AVATARI’s energized, anthemic ride “Light It Up” feels unstoppable. Empowering the listener to dance or just raise their hands in confidence, the Los Angeles-based AVATARI captures the quick movements of a night out, gatherings and the unbreakable human spirit in the “Light It Up” lyric video. This visual depiction a song that feels like it’s the moment we imagine at the Olympics are even our personal mantra to get out of that bed in the morning is just what 2021 ordered.
SOUNDCLOUD: https://soundcloud.com/avatari/light-it-up
Before even watching the video I imagined we might be getting a glimpse of a sports scene or maybe someone sweating it out on a Peleton bike. Instead, AVATARI’s lyric video is a montage of global citizens, mostly youthful ones, dancing and enjoying the heck out of life. Mixed between are cityscapes and powerful moving clouds. Rather than focus on the individual and the power of one, AVATARI flips the script and connects the ‘let’s’ and ‘we’re’ in the lyrics. Yes, there are few individuals featured in the video, but for the most part is a community and a surplus of humans colorfully filling the frames. The energy is palpable and fiery…there’s never a coldness or idle moment. The movement is always forward, just as the words let’s rip up it up like the past of our lives, are sung with confident pop vocals.
There are elements of rock missing, but the synth and the dance/pop elements still make me think that this song would be highly appealing to fans of Coldplay and Imagine Dragons. Just the same, in the music video, there are transitions where one might feel like they are at the controls of a video game. The ‘world’ is boxed in with neon lights, zipping by. It’s our chance to survive AVATARI sings. I think on many levels this is about life and being your true self and that you’re not alone. We can often feel like we’re flying solo in the world, but we can find our tribe and our friends. We’re connected in ways we probably never imagined – “Light It Up” both sonically and visually tethers the individual to the human race. We got this, AVATARI seems to infer, we got this, but we’re in this together. You energize me, and I will elevate you.
APPLE MUSIC: https://music.apple.com/us/album/light-it-up-single/1548620718?i=1548620719&ign-gact=3&ls=1
I’m a huge fan of lyric videos. For one thing, my brain sometimes uses words for lyrics that are way off kilter and nowhere near the same word, and this is the perfect chance for me to know the right word. Secondly, I’m fascinated how artists can visualize what those words mean. Some can be literal and others take the ball and run with it in an astoundingly awesome direction. I think AVATARI succeeds at doing both. There’s a line that is straddled – somewhere in the mix is that fantastic imagination and AVATARI leaves just the right amount of space for the listener (and viewer) to alley-oop into their own mind and imagination, making it their own connection. “Light It Up” both the song and the lyric video ignited a wonderful spirit within my soul.
Garth Thomas