Fresh off the release of her debut EP, grown up & grown apart, Los Angeles-based artist Jazzie Young recently dropped her new single “in reality” and today, PopWrapped are delighted to premiere its video.
“‘in reality’ is a song about realizing the reality of a situation that you’ve romanticized,” explains Jazzie. “Once you take the person that you’ve put on a pedestal and examine them and your relationship for what it truly is instead of what you’ve made it out to be in your head, sometimes you realize that the version you’re in love with doesn’t exist. I think we’ve all been in situations like that, some of us more than others. It can be so nice to live in your rose-colored imagination, but it can become damaging when you’re holding onto something because of the potential of the person, rather than who they actually are.”
Inspired by youthful nostalgia, the dreamy new video features anime-inspired graphics, led by an all-female production team. “It all came together rather organically,” Jazzie admits. “I talked to the illustrators, Sabrina Valdez and Lacie Kraich, about the meaning of the song and the tone that I wanted the video to have. We also discussed the type of animation aesthetic I was looking for and the color pallet that fit the “dreamy nostalgic” world I wanted this song and video to live in. From there they created some mood boards and a general outline of what the video would look like. They were very helpful and inquisitive during the whole process. I really didn’t have a set script that I needed the video to follow, I just wanted it to have a certain feeling to it, and they were able to take my notes and really create something special. I wanted to show off a different side of my songs and getting to work with two talented female animators was an incredible experience for me. I feel like I learned a lot during this process.”
The new video is the latest in a string of visuals that the multi-talented singer-songwriter has released in conjunction with her new EP. Written a few months into quarantine, Jazzie wrote the whole of the collection by herself in isolation, with production done remotely by East Coast-based producer, Shawn Guess. With songs that detail the relationships, friendships, and self-exploration that she’s gone through from her early twenties until now and themes of introspection and longing, ‘grown up & grown apart’ is a record that’s reflective of the contemplation we all experienced during the pandemic.
Check out the video for “in reality” below and for more information on Jazzie Young, give her page a like on Facebook or follow her on Instagram. Header photo credit: Michaela Sprague.
