In early May, quintessential L.A. electro-pop band Beginners premiered the video for their newest single “Let That Money Talk,” which takes viewers inside the sexually charged tête-à-tête between dancer and spectator. Produced by the female-centric powerhouse Verluxe, and directed by Eva Dubovoy, the video stars queer vocalist and frontwoman Sam Barbera, as well as queer dancer Caroline Blaike, who leads the viewer through a trippy journey of longing and fantasy. Queering the exchange of both sexual energy and cash, “Let That Money Talk” stands as both a fantastical narrative of desire, as well as a tongue-in-cheek advisement to strip club patrons nationwide.
In discussion with Posture below, Barbera, Dubovoy, and Blaike chat with us about their experience of bringing the video to life.
In Conversation with Sam Barbera
What was the inspiration or motivation for the video? Clearly it’s connected to the lyrics, can you speak to the backstory?
Throughout the course of 2017, I spent a shocking amount time inside of Jumbo’s Clown Room, an iconic LA strip club. Time and again, the night always led me back there; usually with a particular girl who I was desperately infatuated with. It was exhilarating and tortuous, spending night after night in such a sexually charged environment with her, yet never ‘getting the girl.’ I wrote and actually recorded the vocals to “Let That Money Talk” at 3am after one of these long nights! One of the things I love most about the song is how palpable the longing and vulnerability is in my voice, coming directly off of that experience. I also really love the metaphoric magic between the unrequited love of spectator to dancer, and myself to this girl. Always given just enough to want more.
I wanted the video to not only pay homage to my experience, but to also challenge heteronormative notions of attraction in that environment. I wanted to give space to the queer narrative around desire and strip club culture that is rarely represented in media.
What is the importance for you of queer women playing queer women on screen? Especially within the context of the music video, which is by nature a highly sensational medium.
In the context of our video it was a must. I wanted the sex scenes to come from a place of queer feminine power and authenticity; not just another film where women and queer sexuality are crafted for the male gaze. Queer women have such limited spaces to express or enjoy our sexuality. Even ‘lesbian’ porn is 99% straight women pretending to have sex with each other for the enjoyment of men. Making the video for ‘Let That Money Talk’ finally gave me a platform to not only share my story, but to also challenge that dynamic.
In conversation with Eva Dubovoy
The visuals are so stunning! What were the concepts that you wanted to explore?
Thanks! Sam came to me with a base idea of doing something in a strip club, but we both agreed that the concept had been exhausted. The fun part then became taking a basic strip club video and turning it on its head. The main concept was exploring the queer element of the video since that hadn’t really been done before. Aside from that, I wanted to play with the surrealism that might come to you in a wet dream.
Can you speak a bit about how you navigated the subject matter of the video? Ie. There are so many problematic representations of the stripper in pop culture, how did you go about challenging that?
I think it’s inherently a little easier for me since I’m a female director. With that being said however, I started out doing a lot of music videos for male rappers and I did struggle with whether or not I was exploiting women in my work. Now, as I’ve developed as an artist, I feel much more confident in the way I’m portraying people. The human body is so beautiful, and as long as the person I’m working with feels sexy and empowered, I feel great giving them that platform.
In terms of the video being grounded in the strip club, I wanted to make sure that that wasn’t the entirety of the concept — instead, Sam and I wanted to elevate Caroline into an otherworldly place. Aside from that, Caroline was really stoked to work with us — her enthusiasm really reinforced me to push the boundaries of what we were making.
In conversation with Caroline Blaike
What initially drew you to this project?
I was approached by Sam about the project initially. I watched some other Beginners music videos, and I really loved their bold aesthetic. After seeing the treatment, and finding out the video was being produced by a group of badass women, I was in!
As a dancer, how do you relate to the notion of fantasy and/or seduction? The creation of a story?
Seduction for me often feels therapeutic, but when everything aligns perfectly, it actually becomes art. I’m always nervous when I’m standing behind the curtain waiting for my music cue to step on the stage. I use that nervousness, that adrenaline, and eventually just drop in for the ride. I prefer using my eyes and energy over tricks. It makes people feel seen, and makes me feel powerful. I get to create something, be vulnerable, and not only have it witnessed but also appreciated. I’m dancing for them, but I’m always dancing for me. While my mode of expression might be practiced, the seduction in the moment is always genuine. For four minutes I own the room — and it would be a shame to waste them on pretending.
Editorial Credits:
Photographer: Danielle Spires
Director: Eva Dubovoy
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