“Dis-Moi,” dir. by Amanda Macchia

A few months ago, we wrote about a new video from Maryze, a singer from Montreal, for “B.O.Y.,” one of the tracks off of her debut EP Like Moons (2019). Today, Maryze is back with another video for “Dis-Moi,” a collaboration with director Amanda Macchia, a visual artist based in Paris. Following “B.O.Y.” and “Soft,” this is the third track from Like Moons with an accompanying music video. While “Soft” – also directed by Macchia – depicted a a dreamy reclamation of femininity, “B.O.Y.” moved into a darker realm and focused on themes of witchcraft and occult ritual to depict the feeling of overcoming past trauma, especially the residual, lasting impact of sexual assault. 

Inspired by Italian Giallo films, the video for “Dis-Moi” follows in the footsteps of “B.O.Y.” in that regard, although the three videos together make for a compelling trilogy. To execute this video, Macchia filmed Maryze close-up under neon pink lighting, which gives an immediate sense of intimacy. Fans of classic horror movies will probably recognize some of the extra footage in the video, as the creators borrowed some clips from the films of Dario Argento, specifically Suspiria (1977) and Inferno (1980). 

The song itself is Maryze’s first with lyrics exclusively in French (although the video includes helpful English subtitles). The song itself is about that nerve-racking feeling of wanting to divulge the darker parts of your personality to another person and the trust issues that come hand-in-hand with doing so. “[It’s] about wanting to open up to the people we love about our demons, but worrying it will be too heavy for them.” Lyrics like, “If I told you / all that I keep inside / would it change the way you see me?” pick away at that insecure feeling and fear of being judged. The closeness of the camera in the video works really well with this theme, and in turn the interplay between the scenes from Argento’s films represent those “darkest secrets” that Maryze sings about. “Amanda picked up on the the eerie vibes of the song and brought a beautifully unsettling tone to the shots,” Maryze says in praise of the director. 

Keep an eye out for more material from Maryze in 2020, as she plans on releasing a full-length album and embarking on a European tour. Keep an eye out for American dates this Spring, Check out the video for “Dis-Moi” below, and stream Like Moons on Bandcamp and Spotify.