Agnes Azria Subverts Conventional Beauty in music video for “Weeks in Paris”
The 21-year-old pop/jazz singer gives a voyeuristic, visual insight into her private life.
Agnes Azria turned heads with her first single “Beauty Myth,” a clever critique of the fashion industry, which came as a surprise given her parents are Max and Lubov Azria, fashion icons of the 2000s. In October of 2018, straying from her theme of cultural criticism, she released “Weeks in Paris,” a dazzling yet stylishly apathetic jam that earned much critical acclaim. In keeping with her enthralling unpredictability, she’s now premiering the youthful, spirited-but-chill music video for “Weeks in Paris” exclusively on V.
“Weeks in Paris is a fun and sultry track about going out and getting drunk with friends,” said Agnes. “My lyrics refer to different embarrassing moments I’ve had, like drinking an entire bottle of Old English while talking to an ex, then stopping the Uber to throw up on the sidewalk, and having my parents pick me up drunk during my freshman year.” But the song took on new meaning when it was remixed by Pierre Hadrien. “The story naturally shifted to something like pining for a distant lover, or a [one-sided] longing for a girl who’s just content having a grand ol’ time.”
Watch the music video for “Weeks in Paris” here.
The music video is inclusive/body positive without having didactic undertones. The positivity and acceptance is organic; it stems from a very fluid mindset about the concept of beauty.
“I can’t judge what is and what isn’t beautiful. It just doesn’t feel right,” said Agnes, “In people, it comes down to their attitude and energy. I’ve never slept with someone for solely physical features. I just don’t get that.”
The visuals compliment the fun-loving recklessness of the song. It’s a contemporary and spontaneous video, but simultaneously retro and stylized. “I wanted this music video to mimic a French new wave film. People may not initially get that, but I personally heavily referenced Jean Luc Goddard,” she said. Because of the intimate nature of the video, the viewer becomes a fly-on-the-wall, observing the escapades of Agnes and her friends. It’s sexy, in a sort of voyeuristic way. But Agnes asserts that this was unintentional. “I wanted to capture people being candid at a party, but my friends are crazy. There were some truly great unscripted moments.”