Meg Myers is getting raw and honest with her recently released track “Numb”. The Nashville based alternative singer spoke with NPR about the inspiration behind “Numb”; sharing that in conjunction with director Clara Aranovich, she wanted to give a viscerally uncomfortable experience of what it’s like to be female at times. The track is the first single from upcoming album Take Me To The Disco, which is Meg’s second album, releasing 20th July via 300 Entertainment.
“Numb” attracted our attention from the track’s introduction with its dreamy riff and beckoning piano melody. The somber heaviness and feeling of ongoing waves of motion are both fittingly relevant to the visual of seeing Meg in the bland setting of an office. Subtle at first is the role of others in this scene: A hair is tucked behind an ear by another person’s hand. It’s an odd adjustment to a forward facing inexpressive Meg.
Progressively the adjustments and touches get more intrusive. Her body is physically moved by someone else; arms adjusted as though she is a puppet, while she remains unmoving and stares straight ahead. As she escapes the office setting and we’re taken into the intimate space of her home, the intrusion occurs again. Hands paw at her, with her non-reactive self copping the breach of personal space; something she has had to become numb to in order to cope with it.
“I hate the feeling of this weight upon my shoulders
Pushing the pressure down on me
You think you want the best for me
but nothing really matters”
Meg shared with NPR that “Numb” is fueled by her exasperation with her former record label. She says they were “looking for something out of me that just didn’t feel right for many reasons. I was frustrated and it came through in this song.” Beyond just feeling this relating to her professional situation, she learned that it was in fact something that she’d experienced for her whole life, and she opted to look within and confront it, with the video being a visual take of her inner experience. Meg refers to it as a “healing and cathartic experience” that made her a better artist, as well as shares that it’s just the beginning for this very real unearthing of inner truths.
The push-back in frustration via “Numb” has a satisfying climax and I loved every minute of this track and its video. Watch “Numb” below. We’ve also added the track to our Spotify playlist: The Depth List: 2018.
Meg Myers photo credit: Brantley Gutierrez
