Image via YouTubeBeing a musician and performer is, more often than not, a very unglamorous endeavor. Most musicians have a laundry list of performances in empty bars, on the street with people ignoring them, to sparse fields at festivals during the high noon slot, and other uncomfortably, quiet, yet very visible scenarios. Russian pop musician Kate NV provides a glimpse into that performance hustle with her new video for "Kata." Filmed on an elektrichka, Kate NV set up her monitor and keyboard, and sang amongst bored and uninterested commuters—a bold and possibly annoying move. But we're given a bubbly personality set against the mundane of life, something musicians and music so often provide to those traveling to and from wherever.
"I was afraid and felt awkward, at the same time—some elderly ladies were not amused by me and resented loudly," Kate NV told Noisey about the video. "For the most part it was a big experiment, and all we wanted was to capture the people's reaction on something they've probably never seen before. I was singing in the language unknown to all of them, surrounded by people with humming cameras, with no permission and, honestly, doing all that [was] completely illegal!" It would be easy to compare Kate NV to another weirdo pop performer like Grimes: she seems quirky enough to an audience, and creates frenetic, saccharine pop over fizzy synths. But that would bypass Kate NV's sincere blitheness, as well as Grimes' dedication to her craft. The energy of "Kata" is effortless and carefree and the video reflects that, even amongst some blasé looking commuters.Watch the video below:Sarah MacDonald is a staff writer for Noisey Canada. Follow her on Twitter.