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Music

PREMIERE: JOOJ's Video for "Shoulders and Whispers" Will Haunt You Forever

Between the shadows and nudity, Jooj's latest video grips you and doesn't let go.

Photo courtesy of Jennai Bundock

Nude women, churches, and former MuchMusic VJs: the video for "Shoulders and Whispers" has all of this and more in just the opening frames. Sook-Yin Lee, along with Adam Litovitz, have released the music video for “Shoulders and Whispers,” the first single from their band JOOJ off their self-titled debut album, set to be released through Last Gang Records on May 26. “Shoulders and Whispers” is a delicate ballad that explores the uncomfortable distance felt between two lovers. It’s the kind of song that sticks with you for days, and the video will too.

Looking like an eerie horror flick—and rightfully so considering it was directed by Brandon Cronenberg—the video was born from Lee, Litovitz, and Cronenberg's passion for film noir, German Expressionism, and naturally, classic horror movies. Using shadows to intensify the vulnerability felt between the characters, the video emulates the song’s feeling of solitude. Featuring dancers Mairi Grieg, Syreeta Hector, and Benjamin Kamino, as well as alternative cartoonist Chester Brown, the choreography for the video has its interpreters writhing against each other, forever separated by their inner unrest.