Behind the Video: Adelide Shares the Creative Process Behind “Witness”

Adelide, an emerging NYC soul-pop sensation, has captivated audiences with her latest release, “Witness.” This track, a fusion of soul-pop and disco, offers a modern interpretation of the age-old story of temptation and forbidden love, drawing parallels to the Garden of Eden narrative.

“Witness” unfolds as a compelling reinterpretation of the age-old tale of temptation, reimagined as a modern queer romance fueled by synthesizers, disco balls, and desire. Adelide’s distinct vocals intertwine with pulsating rhythms and shimmering melodies, guiding listeners through a narrative that explores the complexities of passion and surrender. With its synth-driven take on ’80s funk and disco, “Witness” offers a fresh sonic experience that resonates with audiences across genres.

The accompanying music video, directed and produced by Margot Bennett, further delves into the song’s themes while taking viewers on a visually stunning journey through a modern-day Garden of Eden. With striking cinematography and choreography, the video elevates “Witness” to a multisensory experience that lingers long after the music fades. In our latest Behind the Video, We sat down to chat with the artist about the creative process behind the making of the video…

Who directed the video?

Adelide: “The ‘Witness’ video was directed by Margot Bennett. Margot also happens to be a great musician, and we met at a show we were both performing on right around the time I decided I wanted to make a video. It felt like fate when she mentioned that she was a director! The connection between the artist and the director is so important. I knew I was in very good hands immediately. Margot understood and respected my vision while expanding on it in a truly beautiful way.”

What’s the concept behind the video? Help us to understand the video’s concept in more detail and how it ties into the lyrics.

“‘Witness’ reimagines the story of the Garden of Eden as a modern, queer romance, exploring the consequences of seduction and desire. Margot and I came up with the idea of preparing for a date with ‘Eve’ where I’m getting ready for a romantic encounter with a person who I know is bad for me, but I ignore the red flags because the attraction is overpowering. I’m faced with a variety of temptations while getting ready for a romantic evening, foraging for ingredients, and putting together an intricate dinner among other things.

“We wanted each scene to move through a series of striking colour palettes, with a few homages here and there to famous 20th-century paintings. And, of course, it wouldn’t be a Garden of Eden story without a snake (her name is Junie, and she’s a star!) and the fruit of temptation. In this case, we used a pear as a sexy, feminine alternative to the Biblical apple.”

Where was it made?

“We filmed at a studio in Williamsburg with a team of eight very dedicated professionals. We started the day pretty early outside on a public racquetball court to make sure we secured the space before any early-riser sports fans. Of course, it started to rain before we finished that portion of the shoot. Luckily, we captured enough footage, and the overcast lighting actually worked out great! Then we moved indoors and finished the rest of the shoot, swapping out sets in between shots all in one relatively tiny room.”

What was your favourite part behind the creation of the video?

“My favourite part of making the video was really becoming Adelide for the first time. When I go to work at my day job or shop at the grocery store, I’m Kayla. I’m a nerd from Florida who went to jazz school and loves video games and cats. When I perform or do photo or video shoots, I become a much cooler, louder, prouder, hotter version of myself. Sure, I’ve done photo shoots and shows before where I channel her essence, but for this video, I had to really get into character in a much deeper way.

“Adelide will strip down to nothing but underwear and nipple pasties in a room full of strangers. Adelide is passionate and driven. And Adelide doesn’t give a shit about what anybody thinks of her. She’s an elevated version of myself, one that I’m striving to be more like every day. So I loved the opportunity to fully live as Adelide for a day. It even inspired me to start integrating more of my two personas together. I wear an Adelide necklace often as a reminder of how badass I am capable of being.”

Behind the scenes of “Witness” music video

Based on how this one was made, are you looking forward to doing another?

“Absolutely! I’m actually in the process of editing a video for the next single that’s drastically different: homemade, lo-fi, self-directed, super low-budget, and all shot on a Japanese toy camera. I feel like I’m just beginning to discover all of the different ways I can convey a story visually. I can’t wait to see where this takes me.”

What music video director would you say is your favourite?

