Alex Lilly does not want to be your porno star.
The LA-based Renaissance woman certainly doesn’t have the time for any male nonsense. When she’s not touring as part of the backing bands for such artists as Beck and Lorde, Lilly is busy crafting sparkly and smart pop gems that are as spiky as they are sweet.
Case in point: the acerbic synth-wave anthem “Pornographic Mind.” It’s Lilly’s exasperated ode to workplace harassment, a darkly comic tale that’s far too relatable.
“The song is a true story for me and many people,” she explains regarding the deceptively bubbly song’s origins. “I found my particular circumstances amusing and felt kind of sorry for this curelessly horny guy. Musically I find this song exhausting but I think that represents the feeling behind the story.”
The song now comes with an eye-catching music video directed by Inara George of The Bird and the Bee. George is also behind Lilly’s label, Release Me Records.
The clip finds Lilly working at a small living room startup, where a particular co-worker pays her a little too much attention. When she finally confronts the offender, the singer literally crawls inside his “Pornographic Mind.” Needless to say, the video takes a most interesting turn. Watch it below.
“Pornographic Mind” is the latest single from Lilly’s new full-length album, 2% Milk, which is packed with deliciously dreamy pop-positivity that recalls influences Kate Bush and XTC, with unexpected nods to mid-’80s Trevor Horn production (see album opener “Confucius Says”) and “Borderline”-era Madonna. In a landscape littered with overwrought pop stylists banking on social media currency, Alex Lilly is the genuine article.
“I just want to understand what makes a song tick and I love the analytical devices we use to get there,” Lilly revealed about her process and unyielding love of the math behind the melodies. “We intuitively know something feels good, feels tight and feels ‘right.’ It’s so satisfying to figure it out and have that feeling confirmed by music theory. It makes music more magical, not less.”
