Slovak alt-pop singer with Czech roots Karin Ann releases a brand new single ‘a stranger with my face’. The symphonic folk-tinged melody, supported by bluesy guitar lines and Fleetwood Mac-style harmonies, opens the theme of excessive idolization.
The song about losing a part of yourself when you try to behave as those around you would like is accompanied by a romantic spy video clip set in the 1950s. It was filmed in Prague and, in addition to Karin Ann, the American actors Gus Kenworthy and Ashley Moore appear in the main roles.
“a stranger with my face is about how it is very unhealthy to worship a person as God. You end up speaking his slang and conforming to his behavior at all. It’s not even about ingratiating yourself to him, it’s about trying to be more like him rather than being yourself. In the end, you don’t know who you really are,” describes Karin Ann, who found the combination of lyrics and melody almost religious, so she decided to put this feeling into the music in the chorus.
The video that accompanies the song is the first part of a short film by the American director duo TUSK. The filmmakers filmed the spy romance, set in Hollywood in the 1950s, in Prague. The story follows a young secretary (Karin Ann) at a Hollywood film studio who is tasked with uncovering the truth about a movie star’s (Ashley Moore) scandalized love affairs with various men. While spying, she discovers that such affairs are a cover for her true sexual identity, highly taboo at the time. The open ending of the video promises a resolution in the sequel. This will be followed by a second part as a music video for Karina’s next single.
“a stranger with my face” was written by Karin earlier this year in Los Angeles with Benjamin Lazar Davis, Will Graef and Kailee Morgue. The single is a slight stylistic departure from Karin’s repertoire to a more folk sound. The song was co-produced by American Idol founding judge Randy Jackson.
Karin Ann quickly made a name for herself as a Generation Z icon across Europe and now the world. Her lyrics delve deep into topics of gender equality, mental health and human rights, as well as addressing the inner turmoil of the 20-year-old mind – young love, toxic relationships and insecurities. An outspoken supporter of LGBTQIA+ community and minority rights, the artist’s music perfectly balances between alternative and mainstream.
The work of the Czech-Slovak singer, who was among the wider nominations for the Anděl awards and won the Žebřík survey of Report magazine, did not escape the attention of world media such as NOTION, HUNGER, Wonderland, Kerrang!, Vogue, MTV, ELLE, PROUD Radio, Apple Music and BBC Radio 1 .
