Considering how the world has changed over the past few weeks in response to the global pandemic, there’s something strangely comforting in Rainsford’s new music video for “2 Cents.” On the surface, the song is a conventional slice of enchanting dream pop, a track about how a lover “wasn’t everything I had projected them to be,” she tells HollywoodLife. Yet, paired with the visual that came to life with the help of director Dana Boulos, “2 Cents” becomes transcendent. The juxtaposition of the song to the visual mirrors the brilliant pairing of natural (the horse, the scenic landscapes) and the inorganic (the latex bodysuit, the bright red lipstick.) What Rainsford has presented is art, and in these harrowing times, art is exactly what we need.
“I’m very excited to finally be releasing my song “2 Cents” along with the music video,” Rainsford tells HollywoodLife. “It feels good to be creating something positive in this bizarre, scary time. And hopefully, the song and the video will provide a happy distraction for people.” Positive is precisely the way to describe “2 Cents.” The song is an up-tempo effervescent burst of warmth, and the video, with its hazy dream-filter, wide-open skies, and picturesque scenes, radiates an inscrutable joy. As it turns out, this was a video that was years in the making.
“Strangely enough,” Rainsford tells HollywoodLife, “both the lyrical content of the song and the music video concept are weirdly prophetic. I have been wanting to create a music video of me riding a horse through a beautiful landscape in a latex bodysuit for years now. I wasn’t thinking about germs or social distancing in the least when I fantasized about the idea, but it happens to be very much in line with the Zeitgeist of this moment.
“2 Cents” is autobiographical like most of my music,” adds Rainsford. “It’s about coming to the realization that the person I was in love with at the time wasn’t everything I had projected on them to be. Feeling like I had so much love to give, that I wasn’t getting in return, and I wasn’t being seen as an equal. – ‘Hard to speak up when I’m so private. Give me 2 cents like I asked for it.’ “
When not engaging in latex-based equestrian activities, Rainsford is building a buzz with her melodic, introspective take on electro-indie-pop. After breaking out in 2016 with “Too Close,” she continued her rise with her debut EP, Emotional Support Animal. She’s followed that with tracks “Somewhere Else,” “Passionate,” and “Open Open.” This new track, “2 Cents,” might indicate more is coming from Rainsford. The timing – releasing music during a global pandemic – might be odd, but perhaps the world finally got on her level?
“2 Cents” is out now.