I first heard iamamiwhoami about a year ago.
As Jonna and her group are an “outside the box” one, it’s easy to compare her to Gaga.
But (beyond love for creative art) you can’t compare Jonna to any artist but Jonna.
But we’ll try. I guess. The first time I heard and saw Gaga, it was bewildering – and not just because she’s “weird”. I like weird. I even liked that one hit song that jump started her fame (till it got overplayed on the radio at work). But something – between the commercialized aspect and the interviews and the in-public persona didn’t sit well enough for me to like the whole package as much as some people did. Felt like something was missing. For me, I suppose it just didn’t feel genuine.
Which is fine. It’s hard to put your whole soul on display at any level of fame.
I imagine when you become can’t-leave-the-house-without-being-mauled famesies, though, a part of you thinks “Wait a second – is it too late to take part of me back? Keep a little just for me?” So you reserve a private side, and then develop a tandem hyperbolic version of whatever got you famous for your public. And I get that. But as a music lover, I’m a fan of an artist who can unapologetically throw themselves out there all the way like Jonna Lee of iamamiwhoami. Sure, she’s a performer – but she’s like a no-false-airs combo of if Bjork were more runway model and Gaga were more authentic.
Some say she’s not classically beautiful – but there’s something hypnotic about her.
Something almost more enigmatic than even my canonized Gwen (I said almost.)
Either way, I’m slightly obsessed.
It’s to the point where even when her dancing’s like a robot doing butoh, the costumes seem strange, or the songs aren’t my favorite, her essence and the amazing cinematography behind the music videos create a whole alternate reality for your senses to fall back on. She employs all of these tactile tactics (tapping glasses, amplifying sounds that are normally almost inaudible, the crunchy sound of duct tape) that when combined with the beautifully lit shots (a lot of which take place in nature) make the viewer feel like they’ve crossed over into some sort of Narnia dreamland where the soundtrack is ASMR style and everything’s in high-def.
Maybe part of it’s this kind of ridiculousness, too:
(Yep. That’s right. Rug monsters jumping under strobe lights.)
Or this creepy-but-can’t-look-away-ness:
And the latest “Blue” album’s no exception – it’s the rule.
If you’re not into artsy sorta stuff (looking for symbolism and whatnot), this may not be for you. In fact, I’ll say it: it’s probably almost definitely not for you. But if you are (and you’ve got some time to waste), glance over their stuff and tell me what you think of the video-compilation for the “Blue” album.
Below’s my youtube comment on the video (I’d only seen the last two when I initially commented). But I’m interested to hear your interpretache and artistic read of the videos before reading mine, so I’m embedding that here first.
MissAshleyPants Love this one!
I haven’t watched all the blue videos yet, but the past two remind me of putting your creative process on display for the world. I can’t speak for all, but for me, art happens from a lonely, secluded lighthouse in the mind. Then, finally you send out your deepest, darkest truth into a world of people whose faces you’ll never see and identities you’ll never know. Your most honest words are on naked display for them – and often they just discard (burn) them or even just judge the bottle it came in instead – collecting a whole abstract catalog in their minds of who or what they think you are. I’d almost rather not have that telescope to see what people are doing with my work sometimes. Or hearing their hurtful words. Maybe I’m totally off on the way I read the vid. But that’s just my interpretation and thought I’d share. 🙂
Adore your work, beautiful lady! Been a fan for a year now. You make songs and videos that are a multi-dimensional sensual experience and the ignition for inspiration in fellow artists and fans. That’s what “youareareyouwhoareyou”. <3 Reply • 2 charlienojokes that is so right on.
Reply • 1
Oh, good.
‘least someone thought I’m not a space cadet with that analysis.
Keep doin ya thing, Jonna, you hot ass bish.
