When we last caught up with Liz Bills, the Massachusetts singer-songwriter was strung out on technology via her wondrous single “Wi-Hi.” But as we continue to increase our daily screen time as a means to cope with the state of the world and the seemingly never-ending pandemic, it’s only fitting that the highly addictive new track about mental health and our inability to disconnect is now served with a music video that pleases our eyes as much as the song pleases our ears.
Back in September we described “Wi-Hi” as a brash fit of personal paranoia and confusion set against a wildly contagious, ultra-catchy genre-defying pop song that’s not unlike a lot of our online personas: Vividly colorful at first glance but holding onto some darker demons under the surface. And the visual now follows suit in grand fashion, as Bills takes us out on a journey through different personas, emotions, and states of mind. And there’s a lot under that smile and makeup as her party dress is slowly stripped away to reveal the stress and fear a lot of us carry inside.
“‘Wi-Hi’ is a song about my feelings of disconnect and mounting anxiety in regards to social media,” Bills says, adding: “The makeup, the fancy hair, the sparkly dress and even the mask are all metaphors for how social media disconnects, distracts, overwhelms and represses me. When I take it all off it represents a desperate attempt to free myself from the shackles of social media addiction.”
The “Wi-Hi” video features photography and videography by Deepak Bardhan and video editing from Alissa Wyle of Holy Smokes Photography. The track will be featured on Bills’ sophomore studio album, scheduled for a summer release — when hopefully we’re all able to venture back out into the world to witness life through our own eyes and not solely through a screen. Log on with “Wi-Hi” below.