Miles Francis’ latest album Good Man has been out in the world for a few months at this point, and now the New York–based songwriter is teasing a short film of the same name which compiles all seven music videos with additional scenes to take listeners deeper into their concepts for the album. The latest and concluding chapter from the project arrives today in the form of a music video for Francis’ operatic album closer “Don’t Fight Anymore,” which pairs swelling instrumentals (and one last full-throated wail from Francis) with conclusive thoughts on male self-realization.
“All men should be in therapy, and ‘Don’t Fight Anymore’ is a character study that shows why,” Francis explains. “In patriarchal and capitalist societies, being in touch with yourself is not in the rulebook—these systems rely on everyone, not only men, to plow forward and block access to our emotions in favor of efficiency and unrelenting steadiness. Good Man follows someone trying desperately to plow forward, culminating in ‘Don't Fight Anymore’—the breaking point. A man who has been running from true confrontation with his heart, body, and truth for so long that he has no choice but to turn and face himself.”
For the Charles Billot–directed visual, Francis is seen precariously balancing on a house-of-cards-esque structure composed of chairs (there’s surely some symbolism there) with a series of additional surreal images floating through. “That tension is coupled with a final confrontation with the ‘Silverman’—a character I created to represent the masculinity standard and societal pressure in general—and a slow dance between my mother, Kathy, and father, Leif (who appear throughout the music videos and on the album cover),” Francis adds. “At the end of the video, like how I feel at the end of releasing the album, all that is left is just me—in a vulnerable and naked, hopeful and empowered place.”
Watch the clip below.
