Listen Live!
After a string of singles in 2020, including the explicit version of their 2007 classic “Potential Breakup Song,” Aly & AJ came into 2021 ready to deliver. And you know what? They did.
Their most recent release titled “Listen!!!” came out on January 15, with a music video out on the 29th. I saw the video for the first time at the in2une Campus Campfire a few days before the official release, and was blown away at the imagery. This video, in a time of what seems to be never ending dread, feels like a breath of fresh air. It was filmed while AJ was moving — and while filming the video during that process was more likely circumstantial than contrived, that sense of transition and embracing change is still heavily laced throughout the entire track.
The video, tinted with shades of blue, is beautifully shot and styled. What I appreciate about Aly & AJ is their hands on attention to detail. Aly is credited with the styling and her husband is the cinematographer. A lot of the personal touches could be products of the pandemic, the inability to have a lot of hands on deck, but it’s undeniable that the close knitted-ness makes it cohesive and intimate.
At the Campus Campfire, the sisters mentioned that the music video is a celebration of womanhood. There are visual representations of this through the video, the cutaways to flowers blooming and women dancing, but also in the lyrics, “I tried to empathize//Still, you’re so dismissive//Night after night//I express what I feared from the start.” This track speaks to something non-men everywhere intimately know the feeling of: the constant exhaustion of trying to talk to someone when they just aren’t hearing you.
Between a stunning video, dance-worthy instrumentals, and a close look at emotional frustration, “Listen!!!” is a promising preview into the future of Aly & AJ’s creative journey.
By Danielle Ciampaglia
