Sound Up! Courage My Love

Many artists explore the intricacies of love in their music; from falling head-over-heels to the starry eyed effect, we’ve heard them all. Then, through heartbreak and catastrophe, the ins and outs of the mysterious chemical reaction that is connection and lust has been dissected from all angles. However, Canadian, alternative pop-rockers Courage My Love have released their new single “Slow Motion,” which takes a different approach in examining who, or rather what, we really love.

Consisting of twin sisters Mercedes Arn-Horn and Phoenix Arn-Horn, alongside Brandon Lockwood, the trio have taken a head-first dive into the devices and vices that we truly pine for.

“Originally, ‘Slow Motion’ was supposed to be a love song,” said vocalist and guitarist Mercedes. “At first glance, the lyrics are about noticing someone from across the room, being caught in the moment, and falling in love at first sight.

“But, I wanted to explore a darker theme that cuts a little deeper with the music video.”

Courage My Love’s newest music video for the latest single does exactly that. With a surprising twist indeed, the pop artists are getting political against Big Pharma in the very first moments of the song. A staged infomercial for made-up drug Infinitum, they are giving the dreamy promise of happiness in a bottle. That is all the singer needs to begin the endless loop of destruction.

Similar article: Sound Up! FAZE

“I was inspired by a term used in addiction circles called ‘the pink cloud,’ which refers to a phenomenon in one’s recovery process after a recovering addict detoxes for the first time and experiences this surreal, short-lived form of happiness,” Mercedes said in a press release.

She went on, “I think in this day and age, we’re addicted to a lot of things … social media being a very obvious example currently.”

Mercedes believes that rather than it being narcissism that acts as the driving force in our social media consumption, it’s the endorphins  that people are hooked on. Through memories, highlights, likes, and comments, it’s connection that folks crave, no matter how artificial it is.

“We yearn for acceptance, validation, popularity, community. Even more than that, we love to escape from our own, sad reality and create a version of ourselves that appears to the world how we wish to be seen,” she said.

The superficial reality, Mercedes said, is our own version of a pink cloud. Or could it be the drug that is used to escape from reality? The Matrix meets pop music as angles of alternative motivators are explored by Courage My Love.

The video swirls in and out of scenes of the group, amid laughter and delusion, all in a pink, cloudy haze. In an isolated prison of a hotel room balcony, Mercedes gazes upon the bottle of the made-up drug Infinitum with a love/hate ridden despair.

“A lot of us would prefer to be blissfully ignorant to the atrocities of the world we live in… Many companies and organizations recognize this, and prey on our weaknesses so they can profit from them in exchange for a welcome distraction from our lives.

“‘Slow Motion’ is meant to be a Courage My Love social commentary that reveals the true nature of how it feels to be alive in 2019 under the boot of major corporations, targeted ads, and algorithms,” Mercedes said.

Similar article: Facebook Makes Money on Hate Speech 

The new track is off the band’s upcoming 2020 EP, and from the music to the visual companion video, it is a real sibling collaboration. The track was produced by drummer and vocalist Phoenix in the band’s home studio, and Mercedes developed the concept and co-directed the video.

Phoenix, who came out as queer in 2014 on her Facebook page, doesn’t shy away from the use of ‘she’ pronouns in the song. Stating that she had been out to her friends and family for years, she was told by people in the music industry to keep it a secret as it may hinder the success of the band.

“I always tell everybody if they’re struggling with coming out, all you have to do is do it. Whatever happens, happens, but it’s off your chest, and you’re free to be who you are,” Phoenix said in an interview with Hope for the Day.

With genres of pop music slowly blurring the lines, young artists feel the wave of change through the industry. Taking a stand for political, social, or economic reasons in mainstream music is becoming more and more popular. Love is intricate, just as the fragile world we live in, and Courage My Love takes aim to touch on all of those points.