The LA-based provocateur goes for the jugular with her new track.
Image by Chris Paul Thompson
Image by Chris Paul Thompson
“Looking at your face reminds me there’s a history. Of women who have sat across from some dumb motherf-…”
Yes, Anne Dereaux did not come here to play. Last year, the R&B singer’s debut EP, “Book of Lolita”, saw her tread through personal heartbreak and pain. But now, her biggest and latest release from the EP, “Rock Away”, sees her go straight for the jugular with some pretty evocative visuals.
Dereaux has done the accomplished architect thing (no lie), dabbled in acting (she appeared in the season finale of Big Little Lies), but as a solo artist, her steely focus is on getting her uncompromised message across. While the lyrics to new track, “Rock Away”, progresses gradually from heartbreak to DGAF, the music video delves even further, with the theme of men taking advantage of female vulnerability coming through strong.
Image by Chris Paul Thompson
Image by Chris Paul Thompson
The video opens with Dereaux subverting gender expectations as a female pimp, working velvet tiger print flares, embellished platforms and rows-upon-rows of bling. She drives a convertible with a dramatic Taratino-esque voice-over explaining the dynamics between her and the girls in the car.
“Yes, progress has been made as far as equality is concerned, but the fact remains, we are still products of a patriarchal society,” she explains.
“So I spoke with my director Damian Marcano, a good friend of mine, and we went over a few concepts. He was like… ‘man, this song is kinda like a big fuck you to all these men. Why don’t you play a pimp, wearing dickies and cornrows…?” So it started there, and when I watched all these pimp documentaries from the 90s, it was absolutely shocking how so many men have been socialised to think they are superior to women. This permeates almost everything in our culture.”
“I want people to watch this video and imagine living life with societal norms turned on their heads. And take it beyond just men vs women; this is about anyone who has been considered other and marginalised for not being a white hetero male.”
