The video for Helen Corry’s anthemic new single ‘La femme’ is premiering now on the award-winning blog Villainesse.
‘La femme’ conveys a powerful message and acts as a call to the women of the world, who are fighting to be heard, to keep fighting.
“Just before I wrote ‘La femme’, I’d been catching up with some friends - all women in creative industries. We all noted at the time that we felt like there was a shift happening - we were beginning to see more women in positions of influence, and how that led to women in these positions hiring women into more positions,” explains Corry.
“I was really inspired by that chat. A few months later, the #metoo and #timesup movement was massive news. I’d already written ‘La femme’ and tweaked a few of the lyrics to make it more specific to the conversation we are currently having around female equity and sexual harassment.”
The song with its poignant lyrics, driving beat and empowering chorus, struck a chord and was added immediately to New Zealand’s number one tastemaker station George FM.
Now, Corry follows it up with the release of an exquisitely shot video that reinforces ‘La femme’’s message. Corry’s vision was to portray a liberated woman - strong and powerful.
“I wanted to focus on the female figure but to do that without sexualising it. The song is about the expectations and pressures society put on us as females and visually, I wanted to show the peeling away of those expectations.”
A raw and emotive video, Corry acknowledges there are scenes some people may find challenging and uncomfortable, but that’s the message - It is uncomfortable. It does happen. It’s not ok.”
The video was directed by Corry and created by an all-female crew, and features Kiwi dancer Hannah Tasker-Poland.
Other thanks go to a cast of talented women all leading the way in their respective fields - producer Fenella Stratton, editor Monax Sonei; Zaza Arere and Frith Locke-Bonney on camera and lighting, Lara Hawker and Ashlee Kellet on body paint and hair and make-up, with jewellery supplied by Cathy Pope.
Corry is no stranger to the New Zealand music scene, having featured on countless chart-topping tunes, such as Jetski Safari’s ‘Like A Lie’ and Jupiter Project’s ‘With You’.
She’s also a force to be reckoned with in her own right, with her first solo single ‘Strike’, which was released in October 2017 and a #1 hit on George FM’s chart.
Corry has also maintained a constant presence on the live circuit, performing at New Zealand’s biggest festivals and events, from Rhythm N’ Vines and Homegrown, to Synthony and Deep Hard ‘N’ Funky.