Tonight's fabulous queer artist feature is @iamsxmson
London native SXMSON releases the thought- provoking music video for his new emotional synth-pop ballad, ‘Smile’, which is about SXMSON's on-going attempt to hide his battle with mental health. The song was written in the hope that it would encourage people to be more open about their emotions, as well as inspire many to be aware of their friends and families wellbeing.
Directed and edited by LCPRN, ‘Smile’ follows SXMSON and London-based Drag Queen,
Barbs, as they come together and console each other in a touching music video to raise awareness for mental health, something which is particularly prominent in the LGBTQ+ community. The message of the video is to remind viewers that however different we might appear on the outside, deep down, we all have emotions and insecurities that are better spoken about.
SXMSON says about the music video:
“I had known for quite some time that I wanted to include and represent an aspect of the Drag community in this music video because I have so much respect for them. The more I became good friends with people who are professional Drag Queens, the more I came to realise and understand how complex being a Drag Queen can be and how true it is that you can never really judge a book by its cover. It’s not all glitz and glam, as some people might like to think. Having Barbs involved in this project was amazing as they allowed LCPRN to capture an authentic and touching performance.”
The music video begins with shots of a lonely SXMSON holding a mirrored disco ball in a
bedroom. It then cuts to an emotional Barbs, dressed in full drag attire, intensely looking
through the camera lens. Once SXMSON and Barbs come face to face with each other,
the video continues to show Barbs, partly out of drag, with both SXMSON and Barbs
comforting each other. We then see contrasting scenes of Barbs slowly removing their
hair and makeup in a mirror, with a shot of SXMSON wiping tears from his face. As the
video progresses, a house party scene takes place, featuring a reflective SXMSON
dancing on his own, which then includes a more joyful Barbs, dancing around him. In the
final scenes, we watch as both SXMSON and Barbs come and dance together,
symbolizing their support for, and understanding of each other.
Credits:
Artist/Writer: SXMSON
Director: LCPRN
Featuring: Barbs
Music producer/Co-writer: Andrew Kingslow
Co-writer: JakkCity
SXMSON bio:
Born and raised in the North-West of London, Iranian/Jewish SXMSON grew up listening
to 90s R&B music. This was the sound that eventually inspired him to pursue a career as
a R&B/Pop singer-songwriter. Starting to develop his skills as an artist at the age of 16,
SXMSON made his first steps in the music industry as a songwriter. During and after his
studies at the University of Leeds, SXMSON continued to work alongside a wide array of
producers. This is where he gathered inspiration from growing up in an Iranian/Jewish
household and identifying as LGBTQ+.
SXMSON has written and worked with the likes of Laidback Luke, Grammy-nominated
Maths Time Joy (Mahalia, Snakehips, Gallant), SAKIMA (R3hab), Gil Lewis (Liv
Dawson, Eurovision 2018) and One Bit (Noah Cyrus, Louisa Johnson), as well as written
for developing artists on their own projects.
With recent support from Gay Times, BBC Asian Network Radio, BBC Introducing,
Billboard Pride and TalkRADIO, there is a lot more to expect from this talent on the rise.
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