song we wrote during our sessions on Gabriola Island. The song is about fear, and how the sensation of fear can prevent someone from feeling like they’re living in the moment,” Partner shared in a statement, continuing: “We drew influence from Heart and 80s pop rock. The summer after we wrote this song, we went to the Folk on the Rocks music festival in Yellowknife, and participated in a collaborative project called ‘Emerging Wildly’ with Celeigh Cardinal and Cartel Madras. When Cartel Madras showed us their videos we immediately knew we wanted to work with them. We were blown away by the cinematography and their vision. We are so happy to present this video that they absolutely knocked out of the park.” [via Stereogum]
Following previous singles, ‘2LATE,’ and, ‘Sad Bitch Bad Bitch,’ Iyla is back with her latest offering, ‘FOH.’ Featuring a walking bass line, romantic string sections, trombone and a rocking hip-hop beat, the track sees Iyla grappling with the volatile back and forth of a toxic relationship. Full of colorful lyrics like “Dizzy Gillespie cheeks” and the catchy refrain of “Baby, go break a leg,” Iyla ups the theatrics for an overall exhilarating ride. The new single arrives alongside a Janelle Ginestra and Luke Rihl-directed music video that channels the song’s energy into a cathartic flurry of movement. Featuring choreography from Genstra and styling from Brookelyn Styles, the visual shows Iyla manically dancing through what appears to be the gutted and abandoned department store stomping in doorways and climbing stationary escalators. “While the song tells the story of me and my partner going eye for eye, the videos message lies in the battle of me vs. myself,” Iyla explains. “Life can be challenging and sometimes even when we find the strength to get back up we fall down again. Not everyone ‘wins’ all the time and finding peace in the dust allows us to the will to rise again. Powering through the struggle is what makes us grow new wings.” Iyla goes on to add, “The reality of the ‘FOH’ video is that success takes hard work, struggle and vulnerability. This shows the battle within ourselves even in the moments that you don’t always win, you keep rising and fighting through every range of emotion. Sometimes life knocks you down and has no guarantees.” [via Paper]
King Princess has released her new album Hold On Baby, and, with it, the music video for the track ‘Let Us Die.’ Directed by Quinn Wilson, the video is dedicated to the late Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins, who performed on the song. Hold On Baby is the second album from the Brooklyn-based songwriter, following 2019’s Cheap Queen. The full-length has contributions from Mark Ronson, Tobias Jesso Jr., Bryce and Aaron Dessner, and more. [via Pitchfork]
