Mayo-born Hip-hop star Uppbeat, real name Finn Costelloe, has released the music video for his newest single Cigarettes with TikTok star Elle Lexxa. Uppbeat took to social media to announce the video saying; “we had an awful lot of fun making this video! So much so that I might drop a part 2 anyway for now enjoy these lovely wee visuals.”
The song tells the story of sitting outside on the steps with someone you love on a night out, trying to tell them how much you love them. The blend of genres creates a feeling of fluidity that adds to the idea of professing love while intoxicated. The video was filmed in London after Uppbeat and Elle Lexxa met on TikTok in 2020 and quickly developed a friendship. The video was shot by Matthew Fox and Edited by Nathan Sheridan.
Speaking about the single, Uppbeat said; “We decided to work on some records and we came up with ‘Cigarettes’. We then planned to meet in London and work on the record more and we shot a homemade music video while we were there.”
Cigarettes is Uppbeat’s first release of 2021, following his single Tin Can Man, which was released in November 2020. The single which was written in his childhood bedroom during the ongoing global pandemic was about how he feels he has a responsibility to tell the story of those people who I feel don’t really get seen or heard.
Speaking about the single to Hotpress, Uppbeat said; “I don’t think I have any literal mental illnesses but my mind just messes with me so much. I don’t have a reason to be unhappy but yet I spend so much of my time feeling upset and embodying other people’s pain and anxiety. That’s what the song is about.”
Elle Lexxa is a singer from New York who has gained a massive audience on TikTok where she has 338,000 followers along with over 23,000 monthly Spotify listeners. In recent months her singles Obsessed, Transcend and Hostage feature her ASMR-styled vocals and bilingual lyrics. Her video content fully embraces the idea of 18th-century chic as she dresses up in the most stunning costumes. Speaking about finding Elle, Uppbeat said; “I was blown away by how developed and striking her aesthetic was and when I found her music, and I instantly became a fan.”
Cigarettes is available on all platforms now, you can check out the music video down below.
