Two years after the release of her debut album Before We Forgot How to Dream, SOAK has returned with a new single, “Everybody Loves You.” Along with her new album, the Irish-born singer/songwriter has released a new music video, set in a dreamlike, but slightly dark, reality.
Like her first album, “Everybody Loves You” shares a soft otherworldly sound. The video, directed by Joseph Wilson, echoes this in its portrayal of its characters.
In the video SOAK, like many young people, finds herself constantly fighting off the judgment and peer-pressure of her peers. She finds herself pushing back against other people in the video who seem to want her to conform to their style.
By no coincidence, the other characters all wear matching outfits, light pink Nike tracksuits. Unlike her, they all seem content to fit in and care more about corporate logos rather than originality.
The outfits seem especially out of place in the dark and depressing world of the video. While SOAK seems to be a part of the world, the other characters seem inauthentic.
Another theme in the video are insects, specifically maggots and butterflies. When pressuring SOAK, the other kids offer her a small bag with a live maggot inside. She repeatedly rebukes their offers, preferring to do her own thing.
As the video progresses we see images of butterflies emerging from their cocoons, as SOAK learns to accept herself. Despite the video showing that her choices leave her isolated compared to the group of kids, she comes into her own.
SOAK, born as Bridie Monds-Watson, gained attention her the release of her first single, “Sea Creatures” at the age of 15. Three years later she was signed to a record deal by Rough Trade Records, who released her first album, Before We Forgot How to Dream, in 2015.
As of now, SOAK has not released the name of her new album, but fans can look forward to a 2019 release date.
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