For Zoey Madison, music has never been confined to what we hear. The New York based R&B-pop artist approaches her work as a complete creative world, where sound, imagery, storytelling and personal experience all have a place. With her latest single, Love Like You, that vision becomes particularly vivid.

A beautifully arranged piano ballad that grows into a sweeping production of strings and layered vocals, the song traces the experience of finding yourself through relationships – and confronting just how much of yourself you can sometimes give away in the process. But the story doesn’t stop when the music ends. Madison has created an accompanying visual world drawing on her fascination with 1920s design, classic Hollywood and the surreal, otherworldly atmosphere of The Twilight Zone.

It’s an aesthetic that reflects an artist who has a clear idea of where she wants her music to take her. From the initial mood board to the finished video created with graphic artist Monique Mendoza, every frame has been considered as part of a larger artistic identity.

We caught up with Zoey to talk about the story behind love like you, the meaning of its pivotal bridge, her fascination with old Hollywood and why building a visual language around her music is just as important as the songs themselves.

Tell us the story of this track. Why did you choose to visualize it specifically in this way?

The song is a journey of finding yourself through new relationships culminating in my favorite part of the song, the bridge which demonstrates that sometimes we put ourselves through a lot to stay with people we love. I chose to visualize it through compilations of things I love like 1920’s type graphics, old Hollywood which I’m very passionate about and images reminiscent of the twilight zone to give it another worldly feeling.

What was the inspiration behind this new video (visuals, storyline, etc.)?

I have always had a very particular view of what I want my brand and artistry to look like concerning my music. Visuals are very important to me. The various frames of the video were put together intentionally in such a way as to capture not only the mood of the song but advance the image I am trying to achieve.

What was the process of making this video?

I put together a mood board reflecting the images I found to represent my brand and what images of my brand I wanted my song “Love Like You” to convey. Working with graphic artist Monique Mendoza, we were able to put together a video which felt authentic to me as an artist. 

Keep up with everything Zoey Madison on her Website