Class 14 Alumni Jade Million steps out of her comfort zone in the visuals for her latest single HEAL
HEAL > Appeal
Nashville Unsigned loves us some branding. We love living a bit edgier than most music magazines you may run into. So when Jade Million came across our radar you know we couldn’t resist. Jade pushes the boundaries not only in the studio with her craft, but also the boundaries of the (as we now call them) Al Gore’s Rhythm possibly Shadow Banning her for her, you could say,… more colorful photo sets like the one below. That’s to say though she knows who she is. She’s confident in who she is and she’s not afraid to express herself in her music or her socials like you see below.
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The sexy glam she usually serves up has become the edgy calling card we know. Even edgier on her Only Fans. But edgy isn’t why we’re here today to talk about.From her music, visuals, social feeds and live shows that’s the Jade Million that we’ve become accustomed to, and is one of the defining reasons she joined us on the Red Couch for Class 14. Branding is key, whatever that branding is. Although, in her latest song and video for HEAL, she stepped out of that lane. She got out of her comfort zone for this video as she “wanted to showcase a deeper side of [her]self“. For her going into this video it was “less about the sexy glam I usually serve, and more about acting out the story” and with that approach thus “[gave] the song even more meaning“.
Audio HEAL-ing
Before we touch on the video, lets take a second to talk about the song itself. Get a full spectrum of Jade’s diversion with this single. She’s well known for the kind of sexy bangers she puts out to. Just check her last song Through from last fall. Rap influenced productions laced with the smooth, airy & sexy R&B vocals she’s known for. In this record that’s not the case.
HEAL opens up to a deep acoustic guitar melody. The first time I heard it I honestly gave me a nostalgic 90s/Early 2k rock band or something Yelawolf would be working with, and had to make sure I was listening to a JM track. Few seconds after my nostalgia fades Jade enters with a somber, airy tone while the muted drums and atmospheric background vocals set a tone for a record the likes we haven’t heard from her. After a build up for 1:40, the drum beat switches up & some trap hi-hats kick in giving a new energy to the song. Productions aren’t everything that makes a song. Through the lyrics Jade take us through a story familiar to many of us. Including me. The song speaks on trying to battle, heal, and overcoming addiction. The overcoming becomes clear as you get to the bridge around the 2:27 mark “No, the liquor don’t work no more; Just makes me feel worse than before”.
Visual HEAL-ing
Now to the video. Any good storyteller doesn’t need a book filled with photos or a music video to tell a story. They utilize words and structure to get you to visualize what it is there saying. Lost. Well, let me clarify with an example:
It was a dark night. Both ears covered by my headphones listening to music causing me to be more aware of my surroundings. The mist in the air felt even colder as the crisp wind blows across my face. The street light above flickering as I wait for the bus to come to a complete stop.
I have zero photos of whatever it is my brain just typed at 1AM, but I guarantee you were able to visualize that scene anyway. That’s what I’m talking about. In this case Jade got into her storyteller bag and took us through a story using her songwriting. That doesn’t mean a visual representation won’t also get the job done.
Carrying Baggage
HEAL‘s music video, opens up to old video reel countdown clips before it transitions to a ground shot of an old car before cutting to a scene filled with fire. We don’t know what any of this is or means yet… As the song begins in its dark, somber guitar melody the video opens with Jade inside a green lit white tile room surrounded by potted plants. Symbolizing the confinement of substance use that is the theme of the song. The visuals cut back and forth to an old suitcase on a bed.
As Jade looks in the mirror, staring at the briefcase now on the floor & her reflection, a look of internal struggle is written over her face. Jade looks down at the briefcase as she recites “drowning in bottles I don’t know why, taking these drugs so I can fly, like I used to”. We never see what is in the suitcase but this gives us a clue as to the baggage she is literally carrying around in there. She grabs it and leaves what appears to be a motel room. She walks down the dark street until she comes across an old drop top car, tosses the suitcase in, and makes her way…
Burn After Viewing
The airy atmospheric part of the song flips now as she turn on the car to drive away. As she drives the streets we’re left to wonder if she is leaving behind her addictions or driving toward them. She pulls up outside an old Liquor store with the neon lights drawing an addict in like a moth to the flame. As the video cuts between scenes you can see the struggle to fight the urge to give in. She ultimately puts the car in drive and leaves.
Afterwards, Jade heads to an old cabin. Out back she laces wood with gasoline and lights it. As she stands above the fire with the suitcase she has carried throughout the video, she throws it in representing “a symbolism of getting rid of the baggage” she had held onto the whole time. The addiction. Now we are back to the opening scene of fire we we’re given a slight taste of in the beginning.
