British pop singer-songwriter, Alice Chater, has just released her third single this year. While covers of Chater singing other people’s songs circulated the internet, this year she has put out her own music. For fans looking for an authentic “pop sound,” her music is definitely worth the listen. Her debut single, “Girls X Boys,” was released in April and had a sensual and dark tone to the track. Later in July, Charter released “Heartbreak Hotel,” which comes closer to today’s sound of pop music. Earlier this month, “Hourglass” came out. Taking inspiration from 80s pop music such as Madonna, “Hourglass” feels nostalgic yet refreshing.
Something unique about Chater’s approach to the “Hourglass” video is that it is completely done in one shot; she nails every beat for the entire four-minute song. It starts off with the focus on an actual hourglass. The camera then follows Chater’s entrance as she struts in with a large, avant-garde skirt as the song begins. The songstress makes her way to a chair by the first verse and surprises the audience with elaborate choreography. When the pre-chorus comes, Chater walks away from the chair, slyly removes the skirt from her attire, and reveals the costume change on the floor. Here, the choreography seems inspired by vogue dancing as she moves throughout the chorus. After this routine, she continues walking throughout this abandoned warehouse as the lights begin to change, making new visual effects for the audience.
By the second chorus, Chater has made her way in the middle of electronic fans. The camera pans into a close up as we see her hair blowing in the wind. The singer then dances on the stairs, and breaks some props until she hits the final chorus. Just when you think that the production could not get any more impressive, the songstress performs choreography on an aerial hoop. For the big finale, she dances surrounded by smoke and a daunting light hovering beside her. The last frame of the video brings the hourglass back into the frame, dropping its last few bits of sand.
