Hunter Schafer 'Listens to girl in red'

girl in red (Marie Ulven) became the it-girl of the queer femme community last summer with the release of if i can make it go quiet. Since then, her name has become synonymous with queer femme and nonbinary identities, even sparking a TikTok trend using “do you listen to girl in red” as a quasi code for queerness.

@alicarr0ll Reply to @ii.rxinbow.dxaddy.ii it’s HAPPENING!! #staycalm #fyp #lgbt #gaygirl #girlinred #doyoulistentogirlinred #commentsection #gayfyp #gaygirl ♬ original sound - coupon_katie

Directed by Schafer, the video sees girl in red on the road as she wistfully gazes out of car windows, or lounges languid from the roof of a moving tourbus. The song details a past romance gone wrong, as Ulven recounts the part she played in letting their love go awry.

Flashing between billboard screens and memories, Ulven runs through a construction zone and becomes suspended in red tape (or are they red flags?) as she croons “don’t ever take me back, let’s just face the fact, I treated you like trash, and you deserve more than that.” Memories of Ulven’s lost love then flash across the screen like a scene viewed again and again through a rushing train car window, unraveling like a roll of film.

“‘hornylovesickmess’ is one of my [favourites] off the album,” Ulven said. “Being able to make a video with Hunter for the album’s anniversary was so cool. We had so many ideas after the first time we hung out and it was cool to be with another creative in that way. It was also fun to be on set with her and get her vibe as a director.”

Schafer, proud to tout her new directorial chops also shared a side-by-side of stills and storyboard sketches to her Instagram.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Hunter (@hunterschafer)

Ending on Ulven’s face alone from her tour bus window, we can’t help but feel the nostalgia of young love, remembering how we all once looked out of car windows and imagined ourselves the protagonist of our very own music video. Except our main character moments weren’t directed by Hunter Schafer.

Photography: Jacqueline Landvik