John Grant, whose track “GMF” was featured in our half-year in review list of the 25 Best Songs of 2013 (So Far), has just released a stunning new video for “Glacier,” off his 2013 album Pale Green Ghosts.
The song tackles the difficult subject of oppression, particularly those struggling with homophobia. The lyrics are very personal for Grant, who is publicly out and HIV positive, but he crafts the song in such a way to make it universal for people laboring against the weight of all types of oppression. The result is song that is heartbreaking, but ultimately uplifting and empowering.
The video pieces together footage from various moments in LGBT history, including news footage from WWII and The Wizard of Oz, all the way through Stonewall and Harvey Milk, culminating with the repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, the legalization of gay marriage, and the lesbian coming-of-age film Blue Is The Warmest Color. The video is more than a parade of clips, though, instead crafting a grand historical narrative that would make Ken Burns proud. The poignant, graceful video is empathetic, pointed and very moving, meaning that you might find yourself choked up as you watch. When was the last time a music video made you feel like that?
MORE: Top 10 Music Videos
John Grant, whose track “GMF” was featured in our half-year in review list of the 25 Best Songs of 2013 (So Far), has just released a stunning new video for “Glacier,” off his 2013 album Pale Green Ghosts.
The song tackles the difficult subject of oppression, particularly those struggling with homophobia. The lyrics are very personal for Grant, who is publicly out and HIV positive, but he crafts the song in such a way to make it universal for people laboring against the weight of all types of oppression. The result is song that is heartbreaking, but ultimately uplifting and empowering.
The video pieces together footage from various moments in LGBT history, including news footage from WWII and The Wizard of Oz, all the way through Stonewall and Harvey Milk, culminating with the repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, the legalization of gay marriage, and the lesbian coming-of-age film Blue Is The Warmest Color. The video is more than a parade of clips, though, instead crafting a grand historical narrative that would make Ken Burns proud. The poignant, graceful video is empathetic, pointed and very moving, meaning that you might find yourself choked up as you watch. When was the last time a music video made you feel like that?
MORE: Top 10 Music Videos