The Artist Explains: LAILANA - 'Paper Chasin'
London-based Lebanese/Filipino singer-songwriter LAILANA talks to us about the creative process behind her empowering single and slime-filled music video, ‘Paper Chasin’.
Where was the video for 'Paper Chasin'' filmed?
The music video was filmed in a storage warehouse in London with no heating, in a small inflatable pool which I spray painted black. I wanted to be in a tight space where my movement was constricted, hence the pool. This is also why I chose to use a thick red slime instead of water! The warehouse was my director, Ollie Paxton’s touch, it just fit perfectly with the whole concept.
How does the video connect with the song?
When I was writing the song, I felt like I was breathing for the first time, it was like I was breaking away from constraints, that's why the video was filmed in a small space (inflatable pool) filled with a thick heavy red slime, with my movement constrained and ankles in shackles. As the song progresses, the battle with my inner demons (that stop me from living the life I want to lead) plays out and I win at the end. In the video, there are two arms weighing me down which represent said inner demons. Just like the lyrics suggest “Fiiiiight all of your demons” - I am constantly fighting with them, they control my emotions, they dress me in a blazer and force me into the corporate world, handing me reports and work to do - this relates to my struggle with the corporate world.
Do you have any behind the scenes stories you could share with us?
Oh boy... too many. I really underestimated how cold and thick the slime would be. Thankfully we had a kettle that we could keep refilling the pool with, I savoured those 5 minutes of heat like no tomorrow!!! Very grateful to my team for riding with me for those 12 hours... the question "Kettle?" became God-sent. Because this was filmed during lockdown, we had to keep the team to a minimum and stick to social distancing guidelines so we only had a team of 4; Ollie on the camera, directing, Joe Siddle as Ollie’s assistant and my ma + lil’ sis as set assistants (they were the pair of arms you see in the video!)
Can you tell us about the ideas/themes/imagery used?
Throughout the video you see a human heart, which symbolises my love and passions in life, but it keeps swimming away from me until towards the end of the video when the pool has already been filled with these props that the inner demons kept throwing into the pool. It’s then that I look for the heart and finally grab it and squeeze it open. As it bleeds, it reveals the key that unlocks the shackles and frees me. Throughout the video, I am trying to escape the slime and the two pairs of arms, in order to grab the microphone hanging above me which represents my dream of pursuing my passion for singing.
Is there a message the video is trying to convey?
I wrote this song straight out of university, it came to a point where I was so unhappy in a corporate 9-5 job where I felt the life being sucked out of me… this not only had a direct effect on my creativity and music, but my overall mental health. This song is a big "FUCK YOU" to what's programmed into us by societal standards and a message to fight for what brings us happiness and purpose and that life isn't about chasing money. It's also about trusting the process and having the patience to get to where you want to be, and that it's okay to have bad days. It's a reminder that we are all human and have our own demons to fight, but we must conquer them in order to achieve happiness.
Interview by Karla Harris