If creativity requires bravery, then L.A’s TRACE must be the most creative woman in town. Having found early success with her debut EP, she then signed on to Ultra Records, releasing another EP, and partnering up with National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI) to raise awareness on anxiety in the entertainment industry in the process. But pursuing her own vision in her own way has always been the driving force behind her music, and so 2020 has seen her go back to her independent roots, creating little spaces that belong only to her.
With today’s video premiere of her latest track, “Cool Woman,” she embraces all the things that make her unique, shedding her old insecurities and donning all her new affirmations.
Wielding her voice like a double edged sword, she traces it across her lips, sweet and docile when played with, but quickly turning into razor sharp threats when displeased. Nothing is improvised; just as she deftly moves through the video’s focal shots, every step carefully choreographed, she controls the track’s mood swings with her honeyed vocals like a veteran symphony conductor.
Painting a lyrical picture of scorned neglect, she recounts all the times a potential lover has taken her for granted, before finally declaring “I hope you take this serious, like a threat / I’m no liar / And I’m a fucking cool woman.” Though the lyrics allude to a champion of women message, she doesn’t let it overshadow her own journey. Twinkling synth chirps add sparkle to the rich minimal production, even lighting up the living room floor as she takes off her fur coat and proceeds to dance. This isn’t just another woman narrating her relationship woes. Nor is it another woman trying to bring an Instagram filter to life. This is quite simply put— just a fucking cool woman.
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