Out Exclusives
Baby Yors Brings Male Flesh to the Forefront in Lyric Video for 'Bad Influence'
Photography: Ogata
The queer artist scans all corners of the male form in the new clip.
April 03 2018 9:45 AM EST
April 03 2018 9:51 AM EST
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The queer artist scans all corners of the male form in the new clip.
Fresh off the release of the smoky, neo-noir video for his latest track, "Bad Influence," rising queer artist Baby Yors has dropped an accompanying lyric video -- and it's safe to say the clip reflects Baby's naked ambition. Shot in tandem with the official video, this new visual sees men of all colors with the lyrics scrawled across their naked flesh, each shot corresponding with Baby's vocals.
Related | Baby Yors's 'Bad Influence' Celebrates Sex, Queer Cinema & Breaking Barriers
"I envisioned a lot of the details of the male body--the textures, the colors, and those so-called dangerous places," says Baby, who co-directed the video with Sergio Allard. "Here, you often see the camera going where you want it to go, and yet it leaves you wanting more. I thought about tattoos, and I wanted to showcase my own tattoos, but then I thought about the lyrics. This song, to me, feels drenched in sexual energy. Why not have the actual lyrics appear on these men's bodies instead, much like tattoos, but with a deeper meaning?"
Women are surely having the moment they've long deserved when it comes to representation, but one of Baby's motives in his approach to the lyric video was an undoing of society's odd and longtime insistence on mainly showcasing (or objectifying) female nudity, while treating male nudity like fire not to be touched.
Related | No Apologies: Queer Latin Artist Baby Yors is Out to Change the Pop Landscape
"I don't like having defined lines pertaining to gender," Baby says, "however, the female body has been exploited for so long, whereas the male body, at least the more intimate parts of it, has historically been hidden from view. Like an unnecessary taboo. This video is meant to be a commentary on that double standard. Everyone feels vulnerable and exposed when they're naked. There's no need for us to only see women in that state. Seeing men in a similar way levels the playing field. And it doesn't have to be received as exploitation. In the end, it can be a form of empowerment."
Feature image: Ignacio Walker
Portrait: Ogata
Directed by Sergio Allard and Baby Yors
A Prose Productions release, in collaboration with Perfect Fit Brand