It figures that Charly Bliss‘ most melodically joyful pop song to date actually has some of the darkest, most honest themes the band has explored. The Brooklyn-based band’s new single “Chatroom” crackles with energy and catharsis, and you might not even catch the serious lyrics until the third or fourth listen. (Or first time playing the music video.)
In the “Chatroom” video, directed by Maegan Houang, singer Eva Hendricks plays one of a dozen women held captive by a man they’re supposed to worship. Hendricks’ rebellion initially goes unnoticed. She even becomes the man’s favorite — until she isn’t. Charly Bliss always has great videos, but the visuals for “Chatroom” are perhaps the most evocative and cinematic the band has ever put out.
In a press release, Hendricks explained the frame of mind that informed “Chatroom” and Young Enough. “I was sexually assaulted by someone I dated and I wrote ‘Chatroom,’ and most of Young Enough, as a way of processing that experience and explaining it to myself,” Hendricks said. “‘Chatroom’ is a song about reaching ecstatic joy through consuming rage. Simply put, it’s a colossal ‘f*ck you’ and a celebration of reaching the point of a ‘f*ck you’ that isn’t diluted by self-blame or apologies.”
Hendricks knows that’s kind of a serious subject for a pop song, but that’s kind of the point. “[‘Chatroom’ is] tonally the darkest video we’ve ever made, and I think it anchors the intent of song which might otherwise be obscured by the fact that it’s also our most direct foray into larger-than-life pop music.”
Charly Bliss’ new album Young Enough is out May 10 via Barsuk Records. You can pre-order it here, and watch the video for “Chatroom” above.
