Video Premiere – Corinne Sharlet “They Were Mine”
Now is truly a unique time filled with beautiful gloom—and songwriter Corinne Sharlet’s newest video “They Were Mine” captures a raw rendition of the glazed dreamworld that seems swirled together with a new reality. Based on one of her own dreams, Sharlet and director Devin Jane Febbroiriello of Desert Island Studios play in a space between time, utilizing symbols of old Hollywood starlets mixed with a hypnotic wave of uneasiness and curiosity.
The song itself rings classic—a dark Western lullaby with lilting vocals that float out into the ether. While the composition brings forth visions of a romantic desert scene, the lyrics ring out a narrative of somber horror—“You couldn’t see what I saw inside/ Struck terrified/ Wanted to run away/ Then I realized they were mine/ My own two eyes.“ A delicate track, this personal love story showcases the multifaceted nature of self by touching on the complexity of internal turmoil.
As Sharlet sits solitary in front of a bright, charmingly Hollywood-esque bulbed mirror, she appears at odds with herself. In a moment of glamour and beauty, she recognizes something shadow like at play—which appears in the form of backup dancers donned in black cloth. Febbroriello comments, “Overall I wanted to create a sort of multi layered performance reality in which the character is ultimately confronted with herself and her inner world even while she is ‘putting on a show.’”
Utilizing moody lighting and an abstract “nowhere” space, the Hitchcock/Lynchian inspiration comes through with subtle use of color and imagery—black and white spirals and dots, and a “Blue Velvet” moment in front of an old nightclub microphone—all elements of a classic dreamland blending elegantly together with Sharlet’s melancholic sound.
Sharlet’s debut album, “A Lovely Future”, premiered September 21.
