Conway is a force to be reckoned with this year (from being named "Artist of the Month" in our site to Rolling Stone’s Top 10 artists to Watch, Carson Daly, Life + Times, NYLON and so forth) catching everyone’s attention with no signs of stopping anytime soon. Her newest single, "Hustler," was directed by Zach Gold, who has shot videos for artists like 50 Cent, David Bowie and Drake. First off, this video is incredibly visualizing and embarks on a journey of a "hustler" – an aggressively enterprising person; a go getter. I decided to personally dissect this video into what I could make of it; Conway is a hustler herself. Cunning and smart, she personally edited and directed her video, "Big Talk", which now has over 400,00 views on You Tube.
In "Hustler", she takes on a few different personas and personalities on how to survive and achieve things in life. One was herself, the average girl who hustles her way through life being who she was born to be. The following shots include her sporting a suit with a type of nylon over her face acting as a mask, the next she’s smeared with black makeup all over her face to show the darker side of life, and then she’s dressed in Victorian-styled, white clothing like a queen. The queen, and the Egyptian style clothes she wears are symbols of power, a clear example of a hustler or someone who defines power. Feminism can be seen throughout this video as well – like I had said before, the queen will always hold power over most, along with the Egyptians, as they were the civilization that represented strength and influenced an entire global development. A softer side is also shown – she is holding a bunny stroking its fur and holding it close for safety and comfort. One thing to notice and pay close attention to is that while she is holding a bunny, she is dressed like the White Rabbit from the movie Alice in Wonderland. The White Rabbit is a stigma for youth: timid, feeling feeble or simply running out of time.
Taking an even closer look into the dynamics of the video, it’s like an acid trip scene from the film itself, and Conway is the main character. She embodies many characters from the film: she is the queen, the rabbit, Alice, the Cheshire Cat (from when she is in the classroom and hallways with a big black smile painted across her face), the mad hatter and the card soldiers. Take a look at the character list of the movie and compare it to the music video; they almost connect perfectly. If that is the case and I made the connection correctly, then that is one hell of a music video concept I tip my hat to Zach Gold.
Conway is a truly exceptional, charismatic, immense and impressive artist. Her newest EP, Big Talk, is currently streaming on her soundcloud page. Her tour with Ellie Goulding started March 12th at Madison Square Garden, and will end on the 25th of this month. Follow her, listen to her and become a fan, because she will only get more iconic from here. – Kayla Hay