Xylø Isn’t Your ‘Sweetheart’ Anymore in Retro Video
Xylø isn’t here to play nice anymore. On Tuesday, the singer premiered the music video for her single “Sweetheart” — her vibey, empowered single about seeing a past love and reminding them it’ll never be like it was — with Rolling Stone.
“You would drive and I would ride shotgun/But now it’s just me,” she sings. “I’ve become the only one behind the wheel, yeah.”
Xylø explains that she took a more low-key approach to the song’s retro video as she laced “archive-esque visuals” and homestyle takes. “I shot everything on 8mm and VHS and wanted it to represent the growth and freedom of someone post-breakup,” she tells Rolling Stone.
The release of the music video comes as the singer announces the release of her first full-length project Unamerican Beauty after releasing several EPs since her 2016 debut, America.
My debut album “unamerican beauty” is out June 10th. You can pre order now ? pic.twitter.com/zlqb0YODJ7
— XYLØ (@xylo) April 19, 2022
“Unamerican Beauty is about growing up in an ever-changing America and navigating the music industry as a young woman,” she explains. “From the suburbs to the city. The highs and the lows. I share my perspective on life living in the notorious ‘land of the free.’ “
“It’s for anyone who has deep pride in where they’re from but has been affected by the trepidation and realities of what that place represents,” she continues. “Or for anyone trying to figure out who they are.”
The “Setting Fires” singer worked on half of the record while staying in a cabin at Lake Arrowhead and the other in her apartment’s dining room. “I wanted to allow myself the time to experiment and not go into each song with the pressure that it needs to be written to stream well. Which was sort of my approach before. Because I needed to pay the bills,” she said. “I still need to pay the bills, by the way.”
“Sweetheart” follows the release of the single “Aliens” earlier this year. In 2020, she released the EP Outsiders Club, which included songs like “Alone” and “Chlorine,” and The Ganglands of My Heart.