“These days, I’m absolutely obsessed with basically all of Iyla’s videos. My favourite ones are directed by Patrick ‘Embryo’ Tapu. I absolutely love the use of colour, framing, wardrobe, the spatial illusions, all of it. We were definitely inspired by a lot of Embryo’s work for this one!”

Was there anything during the making of this music video that happened unexpectedly, or you were surprised to learn?

“There’s this pool scene where I’m basically entirely submerged in water except for my face. We bought a kiddie pool, and when the time came to fill it up with the hose, we realized there was no hot water. Not even warm water. Only cold water. Very, very cold water. Like, 50 degree water. That I would have to dunk my entire body into.

“I wasn’t happy about it, but there was never a moment where I thought about nixing the shot. I knew it was going to be so beautiful and after giving myself a little pep talk I just sucked it up and got in. Luckily, I was only submerged for three or so minutes. But if you look really closely I bet you can see my teeth chattering.

“I also forgot to pack a towel, so I had to dry myself off with someone’s flannel. No matter how much you think you’re prepared, there’s always that one thing you’ll forget. Needless to say, I wasn’t thrilled at the moment. But looking back I’m so happy we got the shot – totally worth it!”

Behind the scenes of “Witness” music video

How does the music inform the video in terms of visuals matching sound?

“This is actually an interesting question because in my mind, I was thinking of this very surrealist, stoic, statuesque vibe for the video which completely contrasts the bouncy, funky vibe of the song. So to account for this, Margot came up with really cool subtle ways to add motion that still felt authentic to my original idea. It’s a song that a full-out dance music video would probably work well for, but that just didn’t feel right to me. I really love how we managed to meet in the middle of two very different directions.”

How much more effective or beneficial is creating a music video now compared to 20 or 30 years ago?

“To be totally honest, I don’t entirely understand the importance of music videos these days. Back in the ’90s, early 2000s with MTV, music videos made sense. Everybody was watching them. You would discover tons of new music that way. These days, my impression is that music videos need to be sought out a bit more, especially for smaller, indie artists. Glossy clips of videos don’t typically perform well on social media for us smaller artists, so it’s not like we can use videos to build a new audience anymore.

“However, I do find a lot of value in having the product ready for people who do seek it out or somehow come across it. I see music videos as a way to convey artistic aesthetic and creative vision in a way that goes a bit deeper than just songs and photographs. When you see my video, you get a much deeper glimpse into who Adelide is. I don’t believe that music videos are a way to launch a career or anything like that. But they are a really nice supplement to have in your artistic portfolio.”

Are the benefits worth the costs and effort involved?

“Well I guess we’ll find out, won’t we? With this music video and really any video, I’m just aiming to find a different way to connect with people by adding in a visual element rather than just a sonic one. So if I can do that with this video then I’d say yes, it’s worth it! And it’s not like it’ll expire; I have this video forever as something I’ll look back on and be proud of.”

Behind the scenes of “Witness” music video

Is a well-made DIY video just as good or beneficial as a professionally made/directed video?

“I think so! As long as the video and the music connect with each other, I don’t think DIY vs. professional matters at all. While we went all out for ‘Witness,’ I don’t think that’s the best option for every musician or song. For this particular track, a really glossy, high-quality video just made sense. The song itself is super meta, really produced, fun, funky, and colourful. I don’t know if a DIY video would’ve made sense, and I’m not sure I could have captured the essence of the song without every person on the team and without the budget that we had.

“However, for the next single, we went entirely DIY and I think for that song it absolutely works. I wouldn’t want to throw down a crazy budget for a song that I don’t think needs a super hi-fi visual.”

In terms of the crew on the video, who did it include? And how did you put together the team?

“Margot Bennett (director/producer) put together the most unbelievable combination of people I could have ever asked for. Her team consisted of Eurica Yu (cinematography), Rochelle Voyles (art direction), Jeanne Torres (hair/makeup), Joshua Sturm (lighting), Romi Hanoch (editing), Ryan Berger (colourist), and Omer Berger (production assistant). I brought in my friend Katarina Smith, who also happens to be an amazing dancer, to be the love interest and choreographer for the project, as well as Bobby Lane as a second Production Assistant. Dream team!”