Nova Scotia folk-turned-pop darling Gabrielle Papillon will be releasing her latest album, Shout, in a month’s time, but has treated us to a sneak peek in the form of “Shout It Out,” an art-pop call to arms for the folx who are sick of the boxes they’re being shoved into.
The music video, directed by Teryl Brouillette, features a brightly-coloured Papillon alongside an equally-vibrant cast of non-conformists. Together, they give a high-energy, unapologetic middle finger to the societal norms that have restricted their souls for so long.
“It starts in solitude, with the mind, battling those inner demons,” says Papillon. “It ends with resolve, with friendship, with acceptance, and fierce, fierce willingness to look life in the face.”
There’s a bubbly gentleness to the beat of this track, produced Corey LeRue (formerly of Neon Dreams), which, at a glance, clashes with the queer spirit of annihilating the patriarchy, of which the track appears to urge. And yet, there’s another beauty in finding light and truth within yourself in spite of the weight upon our backs.
One of the most memorable parts of the video is its soapbox metaphor, as we see a member of Papillon’s colourful entourage stare quizzically at, sit in, shrug at, and destroy a soapbox, in that order. We take this to mean that, while the track challenges political and societal norms, the fact that one’s very existence is viewed as something political is an issue all its own.
According to Papillon, we can expect the album to follow a similar sort of flair.
“Though Shout comes from deep within, it is ultimately a record for others. A rally cry for all who embark on the daily struggle to live life as they want, to be loved for who they are, to share their true, uninhibited selves.”
“I made this record to share with the ones who are itching to bust out of their shells, of the boxes other people have fitted for them,” she says. “For the awkward dancers, and the crowd-averse. For everyone who ever does anything brave even when it is hard.”