Los Angeles-based Lyra Star always manages to raise the bar with each creation she releases. Most recently her music video for the heartfelt ballad “Light,” is taking the cake as she steps it up a notch.
There are very few artists that blend their talents so seamlessly, and Lyra Star takes the utter grace of her niche skill, contortion, and encapsulates the beauty of this emotional single as she exudes her skills as a singer-songwriter and artist.
Taking place in a vintage, Victorian setting, the alluring visuals for “Light” play into the multi-dimensional ease of her vocalization, which borders on prevailing when the time is right.
Lyra Star effortlessly glows in this dreamscape as she moonlights as a movement artist through scenes of candlelit magic, and alluring whimsical peeks through dimly lit doorways where you see her agility showcased through her contortion.
You hone in on the lavish essence of the music video, which goes hand in hand with the sparkling piano keys and grand cello moments that shape the resonance for “Light.” Luxurious fashion courtesy of Kelly Maglia expresses Lyra Star dripping in rhinestones and pearls, as the cinematic effect of the scene cuts leave you lingering on the precious moments to pass you by. There’s a brilliant use of capricious tones that have you fully invested in the way that “Light” progresses as the lighting gets moodier and the footage gets more sensual.
Once again, Lyra Star leaves us in complete amazement of what she is capable of as a creative. Teaming up with director Tonya Kay and cinematographer Andria Chamberlain, the exclusive angles and emotion poured into the high octane release leaves us hung up on the bigger picture of this sonic and visual pairing; timing is everything.
Hello Lyra! It's wonderful to have you back at BuzzMusic.The music video for “Light,” has us looking at you from a completely different point of view. You always take us by surprise, but this time we were left awestruck! What inspired you to go this creative route for the music video?
I've been getting a lot of inspiration from FKA Twigs and the way she incorporates her dancing skills into her videos, and in all honesty, a lot of the creative shots and visions for this particular shoot came from the director, Tonya Kay. This is my second time working with her, and she really wanted to capture contortion from different angles as well as play with the use of prisms as an in-camera effect to alter and play with the concept of light, since that is the song title. I was also seeking out a venue that was very ornate and beautiful and knew I really wanted to incorporate fashion a bit more into this video. Tonya's ideas were inspired in part by the location we chose because we did a walk-through of the different rooms prior to booking it so she could take note of all areas and decide which would be the best for shooting. It was great because there was so much variety in one space, so we didn't have to move to a different location.
The scenes are so intricate in detail and it’s that type of detail that separates good from great! How long did the filming process take when bringing this vision to life?
The filming process took a full day of shooting... we arrived at 10am and wrapped around 8pm, although the crew didn't fully finish unloading until around 9pm. A lot of the process involved setting up lighting for the different scenarios, and of course hair and makeup took time as well. We basically had 6 different set-ups for the shots, but it takes time to get the lighting and cameras set up as well as the fog machine, which was used throughout to create ambiance.
What was it like working with Tonya Kay, and Andria Chamberlain on the ultimate vision for “Light?"
Working with Andria and Tonya is amazing... this is our second video together ("Under the Water" was the first), and we are actually shooting another one in a couple of weeks for "The Loneliest Nights." Tonya is a true artist in all realms, and she is also a performer and dancer herself, which means she knows how to shoot contortion and the body. Her visions for the different angles and shots were so unique, and Andria has the technical skills to make them happen. Both of them are very organized and chill to work with as well... video shoots can be stressful, and they always make everything run so smoothly. I will continue to work with them on my videos as much as possible... it's also super inspiring to work with such amazing women and have a female-powered cast (everyone involved onset in the making of "Light" was a woman).
What are some memorable moments from filming that you’d like to share with your audience?
The whole day was like a dream... I loved the first shots that we did on the couch because I was all decked out in jewels and felt like a Victorian princess. The headpiece I wore was just so beautiful with all of the rhinestones. It was really cold in the big room where I was doing contortion in the red outfit, so I was just doing my best to stay warm. I remember the hairstylist, Lindsay, was actually wearing this huge parka when we were in that room.... everyone was all bundled up except for me. I had a space heater that I brought into another room that I used for my warm-up, but once I was in the big room, I just had to do my best to stay warm. I also loved doing contortion on the ottoman, and those shots came out looking so beautiful from above.
What's next for you?
As I said, I am shooting another music video soon, but I am also in the studio working on recording songs for an EP that will hopefully be coming out at the end of the year. It feels good to be working on some new material and my first body of work since my album was released in 2018. Most of the songs are new and have never even been tested in front of a live audience due to the pandemic, but I feel very strongly about the tracks that I chose and look forward to sharing them when the time comes.