“Alibi” is the latest addition to a growing body of work by Empara Mi, a singer-songwriter who has positioned herself within the cabal of other mysterious musicians who have chosen to conceal their offstage identities behind inventive artistic personas. As with previous tracks like “Wanderlust”, “Shine On You”, “Spoon” and “The Come Down”, the song showcases her flair for dramatic baroque choral-pop vocals – juxtaposed against blaring synths and a dynamic hip hop beat. Her powerful vocal presence provides a striking contrast to the vulnerability being described, which is evocatively coloured with rage, indignation and a will to power.
In an email interview, Empara Mi clarified that the song was not a sinister tell-off addressed at a former lover who underestimated, wronged, and/or betrayed her (as the verses 'You're just a, just a wannabe, wannabe lover/ When you came up to me, you mistake me for another, boy' suggested). The implied 'crime' here refers to the paralysis and stagnation caused by crippling thoughts of self-doubt. “Me, myself and I are meant to represent the conflicting sides of my own personality," she said. "The voices in your head that tell you [that] you aren't good enough. It's about beating those parts of yourself”.
The accompanying video, which was directed by London-based female director duo Xiphi, was thus inspired by the concept of “being bonded together with your counterparts”. It features claustrophobic and disorienting close-ups of a naked Empara Mi and her two psychic alter-egos, bound to the ceiling by her own rope-like braids. The colour red is featured prominently (as it does on her Instagram feed); she attributed this to her subconscious love of David Lynch and its ability to represent “everything dark and sinister” to her. At the end of the song, the shot zooms out to reveal that there is only one version of herself left suspended in the air – the two other dissonant voices of self-doubt have been conquered and vanquished.
This is not the first time Empara Mi has made a bold visual and sonic impression. Last year, The FADER profiled her innovative use of Japanese 3D face-mapping technology for the haunting music video for “The Come Down”. And yet, her penchant for macro shots and cathartic lyricism has done little to shed light on the woman behind the artistry. (“The Come Down” was tellingly about "projecting fake personas, hiding behind a mask in an attempt to conceal the 'real you'"). She readily acknowledged this aspect of her music, while promising an intriguing reinvention in the near future:
“I want my visuals to feel like a journey and with each new piece I want to expand this journey and start to reveal a bigger picture. It relates to the music as the main themes so far have been abstract, dark and unrevealing but I'm about to be a lot more revealing musically”.
By Gus Xie
