Roger Daltrey, who? There’s a brand new “Tommy” in town, and RALPH’s song will get you dancing, no matter what your name is. The song – with a disco beat and a Controversy-era Prince guitar lick that curls around your ear and never lets go – arrives with a video that carries itself like Versailles by way of TikTok. There are jealousy-inducing fashions, wigs styled to the ceiling and back, and romance so vibrant, it’ll make even the most jaded heart believe in love again.
While “Tommy” shares its name with The Who’s second-best rock opera, it was a pair of other timeless music icons that helped midwife this track. “Lyrically ‘Tommy’ was inspired by my love for songs with name choruses,” RALPH shares with HollywoodLife. ” ‘Jolene’ by Dolly Parton and ‘Rhiannon’ by Fleetwood Mac, for instance. I’ve always wanted one of my own. The video concept was an idea I dreamed up a year and a half ago with Renee Rodenkirchen and my hairstylist/friend Justin Rousseau – I told them I had this music video vision of Marie Antoinette on the back of a motorcycle during sunset. We had to ditch the bikes because of the snow but kept the idea of old meets new in the styling, hair and makeup, by combining traditional pieces with modern twists – like 17th-century gowns with UGGS, neon eyeliner, and towering coloured wigs.”
“Tommy” arrives along with news that RALPH will be releasing a new EP, GRADIENCE. The project will see the Toronto native return to the glam ’70s and ‘80s-inspired sound of her 2017 self-titled debut. “This EP, we really wanted to hit all my goals,” RALPH said in a statement. One of those goals is delivering a personal connection to the audience with her music. Considering we’ve gone a year without live, in-person music, such an experience is terribly needed. “The idea of seeing someone in a crowd and feeling instantly drawn to them, then losing them suddenly, is such a relatable and devastating concept – It’s like a Cinderella story with a pop twist,” adds RALPH.
This new song and video come on the heels of “Crush,” RALPH’s reimagining of Jennifer Paige’s 1998 dance-pop hit. RALPH’s rendition was also released with a video, an animated visual brought to life by Amika “blackpowerbarbie” Cooper. 2020 also saw RALPH release “Super Bloom” and a cover of Dolly’s “Hard Candy Christmas.” While “Tommy” may be a return-to-form for RALPH, it marks the next exciting chapter for this sparkling, sensational talent.