How does an independent artist amass hundreds of thousands of views of a self-made music video? It isn’t easy. Countless aspiring video stars have tried and never gotten anywhere. There’s no single answer, but it sure wouldn’t hurt to follow the example of Dynamyte. The video for “Show Me You,” the Boston singer-songwriter’s most recent single, has gathered the sort of forward momentum that few homemade clips ever do. She’s made her success on her own terms, foregrounding her musicianship, her brilliant singing, her empathetic, down-to-earth songwriting, and her sense of visual style.
About Dynamyte
Start with the voice. Dynamyte is a pop singer, but one with roots deep in jazz, and definite rock ‘n’ roll attitude is discernible in her inflections and phrasing. She applies her instrument to a melody that’s at once novel and instantly memorable. You’ll hear echoes of Amy Winehouse, Lilly Allen, Adele, Duffy, and other artists whose music brought the best of mid-century American musical styles back to popular consciousness. But Dynamyte isn’t just a traditionalist. “Show Me You” was produced by the visionary electro-pop and R&B engineer MkX – who just happens to be her younger brother. MkX supplies just enough electronic fireworks to make the track sound contemporary, and he does it while preserving and enhancing his sibling’s distinctive musical personality.
About “Show Me You”
There’s another reason “Show Me You” is an indie smash. Fun as the track is, it’s a song with serious implications – one with a message that is bound to resonate for anybody burdened with a social media account. Dynamyte asks her listeners to set aside façades and everyday showmanship and show themselves. Online or off, that’s a terrifying thing to do. But the singer knows how refreshing it can be to be yourself, and she’s encouraging others to give it a try.
About the video
The clip for “Show Me You” is similarly unpretentious and similarly focused on its message. Dynamyte is videogenic, but she’s also extraordinarily approachable – here, she’s showing us around her home, and she’s a genial host. She lets us into her home studio, her backyard fire-pit, her staircase, and her study, and she maintains her good humor and her sense of poise, even when she’s banging out the beat on her drum kit. Midway through the clip, she dresses up in a blonde wig and poses in a giant cutout resembling an Instagram window (complete with hashtags). But Dynamite is far more compelling when she’s in normal clothes, doing ordinary activities, and addressing the camera honestly. When she takes off the costume, it’s a relief for everybody and a moment of liberation for any viewer who feels trapped by the frame.
