“One of the hard things about being a girl is having to always answer questions about why it’s hard to be a girl.”
That’s the ultimate statement Maren Morris makes at the end of the video for “Girl.” The new piece premiered Thursday (Jan. 24) via Morris’ YouTube channel with a Q&A with fans.
In less than five minutes, two soundbites and 38 scenarios, director David Meyers (Ariana Grande’s “God Is a Woman,” Kendrick Lamar’s “Humble.”) sequenced everything that makes today’s modern woman who she is without showing her face until moments before the song’s end.
Like everyone else in the world, the women in “Girl” experience instances of public cruelty, private crisis, vulnerability and risk. But there are also moments of fellowship, faith, support, adventure and possibility. Then there’s all that self-care and grooming.
The video’s realism is compounded by the song’s introspective message that challenges the inner critic inside us all. Morris co-wrote the song with Sarah Aarons (“The Middle,” Zedd/Maren Morris/Grey), along with Grammy-winning Greg Kurstin (Adele, Sia),
Morris sings, “Man, this [expletive] unflatterin’ / All up in my head again / I don’t feel myself right now / Maybe I should just lay down / If vanity’s my vitamin / Well, I don’t feel the difference / I don’t like myself right now / Gotta find a way out.
“What you feel is natural / But I don’t wanna feel this anymore / Pick yourself up off the kitchen floor / What you waitin’ for?”
Following a resounding chorus that puts faith in the belief that everything is going to be OK, Morris turns that self-criticism outwards.
She sings, “Draw your comparisons / Tryin’ to find who’s lesser than / I don’t wanna wear your crown / There’s enough to go around.”
Morris’ Girl: The World tour launches March 9 in Chicago, Ill. She is a lead country nominee heading to the 61st annual Grammy Awards on Feb. 10 in Los Angeles with nominations in five categories. “Girl” is the first single from her forthcoming sophomore album.
