photo by Akhil Sesh
Singer/songwriter and soul songstress Britney Stoney reemerged last week with her first new track (and video) since 2015’s acclaimed Native EP. This time around, Stoney shares a newfound intimate inflection with “Grip,” an unofficial sad-girl prom anthem.
“Grip” masterfully and quietly provides an echo of personal cinema. Sure, it’s a pop song - one that could easily soundtrack a Hannah-seeking-Adam montage on the recently deceased Girls. But Stoney flips the script and fastens a flimsy, sparkly bandaid to a heart-attack with grace and vulnerability. Her voice, breathy with delicate invitation, is undeniably enchanting against the fluttering choral playground and a glitter of synths fit for Johnny Jewel.
Visually, “Grip” finds Stoney tangled in a candy-colored pinhole dreamworld created by renowned visual artist Dessislava. A dizzying camouflage, Stoney spends the video entirely alone, rocking Eighties formal wear and Nineties-era Brandy box braids from scene to scene. Like a late night “WYD” text, its tender-hearted pop-seduced torment begs to be set free and longs for intimacy all at once. Relatable, danceable and totally love-sick, “Grip” holds tight and won't let go.
Dream on with Britney Stoney's magical trip down Heartbreak Lane below:
