Earthquake, the new song and video by Magnus Riise, illustrates a steamy, tumultuous queer relationship.
It stars Barrett Foa, directed by award-winning choreographer, Monika Felice Smith, it opens on a gay couple that looks like they’ve got it all, but the story goes below the surface –literally.
Monika Felice Smith says,
Many humans can relate to being in toxic relationships and the inevitable cyclical nature of them. Magnus’ desire to capture moments of the relationship under the water really intrigued me.
I had never worked with bodies or cameras underwater until this video came along!
It was a beautiful challenge and one that makes me so happy to say that we accomplished so successfully.“
The multi-day shoot involved upwards of 8 hours under water for both artists, in order to achieve the video’s stunning climax.
Magnus’ co-star Barrett Foa says,
There was so much in this video that scared me: the choreography, the tight schedule, and most of all, the underwater element.
But I loved the idea of getting to portray a complex, evolving relationship arc in the heightened world of music video...
I think we ended up with something really striking and special.
Plus, the song’s a bop.”
Magnus worked on the song in collaboration with Jonathan Larson-winning songwriters Tim Rosser and Charlie Sohne and, from the beginning.
It was important that the song and video reflected his personal experience. Magnus says meaning of the song,
It took way too many painful experiences to realize that intoxicating and toxic go hand in hand. Too many times going back to the same wrong people.
I think as queer people have become more accepted, it’s left us more and more susceptible to the allure of relationships that check all the boxes of what we’re supposed to want— but really don’t have what we need.
‘Earthquake‘ is about the viscous circle of not being able to let go of people you know are not right for you, nor are you for them.…
