Myah’s Dissolve is a new video that coincides with the release of her debut album "I Don't Know What I'm Feeling." Originally from South Florida and now based in Los Angeles, Myah's style blends alternative rock, pop and pop-punk melodies with emo-inspired guitar riffs. Her videos often play as short films, with
Dissolve clocking in at 12 minutes. The song serves more as a soundtrack for the visuals, which find the artist living the same painful day over and over again, as her boyfriend breaks up with her.
"I started releasing original music back in 2023," Myah shares. "And in August 2023, I released my debut single. We did a music video with it. It was a very traditional music video — performance, camera, and that kind of vibe. As my artistry started to evolve, and as I started to look at these different videos that I made that were more performance-based, I sort of realized, I'm not a dancer, and I'm not really like a sing-to-camera kind of artist. I'm a storyteller and a filmmaker. So what if, instead of just making music videos that are 'performance-based,' what if I make music videos that feel like I'm taking my fans to the movies, and they don't really know what this video is going to be about?"
Dissolve begins with Myah laying on the couch of a sunshine-lit suburban home, repeating the song's initial lyrics of “Uh oh, I’ve done it again." She then begins her day but is presented with an unexpected shock when her boyfriend announces that he's leaving her. Unable to handle the rejection, she lashes out at him, causing a bloody scene that jolts the viewer. As the days begin to repeat themselves, Myah becomes more aware of what is to happen, amping up her anxiety and frustration.
The shoot took place at a friend's place in Pembroke Pines, FL, and spanned two long days, but represented multiple screen days. Footage was captured using an Arri Mini LF.
"I shot-list the whole video, and...I think there's like eight story days here, so every single time we were in a setup, we would get eight takes," she explains.
The unpredictable Florida rain caused some delays, but once shooting was complete, Myah began editing the project herself.
"I started editing like the very next day," she reveals. "I think I had it picture locked within four or five days. I always cut to music, no matter what. I always lay the track down. But first and foremost, I organize all the footage on my timeline based off the scenes. I know, 'This is Scene 1. This is Scene 2.' And kind of piece it out from there. I knew in my head going into the shoot where the narrative beats were going to be."
Myah is a long-time Adobe Premiere user and employed the software once again for Dissolve.
"I'm a Premiere girlie. I know it's so controversial. So many people have switched to DaVinci, but I've been cutting on Premiere since college. I just know Premiere."
As an independent artist, Myah had full control of the look and feel of Dissolve, as well as its run time.
"I'm not ignorant to the fact that people's attention spans now are not really geared towards long-form content," she shares, noting Dissolve's 12-minute final edit was a cut down from an initial 15-minute version.
The video incorporates both practical and digital effects. All of the blood and gore was captured in-camera, and a quick cut to a spray bottle, filled with red sugar water, cues the viewer into the campiness of the repeating murder scenes. The detonator, with its electrical sparks, was created during the edit.
Going forward, Myah says she will eventually be playing live shows, but feels these non-traditional videos are a way for her to control her career path.
"At the end of the day, the one thing that I can control in my music career is making these videos," she explains. "You can't really control somebody booking me for a festival lineup, or for a tour, or for Tiny Desk, or whatever. But these are things that I can do, and they're very fulfilling. It's, I think, my truest expression of art. I'm always going to make these videos because I think they're a reflection of my human experience and the things that I like.”
Dissolve’s credits include director of photography Ivan Meza, 1st assistant cameraman Javier Perez, sound mixer Jose Amaro and colorist Mike De La Luz.
Follow Myah (@myahmakesmusic) online at YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.