With a danceable aesthetic and a natural-born musicality, Lou Phelps approaches his craft with a rare sense of lucidity. Grappling with a love affair that could either be his downfall or his saving grace, the multi-talented artist shares his new video single, “White Flower.” Anchored by a house-inspired instrumental with a hypnotic bassline by producer STWO, the track finds Lou feeling the gravitational pull of a new lover as he struggles to decide whether to escape its grasp while he can, or let himself fall: “You want it, I want it/But I’mma need you to make it clear for me/Is it love, or you just horny/I just need to know if I’m wasting my time again.”
Directed by Lou’s frequent collaborator Igal Perets, the video for “White Flower” vibrantly animates the track’s romantically indecisive themes, even with its monochrome color palette. Flanked by two beautiful women, Lou finds himself mesmerized by the way each moves to the music as if they’re unknowingly competing for his gaze, like a tennis match for his undivided attention. Yet, as the song progresses, Lou’s focus moves inward as he tries to navigate his own emotions, leaving the three of them emotionally detached as they continue to move in unison.
“White Flower” arrives as Lou’s first single of 2023, following the 2022 EP, Touché. With two songs produced by his brother KAYTRANADA and one produced by Lou himself, Touché is his first release with Rostrum Records, released in conjunction with Stand Up Guy Records, a new imprint founded by KAYTRANADA, of which Lou is a partner. The follow-up to 2020’s Extra Extra project, and to “Sound Of Money,” Lou’s 2021 collaboration with Madlib, Touché EP marked a turning point for the young rapper as he looks to expand his empire from his MTL hometown to the rest of the world.
Stay tuned for much more from Lou Phelps as he brings his Montreal sound to greater heights in 2023.
© 2023, Seth "Digital Crates" Barmash. All rights reserved.
