By Not many people out there can claim to be singer-songwriter, chef, and LGBTQ+ activist, but in the case of Amy Lilley, she can do just that. A South African artist of multiple talents and morals to match, Amy now returns to the music world with the release of her dreamy new single, ‘Video Games’. A pop track that’s full of soul, projecting the message that life is all about learning to love who you are, and the things you have to offer the world. It’s a display of her magnetic, fun, and loving personality, which is also visually portrayed through an animated music video of a video game.
“I was so nervous to talk to anyone and I was always in my head. I found solace in video games a lot, I never put myself out there and it took me so long to come out of my shell. I still am trying to.”
The single is also a deeply personal track, with key influences drawn from her sexuality and the challenges it created for her within society. Thus, Amy turned to video games as a source of escape, finding a world where she didn’t have to hide, instead reveling in such freedom. “I came out early as a kid and it was always really hard for me to interact with people, I was terrified of asking a girl on a date!” The artist declares, “I wrote ‘Video Games’ to make light of being so shy and in such a shameful place and turn it into something powerful and playful. I am a shy, video games nerd and I love who I am kind of thing.”
‘Video Games’ is the first offering from Amy’s upcoming nine-track album titled, Petrichor, a project named after the smell that resonates post rainfall. It’ll be her first full length release and the artists most powerful statement since her debut EP ‘She’, which landed in 2020. “In my first debut single, ‘Formidable’ the main line was ‘I hope it’s raining on the other side.’” Amy explains, “I wrote that album in such a heartbroken place and this new album is about finally making it through to the other side. I felt like I could make music without a heavy weight on my chest. This album is a lot more personal and introspective for me.”
If this single is anything to go by, then Petrichor looks set to further establish a lyrical style that deeply introspective, sharing stories that are sure to touch those in similar situations. The music world needs artists as thoughtful and touching as Amy Lilley.
BOYFRIEND MAGAZINE 