So I want to get into the music video for your new single, “No Escape,” because it looked so chic. What was the creative vision behind it?
I worked with this amazing director, Agusta. She's super talented. I had the idea of it being Barbie-themed, but also having a retro feel to it because I love that. Like, you know, old Jane Fonda workout videos. I don't know if you ever saw the American Horror Story season set in the 1980s?
I loved that one!
I loved that too. So I came to Agusta with that idea and then we brainstormed a lot together. I had that idea of being Barbie because the song starts off with "picture perfect." So to me, I thought of, you know, a retro housewife; almost too perfect. The stylist I worked with just got the vision and it all came together.
Why did you decide to work with Agusta for the video; did you guys already have a relationship?
Well, I've always followed her. I've been a huge fan of hers, always. Every time she posted I was like, 'Wow.' But I didn't actually realize she was a director. I saw it in her bio and I thought, 'Oh my God, maybe it's far-fetched if I hit her up — it probably won't happen.' And then I did and it was pretty much the next day we were planning — it actually happened within two weeks. So, yeah, I was so happy. I just love her. She has the eye that I want. I don't see that much CGI work in the way she does it, you know? It feels like she can just put you into a whole other world.
Exactly. You both created a whole universe with Uzumaki's art. Were you two friends as well before you worked on this together?
Yes, we were. I actually met Uzumaki through LAAMS; it's an art compound in the Lower East Side. She was doing an installation there, so she would be there all the time. When I first met her, I kind of fangirled and I was like, 'Can I take a picture of you?' Because I take film photos. We just hit it off and became instantly close. Then Agusta and I were working, and I thought, 'You know, it could be so cool to incorporate her.' Because having multiple female artists work on one project is so fulfilling to me. I'm all about it. She was down and it worked out super well. We took pictures from Uzumaki's past installations, and then Agusta CGI'd me into them and made them come to life.
The fits from the video were so iconic. Can you tell me a little more about them and which was your favorite?
So, the first scene we shot was the workout scene. There was the Barbie me, who was the instructor, and then there were two 'regular' mes with my regular red hair, on the side as my workout buddies. So for each look I put together, I worked with Adam Selman. He does a lot of workout gear and he let me pull some stuff from him. I put together retro workout-type outfits, and then Mateo, who is the stylist, made my vision reality. It's funny because I kept telling him what I wanted, and on the day, he came with so much stuff; it was almost overwhelming. But it worked out so well because initially we were only supposed to have one look for the whole 'dollhouse.' We ended up having a look for each room in the dollhouse. So yeah, thinking about my favorite look, it was either the blue fur hat and bra set, which is really cute. And then there was a pantsuit set, which, I was channeling the Barbie that works, you know? She's not a stay-at-home Barbie.
She's the Boss Barbie.
Yes. So I love that look too. And there were these underwire glasses that were diamante with nothing else. Just the underwire. It was so fire.
You talked about different rooms in the video, so was each one a whole different vibe?
Yeah, there was even a bathroom. Agusta and I had worked with a set designer named Jimmy. So they bought a dollhouse, like a Barbie dollhouse off of a children's website, and then Jimmy spruced it up. He added little Chanel bottles, he spray-painted the walls — they completely revamped it. So yeah, there's a bathtub scene, there's a bed scene. The bed scene's very retro, like in a robe, you know? Each one just happened to come together perfectly. There was a look for every room. It's also really fun for me to channel a character. So I was just trying to really get into that mood. Like, I'm not Remi, I'm Barbie Remi.
I saw on Instagram that you're not always behind the camera, but you also spend time taking the photos. Is that something that you're super passionate about on the side?
Well, I only really started in 2020, so it's been about a year of taking photos, but it immediately became something I love to do because I felt like I had so much experience on the other side. And then I started shooting my girlfriends because I'm constantly around such beautiful, inspiring people. Jeffrey Campbell actually said to me, 'Hey, if we send you five pairs of shoes, can you shoot them?' So I put together — in the matter of like a week and a half — I got five different models, five different spots, and shot some stuff for them. It was so much fun. It kind of helps, having that vision, to create my music videos and to decide how I want my shoots to come out [too]. So yeah, I really like taking photos; it's a hobby, but it's also very much so a passion. Even for my last single, we had an installation at LAAMS, so I set up a photo booth. I like to do that — where I set a backdrop and I take people's portraits.
Now that “Spacey” and “No Escape” are here, are there any future plans for an EP?
There definitely are. I have maybe one or two singles lined up after this and then my plan is definitely to have the EP, hopefully, by the beginning of next year.