The confessional song ’31’, released on the occasion of the singer’s birthday, in which Manu reflects on the growth of herself and her generation, raises the bar for a new audiovisual project
Manu Gavassi began his current project trying to take a seemingly in-depth look at the pop industry, but ended up delving into another specific subject, his specialty: Manu Gavassi herself. The confessional tone went down better than cultural criticism.
The singer published on Thursday 4th the last video of the series of audiovisual projects that began in December with Artistic career protection program, which prefigured three songs: Ready to displease; Sex, power and art and the most recent, 31. The song was released on her 31st birthday and received a video in a sequence directed by herself in collaboration with Gabriel Dietrich. The videos were created in their creation space, the Studio Gracinha.
In Sex, power, art and ready to displeasethe quality of the audiovisual production is the strong point. The videos, in short film format, last more than 10 minutes and feature performances ranging from Letizia Colin AND Pathy DeJesus THE Tim Bernades AND Sin.
31, however, stands out as the most interesting release in this series, as it is when Manu best uses the confessional tone, his specialty. You can see it from the clip, more intimate than the others, up to (and above all) the composition.
In evaluating his arrival at 30, in a growth process closely followed by his fans, Manu understands simple things well, as in: “I wanted to be with everyone, today I want to be with my parents / And for the pride of those raised me, my heart protected me.” The highest point of the text is when he strips himself of his aesthetic influences – the so-called “concept” – and shows himself as he is.
Confessional
The singer, it is worth remembering, carved out her space in Brazilian teen pop in the 2000s. At the time, when she played the guitar with looks boho chic, was compared with sandy for the timbre and the romantic and youthful lyrics. The comparison, however, didn’t seem fair to Manu, who has always been a composer of her own stories.
Following in the footsteps of Taylor Swift – who is a fan – the singer found herself in confessional lyrics, like a diary that shows her passions and disappointments to an audience that understands her language. Tracks like Stagefrom 2015, which fans attribute as a clue to her ex, the actor Chay suedestands out in this tone.
In 31, reflects on herself, on the nostalgia of the millennial generation and on the duality in which young adults live, between investing in the present or feeding on their past, as in the lines: “It’s just that I was born at the wrong time, I’m stuck, not now .” In the same game she refers to her past and her “eras”, such as her presence in BBB and her lyrics, such as 23, launched in 2017.
31stslips when he reveals inspirations that fans are already tired of knowing about — kind of Taylor Swift(“I killed all the versions of myself before they killed me”; as in Look what you made me do) OR Rita Lee (“I was a little disconnected, I finally woke up,” in reference to the song by Mutants). The singer even paid tribute to Rita last year by re-recording the album Forbidden fruit.
Artistic career protection program
Video Artistic career protection program, the first of this audiovisual series, was the one that had the greatest impact. The script shows the singer trying to get back into her career with the help of an uninteresting, automated version of herself. The criticism could not be greater, nor more stellar, (Anita he called it “sensational”, Duda Beat sent a “very good, I’m laughing and crying”, Bruna Marquezine he said that he “really liked the singer’s brain”). In general, those who are part of the pop market liked the clip and put on a show.
In the caption promoting the video, Manu announces the series Separation as a reference – which is evident, from the script to the setting. Therefore, those who have followed the great production of Apple TV may not have seen such genius in the singer’s video. The problem is there: it is difficult to recognize the essence of the artist among the many references that she – and other pop names – try to show off. The problem is not the traces, but their excess.
I need to prove it the pop artist is also an artistshared by some singers of the niche, and in the consequent series of aesthetic references that could give a certain credibility to the work, it remains to be seen what innovations the video will bring to the market it occupies.
Manu criticizes the clichés of the music industry, stressing, for example, that controversies are important for success – something he has known since Emilinha Borba AND Marlene THE Britney Spears AND Christina Aguileraso as not to go too far back in time.
It’s ironic that the singer — who has gained national exposure with BBB, has millions of followers and posts with paid partnerships — criticizes the industry using an engaging modus operandi. Other reflections in this sense could be explored in depth, such as the one on the multifunctionality required of artists without money and with a large team, who need to neglect the creative process to dedicate themselves to the roles of entrepreneur, producer and social media to finance their career.
For those who are fans
Although he received praise, Manu had to deal with criticism from the public. In December, he responded to a follower who deemed his lyrics “childish.” The comment came on the occasion of the launch of Ready to be sorry, which has lines like: “The Sao Paulo accent can’t be monetized / Brazil is very vast and I’m very Mona Lisa.” Manu replied: “It’s because women, when they don’t look sexy, end up being judged childish”, without considering that, in these cases, this must be the case even if the public sees them, regardless of whether or not they appeal to sensuality.
Maybe that’s why he decided to dedicate his best viewing to those who “are big fans” (in his own words in the advertising post for 31). It’s when you bet on your confessional authenticity that Manu Gavassi hits the target. To see what this legacy will be 31 for your career
END? END! This is perhaps the simplest (simple is a strong word to describe reverse shots, but it’s still less than 15 minutes) of the 4 shorts I’ve featured in the last month and probably my favorite. Looking back to look forward. With… pic.twitter.com/QL6UD9p2z9
— Manu Gavassi (@manugavassi) January 4, 2024
Source: Terra
Earl Johnson is a music writer at Gossipify, known for his in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the industry. A graduate of USC with a degree in Music, he brings years of experience and passion to his writing. He covers the latest releases and trends, always on the lookout for the next big thing in music.
