Dream pop artist Estee released a music video for her new single “Nature” Sept. 1. The video’s vintage vibe is a fitting accompaniment to the tune’s ‘80s aesthetic.
“The song is about a first love but I really didn’t want to get too literal with the video by role-playing a storyline with a couple,” Estee told the City Paper. “I would rather create something visually interesting than tell a story, though that can be cool too if done properly. The space we chose spoke for itself.”
The video for “Nature” depicts Estee and dancers Chelsea Ray and Jade Amani grooving through a skating rink, with grainy footage and an innocent setting highlighting the theme of young love.
Millennial nostalgia is so ingrained in the music video that it starts with static and a blue screen, like a worn home movie in a VCR. It’s got a subtle charm, much like the song’s pulsing rhythm and airy vocals. Even the idea for a video based around dance moves, choreographed by Ray, was inspired by ‘90s pop.
Estee had free reign to highlight these aspects of the song as the video’s director, as well. The cinematography, done by Dr. Mambo drummer Stephen Massar, helped bring it to life.
This is the second video Estee has directed and the third she self-produced. “Nature” was independently released. “There’s a history of men taking credit for and framing the conversation around the art of women, especially in the world of music,” Estee wrote in a press release. “It has been important for me, especially as a Middle Eastern American woman in the South, to own my contributions.”
Although “Nature” dates back to 2018, the single appears on Estee’s LP In the Dream, released in April. Recording for the album dates back to 2015, Estee told the City Paper earlier this year. “[We] wrapped mastering in late 2019 so it’s been with me for quite a long time and it’s really grown and changed with me,” Estee said.
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