From Nashville TN, alt-pop artist soyboi releases a heart-wrenching music video for his recent single "3pm". Always expressing his thoughts and what he believes in, soyboi remains anonymous to fully express himself without exposing others. Raising awareness for positive mental health, especially but not exclusively towards men, soyboi is a true advocate for overall mental wellness. With the release of his music video for "3pm", soyboi touches on the heavy emotions that depression can set on, especially through trauma and unfortunate experiences. With many scenes of soyboi wearing an eyemask and managing to express every ounce of his emotion adequately, we're genuinely left speechless with the entire experience from instrumentals, soyboi's melodic vocals, and the music video's dream-like state.
From the very beginning of soyboi's music video "3pm", we're immediately left in a daze through bright and blurry scenes, escalating violins, and a filtered voice calling us to wake up. Once the hi-fi alt-pop beat drops, the video takes us through a variety of scenes where soyboi is masked and contemplating many thoughts that trigger deep emotion. The lighting and angles are so well crafted, perfectly exuding a reflective atmosphere and allowing us to think over how we are treating ourselves. Overall, soyboi's anthemic vocals hit home with his conceptual lyricism, and through the music video's platform, he's able to put those thoughts to real life and show others that pain is what makes us human.
Watch "3pm" here.
Hey soyboi, welcome to BuzzMusic! Your latest music video for your single "3pm" really hits us in the feels. How did you craft each scene to express a storyline towards struggling with pain?
I collaborated with my good friend and fantastic cinematographer Casey McDonald to try to shoot some of the most dreamy scenes we could come up with. Our whole goal was to get shots that looked just a little off. There's something to be said for the feeling of seeing what you think is reality, and then finding out it's not exactly what it seems. That beauty is all just a dream.
Your music video for "3pm" has a very introspective tone to it, especially through soyboi's passionate performance and self-expression. How did your creative process begin for the video, and what did you want listeners to feel when watching it?
I draw a lot of inspiration watching behind the scenes for various movies and how they do practical effects. I don't really know much about making computer special effects, but I do know how to create a sort of magic in the camera. We had a very limited budget, so a lot of the shots came from just having to work with what we had. Which meant getting really creative, and maybe a little dangerous. I'd love for the viewers of the video to be able to get lost in it. Kind of like getting wrapped up in a nice dream. Just being able to look at it and think "whoa, that looks pretty cool!". Then when it ends I'd hope they'd almost have a feeling of waking up, like they're reminded the outside world exists.
We can hear brilliant modern influences within your hi-fi alt-pop sound, yet also nostalgic elements through melodic string sections. What inspired soyboi's sound, or who? Do you have certain musical influences that you look up to?
Oh boy. Yes! I have so many influences it's hard to keep track. I've been getting really into trippy hip-hop like Travis Scott, and vibey RnB like James Blake. But I grew up loving Pink Floyd, and Peter Gabriel. I also love jazz, and actually was in a chamber string orchestra growing up. So I've always had a soft spot for strings. I'm self-produced and the number one thing that's always at the forefront of my mind is "do I think it's cool? Would I go download it after hearing it for the first time?" I'm just trying to make music that I like.
We've heard that soyboi is a strong mental health advocate, especially (but not exclusively) towards males. How does your brand help reduce the stigma around mental health, especially towards young men?
Yes! Sosoyboi(or soyboy) is a term meaning "lacking all masculine qualities, weak, effeminate". It's meant to insult those who maybe might cry watching a movie, someone who is more connected to their "soft side". I wanted to take that term and turn it from an insult to a good thing. Why is it so bad for men, or anyone, to be expressive and communicative with their softer emotions? In my eyes, if we were all like that, the world would be a better place, and people would be a lot happier. Growing up, I had a hard time opening up to anyone. I never talked about my darker feelings. But I learned that after I started to open up, people would open up to me in return! I realize that if I want people to feel more comfortable being open and honest, that I would need to be the one to open up first. To say the things that may be a lot of us are thinking, but are too afraid to say. My hope is that others might feel a little less alone in their struggles, and more open to sharing their experience.
What's next?
I have a lot of music ready to release! And I'm getting ready to start doing shows (on various live streaming platforms). It's been interesting trying to navigate being in an anonymous project. There are a lot of things I can't do that most other artists can. But you can expect more music soon, and some fun collaborations with other artists. The best way to keep up is to follow my Instagram at @imsoyboi.