V have got our hands on some truly Baroque bling—a rhythm of riotous rococo proportions, if you will. The latest release from the high court of Haute & Freddy has left the council of elders quaking, but the rest of the populace is rollicking to the tune of “Shy Girl,” and so are V. 

Courtesy of Haute & Freddy / Photography Zoe Donahoe

Familiar with the art of high drama productions reminiscent of Shakespearean sensitivities, the alt-pop duo, and brainchild of Michelle Buzz (Haute) and Lance Shipp (Freddy), has pieced together a bizarrely theatrical visual for “Shy Girl,” rife with ornate birdcages and references to the underground club culture of centuries past. 

Courtesy of Haute & Freddy / Photography Zoe Donahoe

A turbulent anthem dedicated to defiance, “Shy Girl,” beckons listeners to move to the beat of their own synthpop drum, to part the velvet drapes and make a fabulously, fantastically outrageous scene. “Shy Girl started as a pep talk, Haute tells V. “ I was in a really dark place last year, wondering if life was even worth it. The chorus came last summer as something I just had to sing to myself. It masquerades as this fun, playful thing which is exactly how I wanted life to start feeling again.” 

Courtesy of Haute & Freddy / Photography Zoe Donahoe

With a soul straight out of an eighties-synth sensibility, “Shy Girl” knows all about the oft-employed cultural side-eye. “You change your hair and change your clothes,” they declare, “and everybody starts to panic.” Yet, the song boasts a rallying cry. If a French revolution could land Marie Antoinette’s head at the blade-end of a guillotine, then a cultural one can surely land a shy girl at the helm of a radical (albeit less violent) movement acceptive of caliph and clown just the same. 

Courtesy of Haute & Freddy / Photography Zoe Donahoe

In fact, the “Shy Girl” music video places both characters in the same ornately embellished room. “The first thing we landed on for the video was the clothes. We didn’t have a location, a director, anything, but we knew the clothes,” Haute shares with V. “Kaley and I had the time of our lives grabbing these distressed and worn period pieces—you know, what the nobles would have thrown out or never bothered with in the first place.”

Courtesy of Haute & Freddy / Photography Zoe Donahoe

“The costumes ranged from 15th to 18th century and it really kept every other part of the puzzle in this special world suspended in time. Conceptually, Freddy and I wanted to get into Shy Girl’s head – what was she dreaming before she escaped? Who was she with? What influenced this rebellion?…Amalia Irons, our lovely director, just fully got our vision from the start and once we saw the first shot on the monitor we knew this was going to be everything we imagined and more.” 

Courtesy of Haute & Freddy / Photography Zoe Donahoe

Following the release of their debut single, “Scantily Clad,” Haute & Freddy’s newly appointed (and devoted) fanbase was quick to cling to the Medieval underpinnings of the duo’s mood, dubbing themselves “The Royal Court” and pledging continued allegiance after another two drops: “Anti-Superstar” and “Fashion Over Function.” Having already landed a spot on Rolling Stone’s heralded “Artist You Need to Know” vertical, and slated to make their New York debut at The Slipper Room’s sold-out show, Haute & Freddy are two besties in Baroque, toppling the norms of an archaic nobility long overdue. 

Check out the premiere of the “Shy Girl” music video below.