[MV + TRACK REVIEW] WHATCHU BOUT? - Clarissa Mei ft. Esky
Artist Clarissa Mei pondering ‘WHATCHU BOUT?’
(Sourced: Provided)
I’m a sucker for harmony. Not just the simple stuff, either. I mean, super thick 90’s R&B harmony that just hovers around a killer hook. Clarissa Mei (@clarissamei) delivers on this indulgence of mine with her latest single ‘WHATCHU BOUT?’. Complete with a guest verse from local legend Esky (@esky.esk, Into We), the new track and accompanying visuals are the musical embodiment of ‘looking back to look forward’.
The vertical video, directed and edited by Laura Ranola (@lauranola), opens on a dreamy girls night. Singing in a smoke filled bedroom, Mei questions the efforts of an unnamed pursuer. The opening sequence reads like an idealised mid-quarantine hangout, full of friends, pizza, and someone to clean up after you (thanks Esky).
Rapper Esky taking a break from sweeping up.
(Image credit: ‘WHATCHU BOUT?’ Music video, directed by Laura Ranola)
The second verse introduces us to the hangout scene. Mei continues to doubt the legitness of the unnamed, instead opting to spend time with her remarkably well dressed friends. Peep the inverted colour coordination between cover art designer Mehmet Mevlütoğlu (@metmetmevlutoglu) and Mei. The joy amongst the artist’s company is visible, perhaps a result of her escaping (via motorcycle) the hands of her indecisive chaser.
The vertical video format fits the track beautifully, subtly playing off Mei’s teasing ‘dm’s’ line. What most impressed me, however, was that killer motorcycle shot. There are few artists that can control their hair and sing whilst speeding by. Kudos to Mei’s hair department.
Esky comes through with a stellar verse of his own, fitting in some neat product placement alongside his wordplay and b-boy dance moves. Jumping around in his own fish-eyed scene (think The Fresh Prince of Western Sydney), the rapper provides some lower-register contrast to Mei’s sugary vocals.
WHATCHU BOUT? is a bubbly ode to the intersection between pop and R&B. The track is aesthetically consistent with the video, making for a seamless and vivid listening experience. Summer banger? It might be too early to tell, but I’ll bet my money and my clout on it!