Exclusive: Behind The Shoot
We love getting the BTS goodies you may not get anywhere else. Think of it like we have the MSCHF Drops of music news. Especially when it comes ot Alumni. So it’s only right that as we got the article typed up I reached out to Jade to see what interesting details she could share with us about this video. Here’s what we got!
The Look:
– Jade knew going into the video process that she was moving away from her usual look. When she told the director what she was looking for for the look/idea of the video, they had just bought a Suit & also had an old suitcase. It lined up perfectly & no goodwill shopping needed!
The Location:
– The night they filmed HEAL it was roughly 30 degrees outside. They also filmed until about 5am.
– “The last shot was filmed in the back yard of the CREEPIEST most random cabin in the woods and when we pulled up I actually felt like I was in that horror movie. At one point when we wrapped the team was cleaning up I started panicking cause they weren’t answering me when I yelled for them… genuinely thought it was a scary movie set up for a second” …… Honestly would not want to be out there in the dark at 5am either. Creeeeepy!
The Car
– The old car you see in the video is actually owned by a friend of Nashville Unsigned. He is a well know show producer in town Joe Copeland aka JoCo. They ended up with his car after she put out a post asking if anyone knew where she could procure an old car for a bit.
– Although fun fact about the car, the top doesn’t go back up. So the boys [film crew] had to drive it back 40 miles into town with no roof in freezing temps.
Rice’s Reaction
Interlude
For every in-depth article I do on a song, video, whatever I always have a little personal piece I toss in at the bottom. We know how the industry goes usually. A PR team sends over a pre-written piece. The “Journalist” watches it once to add in a little flair of their own. Article done. Article Posted.
Well for me I truly love this and I like adding in a little bit more to my plate to actually share my thoughts. Maybe someone will care to read this far. Who knows. See, above is more a Walkthrough of sorts. Like going to IGN to figure out what’s going on in the game you’re playing. I hear the song. Watch the video. Then subsequently walk you through it so you have a clearer picture. That’s my job. Although here. Here I get to just talk… well type, from a personal view.
My Thoughts
I grew up with an alcoholic father & an older brother fighting his own addictions. Watched friends and family fight their battles. Most won. Some lost in one way or another. I’ve been in Nashville since 2015 & I believe I first came across Jade’s music in 2018 when I was relatively fresh with the Nashville Unsigned team. I’ve been friends with the fellas in The Love Elektrik (Class 4) prior to my NU days and when their album Underneath dropped she was on the track Physical. That led me to Pheromones & Paper Planes from her. Now here we are today.
Like I said at the top of the article. This production caught me off guard. Like when I think of Linkin Park I think of Hybrid Theory not LIVING THINGS. Now I don’t get caught up in that thinking where artists can’t grow or showcase their wider ability when it comes time. In this case what we’re all used to as fans and journalists is the smokey, sexy, lingerie filled visuals from a video like Fade Out. Or the tank tops, chains, and black dresses in Through. That Sexy Glam as Jade puts it. This on the other hand, well was the other hand.
The Other Side
I can really respect Jade’s approach to this one from a music standpoint and from a visual one. Like if she bats right handed normally, she through the defense off coming up to the plate on the other side. The guitar melody. The atmospheric tone with lyrics painting a picture with every word. A video with a deeper meaning and a storyboard well thought through by her and her whole team. Storyboarding is one of my biggest pet-peeves in music.
I’ve worked with artists for years. Pointing out the flaws in their videos, sometimes saving them from some REALLY bad filming choices/edits. I notice things. Meaning I also can notice when it’s well thought out. Even the edits to the suitcase in the immediate frame. The looks of struggle looking at ones self after looking at the suitcase. These were so subtle, but give away the fact that suitcase hold something she is fighting against but that will play a kay role in the rest of the video.
Shoutouts
The video for HEAL is great! I want to give a direct S/O to Jade for believing in the work you do. As you told me for this one, stepping out of your comfort zone to make it happen. I know that isn’t an easy thing to do. To let go of what you know is a formula that works in order to do something different in the studio and on camera. There were still some elements that gave us a peak into the Jade sound and look, but it was nice to see you push your own artist boundaries to tell this story this way. I know you said you got more bangers coming this summer, but definitely would love to see another single or like an EP that falls into this sound a bit. I think this is a lane you can merge in-and-out of very well now that you’ve done it once.
As well want to give a shout out to the film crew: Hunter Thompson (Videographer), Jordan Altergott & Ethan Lien (Directors). Like I said, for me details matter and I feel like from the Directing, Filming, and Pot-Pro Edits you guys did a great job on this. Including the crazy filming in the cold that late and driving back in the convertible all to get the best shots. That’s legit. That’s some work-ethic type s**t I’d be on so big ups to you guys for killing it.
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