On June 18, multi-hyphenated artist EMM released her mixtape, Sapphire, and faced her past in ACT III: END, the final installment of her in-depth musical and video trilogy. The trilogy follows a female hero experiencing three stages of life, where she recycles her trauma and uses her tenebrous moments as a catalyst for her superpowers. Each act of the trilogy is a new level of challenge the hero must face. As she transcends those challenges, she gains a gem and evolves into the next level of consciousness.
EMERALD – ACT I
The first act introduces us to the superhero EMERALD and her story, one that has felt the harsh realities of life and the scars that are left because of it. In this level, EMERALD experiences unsparing trials of the loss of innocence and sexual corruption. As she fights her way through them, she reclaims the power over herself.
The music video, Act I: Adderall, opens with Emerald slowly rising from her sleep, dazed and confused as she looks around the dense forest as if saying “how did I get here?” As she appears to be lost in her thoughts, a dark shadow passes behind her. With her wandering eyes taking in the setting before her, Emerald realizes she’s not alone, and when two dark red eyes appear before her she sets off into a run, aiming to dispel the demons who chase her.
As the video progresses, the hero faces off her demon—the dark shadow from the opening—who admits, as he sits idly in the middle of the room, to have always been watching her. Unafraid, Emerald fends off her demon and reclaims the power over herself, ultimately gaining the gem to the next level of consciousness.
RUBY’S VICE
Now RUBY in Act II: Vice, the superhero sets off on a path of exploring her newfound freedom, where along the way she’ll learn that it’ll take more than just one battle to fight off the demons from the past. None of which is all that easy to accomplish.
“Oh I hungered you, when I hungered truth / Then I prayed to you / when I was fed up / then I offered you / what I offered truth / Gave my blood to you / When I was bled up,” EMM’s sweet-sounding vocals sing. She talks about the act of worshipping someone and hanging on to that person’s every word as if they were above reproach, to the point that you start losing yourself and you give up everything for them.
In the music video, RUBY is not yet done with her demons, as she walks through the deserted world, she once again finds herself fighting off their torments. One of the most memorable scenes of the video is the moment RUBY transports herself into another world, appearing in a forest surrounded by ruby-colored leaves, alone with nature and God. Kneeling, she begins her conversation with God, begging God to end her suffering as she can no longer bear it, yet God knows something that RUBY is not yet ready to realize herself. That she is the DIAMOND that will overcome her own demons.
SAPPHIRE – THE FINAL FORM
In the final part of the journey, ACT III: END, Sapphire’s backstory is revealed, as she fights to release her past and step into her future self: DIAMOND.
“I don’t want to carry you no more / I don’t wanna know your name / I don’t wanna think of my before / Wish it was all erased / Don’t know how to deal with what you’ve done,” EMM’s wistful voice sings. The artist’s newest song expresses the long-lasting mental, emotional, and physical effects of sexual abuse, along with the exhaustion one feels throughout the healing process.
The music video depicts the female hero in her newest form—Sapphire, venturing through a snow-ridden island clad in her usual black attire and Katana. With a deep breath, Sapphire dips herself into the water and begins to float remembering the unsparing trails she’s been through in life, her story coming together at last. Awaking from the reminiscences of her past, Sapphire finds herself in a cave where she sets off to find the last demon she’s left to fight—her past self. Finally free from all her demons, Sapphire has gained the last gem, evolving into the last level of consciousness—her very own DIAMOND.
EMM’s built a reputation for creating music that illustrates a women’s power in a world that constantly tries to diminish it. She’s bold and vulnerable, and no one expected her, a classically trained musician, to create a peculiar sound with a strong personality. She emerges as an artistic force who’s ready to shake up the music world and show them that female musicians are a force to be reckoned with. Especially when they have a story to tell and a bold personality to go along with it.
Stream to EMM’s latest mixtape, “Sapphire” on Spotify. Be sure to keep up with EMM by following her on Twitter and Instagram.
For the latest coverage of EMM, read From Lovers to Strangers: EMM’s Bittersweet Ballad here.
Thumbnail courtesy of EMM.
