Growing up as a high school kid immersed in the world of pop culture circa the late ’90s/early ’00s was thrilling, and occasionally, all kinds of bizarre. But according to Maddie Ross’ delightful “Liv Tyler” visual, it would’ve been a lot cooler if it was much more inclusive.
The clip reimagines moments in ’00s TV and movies, ranging from She’s All That to Coke commercials, with a seriously diverse slant, specifically toward LGQTB youth.
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“The concept for the video came from director Zach Siegel,” Ross explained. “He and I met up to discuss the song, and we ended up sharing intimate details about each of our coming-out experiences, the internalized homophobia we had to overcome, and the way media influenced these perceptions by telling us we weren’t normal. The lyrics to ‘Liv Tyler’ depict a girl fantasizing about being the girl from the movies, but also struggling to see herself in them. The video is 2000s popular media reincarnated in the body of late-2010s inclusivity.”
Ross and Siegel achieve their vision beautifully, with an eye for details and an infectious, giddy energy that permeates the high-energy track. With radio-ready production values that mirror bubblegum pop rock, “Liv Tyler” does the titular actress—not to mention her Empire Records character, Corey Mason—proud. Check out “Liv Tyler” below.
The track comes from Ross’ forthcoming debut full-length, Never Have I Ever, out May 10 on Sentimental Records.
