Features July 31, 2019

Jessica Mauboy talks new ‘Little Things’ video, streaming & family

Contributor

“I’m detailing all the in-between moments,” admits Jessica Mauboy as she chats with TMN about the candid nature of her upcoming fourth studio album Hilda.

“In the beginning with my first record Been Waiting, I was reflecting on growing up, my home, experiencing firsts, being with my friends and having a boyfriend. Whereas with this record, I have had time over the past six years to go back to basics and acknowledge the growth and the pain of certain things,” she explains of the full-circle nature of her storytelling.

Embracing the pain of her past and the ones closest to her, Mauboy’s new single ‘Little Things’ is an honest reminder to continually live in the moment and not allow any important moments to slip by.

Since its release in June, the song is peaking at #21 on the TMN Hot 100 thanks to increasing support from radio.

‘Little Things’ has also received high profile streaming play-listing and has also been performed on prime time TV appearances like The Voice Australia and the 2019 TV Week Logie Awards.

Mauboy’s mum lost her own mother when she was about 10 years old.

“I remember as a little girl, watching my mum from the stairwell, and seeing her struggle and trying to find that fight inside of her to bring her daughters up into the world.

With that raw sentiment at the back of her mind, the concept for the ‘Little Things’ music video was all about highlighting that raw emotion.

Stripping all the typical pop theatrics back, the video begins with Mauboy staring down the barrel of the camera and singing the heartfelt lyrics truthfully and intensely. Using the one-take method, she stands up to reveal an empty soundstage as she twirls around, sings and cries as the camera pans around a moody lit room.

Directed by Benn Jae from Loser Kidd Productions, the two teamed up in hope of capturing the authenticity of the song’s story.

Mauboy found herself questioning if the concept was going to work. She wanted the video to be intimate and tell her family story through emotion.

Through the 26 takes, both Jae and Mauboy began to remove props and mix things up.

“It wasn’t until the twelfth and fourteenth take that it really started to come to life. I had my mothers face in my mind and thought about what it would’ve felt like for her hearing all those stories becoming a role model and that mother figure for her daughters,” she explains.

“We recorded everything and didn’t stop throughout the one takes. Even the moments that I broke out of song because I was sobbing so hard and wiping the tears away and wiping my nose, I would then find my way back to telling the story physically again,” she reveals.

Citing that the video shoot for ‘Little Things’ was her most effortless, trusting and emotional, there is a contrast that is found in the simplicity that makes this delivery feel and look heavy.

“Whether a person has been abused, neglected, not seen enough, not told enough they were loved, or had someone missed a birthday or a recital. There are so many stories attached to this song and to the raw feeling the song embodies.

“Hopefully, viewers can connect and see that there is something bigger and deeper there and the thought of ‘oh, she’s probably just acting’ isn’t even one that crosses their mind.”

With the release of Hilda fast approaching, Mauboy confesses she’s still struggling to adjust to the change of focus in streaming over physical copies and singles.

“It’s now all about sharing and getting word of mouth out or sharing the social link to sell a song. It’s still really bizarre to me because I’m definitely a lover of physical even if it’s dying. But the interpolation of streaming is all about connecting people and that’s definitely a good thing,” she concedes.

Reminiscing of the times she would save up her pocket money and go down to her local music store to buy a physical single, she says it was the personalisation of having the physical copy that appealed to her and is still so nostalgic to her childhood.

“It definitely still works because you look at Korea and Japan and they love that kind of shit. So if we can have massive influencers encouraging physical copies then they will still be around and won’t completely fade out.”

This new record is all about going back to basics on what she liked and what she didn’t like as she peeled back the layers in what she describes as a very fierce record. Mauboy’s confidence and honesty are reminiscent of her debut album ‘Been Waiting’.

“I can say with proudness, pride and courage that Hilda has been a full-circle moment for me.”