After rolling out videos for "Luxury" and "Social Meds," Hua Li 化力 has now shared a new clip for new single "Mr. Greenlight."
Directed by Paz Ramirez and starring dancer/performance artist Winnie Ho, the clip for the trip-hop-leaning cut was born out of the Montreal-based rapper/DJ approaching the director with "loose images of male destruction and female reparation."
Ramirez expanded on the development of Hua Li's concept as follows:
I was hooked by this metaphor of the emotional labor that historically is done by femme folks. I wanted to explore working this concept in a domestic space but with a very careful aesthetic treatment; it was made possible by the committed collaboration of Brenna Holler, who did the production design. I was inspired by cinematographic references like Gus Van Sant and Haneke's first movie The Seventh Continent. Building on the prevalence of the B&W resource in hip hop culture and media, I attempted to give it another layer within the context of the video, as a way of subtly pushing a female gaze and sensibility into a predominantly masculine-ruled genre and industry.
"Working with director Paz Ramirez was a dream come true. Her vision, resourcefulness and drive was inspiring the whole way through," Hua Li said in a statement. "I have also admired Winnie Ho for years and watching her embody the mood of my song and lyrics with her beautiful creativity as a dancer and performance artist showed me new sides to my own music."
Of her own role, Hua Li added, "Throughout the video I appear as an all-seeing figure somehow distinct from the violence and toxicity in the home — much like a child watching their parents negotiate the messier sides of relationships, I am a silent comfort to Winnie's character, witnessing her trials and expressing solidarity where I can."
Hua Li's debut LP Dynasty is due out September 20 via Next Door Records.
Directed by Paz Ramirez and starring dancer/performance artist Winnie Ho, the clip for the trip-hop-leaning cut was born out of the Montreal-based rapper/DJ approaching the director with "loose images of male destruction and female reparation."
Ramirez expanded on the development of Hua Li's concept as follows:
I was hooked by this metaphor of the emotional labor that historically is done by femme folks. I wanted to explore working this concept in a domestic space but with a very careful aesthetic treatment; it was made possible by the committed collaboration of Brenna Holler, who did the production design. I was inspired by cinematographic references like Gus Van Sant and Haneke's first movie The Seventh Continent. Building on the prevalence of the B&W resource in hip hop culture and media, I attempted to give it another layer within the context of the video, as a way of subtly pushing a female gaze and sensibility into a predominantly masculine-ruled genre and industry.
"Working with director Paz Ramirez was a dream come true. Her vision, resourcefulness and drive was inspiring the whole way through," Hua Li said in a statement. "I have also admired Winnie Ho for years and watching her embody the mood of my song and lyrics with her beautiful creativity as a dancer and performance artist showed me new sides to my own music."
Of her own role, Hua Li added, "Throughout the video I appear as an all-seeing figure somehow distinct from the violence and toxicity in the home — much like a child watching their parents negotiate the messier sides of relationships, I am a silent comfort to Winnie's character, witnessing her trials and expressing solidarity where I can."
Hua Li's debut LP Dynasty is due out September 20 via Next Door Records.
