The enchanting Irish singer-songwriter Janet Devlin has removed the wrapper from her exciting fresh visualizer for “Candy,” a pop gem lifted from her touted deluxe edition of her hit album, *Not My First Emotional Rodeo*. Marked for official release on January 2nd, this exciting new video is a colorful tutorial on artistic irony, delivering a level of brightness that matches the frenetic energy of the pop song, but one that is much more than a simple sugar-coated pop confection. As one delves deeper, one finds that it offers a stylish reflection of the song’s deeper emotional qualities, making it a beautifully crafted dance invitation through pain, and so on, let’s move forward to indulge in the luscious details of this tasty pop delight.
The song opens with a beautiful melody and the video starts with Janet in her full housewife get up. I’m talking about how a traditional wife (trad wife) would dress. This intro will give you instant Nara Smith vibes right from the start and, trust me, if you stick and stay to watch the entire video, you will not regret it, even for a second.
The theme that seems to be running throughout is that of self-recuperation. Janet uses “candy” as a foil or metaphor, illustrating how society, or even the music industry, attempts to use artists – attractive, pretty, consumable, and ultimately trashable. Furthermore, by wearing and promoting this hyper-feminine, “sugar-rush” style, Janet finds incredible humor in being “eye candy” because, at a certain level, Janet may be classing her potential consumer. The video opens with a tight, high-saturation shot of Janet, her signature fiery hair contrasting against a bright, stylized background. The lighting is artificial and “pop-tastic,” immediately establishing that we are in a constructed reality. She looks directly into the camera with a “doll-like” expression-perfectly still, perfectly packaged. The video then cuts to scenes in which Janet is surrounded by an overwhelming amount of literal candy—oversized lollipops, bowls of jelly beans, etc. The camera makes use of rhythmic cuts that correspond with the upbeat tempo of the song.
Her performance, however, is not simply “happy.” There is a slightly knowing, theatrical smirk about her. Janet is performing as a “Perfect Pop Girl” character. As the first chorus begins to play, We see shots of Janet arranging many sweets. This is the “sensory overload” of being a star. The musicality of this scene is evident through the wide-angle lenses that make the room appear both vast and claustrophobic. The final scenes feature a lingering image of Janet, stripped bare of the props, sitting in a living room with a phone . She looks tired but triumphant and she is no longer wearing her props. This signifies the fact that we can walk away from expectations that we no longer or never believed in. It’s a choice; be the doll in the kitchen or the woman in the bedroom and living room.
Bearing a neon-drenched, high-energy charm, the visualizer serves as the perfect rhythmic mirror to the beat of the song, though it isn’t without some rather more complex tricks up its sleeve. At first, it sweeps one up in a sea of playful vibrancy, but beneath all of that glossy, upbeat goodness, it’s clear that masterful pulls are being made upon the deeper emotional undercurrents found in the song. It’s a clever aesthetic trick that works as a celebration without ever taking one’s gaze away from the poignant, heartfelt aspects of the music itself.
Ladies and gentlemen, it seems like we have another Taylor swift among us. Just like Taylor is a great visual artist, Janet is towing the same line and I simply couldn’t get more excited. I loved that this song was full of symbolism and I cannot wait to work with the talented Miss Devlin again!
Stream “Candy” Spotify
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