kenzie leans into full vulnerability in the music video for “sophie,” one of the tracks off her new EP notes from the in between. This video comes as part of a release which represents the struggle she went through during the transition from youth to womanhood.
At only 21 years old, kenzie is known for being an artist whose music has always leaned into emotionally authenticity. “sophie” only amplifies this concept. The song and the video, much like the EP they belong to, represent the struggle of finding herself lost between clarity and confusion.
This is conveyed by the video’s minimalist visual style and its use of muted colors and close-up shots to create a sense of ambiguity and unrest. Every image seems to be filled with longing and confusion, mirroring the struggles of trying to make peace with something that was once clear.
The song itself comfortably fits into kenzie’s trademark left-of-center pop aesthetic: restrained, moody, and unexpectedly gentle. It is a vocalist-led song, with each lyric conveying vulnerability. Similarly, the video emphasizes subtlety through facial expressions and other techniques, creating an emotional connection through understatement rather than overtly flashy imagery. The power of small gestures becomes clear throughout the video, such as a look, the pause before the next move, and the camera holding just a little too long on certain shots. kenzie shares more about the project:
“When I was younger, I’d go into songwriting sessions and feel like my opinions didn’t matter, even though I was the artist, but at the same time I was also writing songs alone in my bedroom, and it felt so therapeutic to get my feelings out. Finally, I decided I wanted to start putting out music I’d written myself—I had a feeling that people could relate to what I was talking about in my songs, and maybe it would help them in some way.”
With notes from the in between, kenzie is not attempting to give any answers. In fact, she is simply recording the experience of dealing with the unknown. The “sophie” music video is an excellent example of how she is able to convey her strengths in storytelling and visual art while leaving questions open-ended.
