[Watch]: Ivy Levan Breaks 3-Year Hiatus With ‘Her’: Worth The Wait?

[News]

The new single is a catchy tune with meaning – but it’s missing the magic.

Ivy Levan turned heads towards her 2015 debut for her quirky image and not-from-this-world vocals. When I was first introduced to her, my friend told me he “[wasn’t] convinced she’s not a drag queen”, a reference to her over-the-top antics in visuals and deep, colorful voice. Her single “Biscuit” had attitude and sass with witchy visuals befitting the likes of 2011 Lady Gaga. All this is to say, Ivy Levan stood out. She was no run-of-the-mill pop star, even if her popularity didn’t show it.

One of many interesting hair and style shots from the “Biscuit” video. Courtesy of coub.com.

And after her album No Good’s August 2015 release, the music scene heard nothing from Ivy until last Friday. Her new single “Her” off an upcoming EP could have been her thunderous return to the music industry, and for about 10 seconds of the song, it seems to be just that. However, the production quickly loses energy, which would have been recoverable if it didn’t turn to half-time when the chorus hits.

Ivy’s contributions to this song are fully to her standard, in my opinion. The melody is killer and her vocals are still serving the fresh colors of her debut. However, the instrumental unfortunately kills any momentum “Her” builds and makes it impossible to invest in.

The stripped-down, “authentic” look from the “Her” music video. Courtesy of People Magazine.

Even the video is strikingly minimalistic, and not to its advantage. Featuring only black and white is a solid visual choice, but the entire video is stuck inside a box – literally, it shows Ivy in a box and never leaves this one scene. Static shots of lip-syncing without movement don’t help the song’s feeling of stalling, failing to move forward.

I think the song is good. It’s catchy, there’s inspiration behind the lyrics, the melody is dynamic. Yet, I find it hard to enjoy it, coming from someone who very much enjoyed Ivy’s debut album. I think this song and video worked hard to strip back, and in the process, they lost the quirky spark that made No Good so special.

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