TOOPOOR Runs for Her Damn Life in 'DESOLATION'

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Gentler and more melodic than TOOPOOR’s previous work, this single shows her grieving the loss of herself and her partner. Realizing she no longer recognized her own reflection, the Los Angeles artist began to write about everything from toxic, codependent relationships to death in order to arrive at relief and “the freedom to find yourself again,” as she explains.

“My favorite line from this track is, ‘Lost the pretty parts of me,’” TOOPOOR says, reflecting on her long, complicated journey. “This is exactly how I feel after giving my entire being to the wrong human. However, we do get those pretty parts back — with time and healing.”

Because the song itself is so personal, TOOPOOR wanted the accompanying music video to feel just as “organic and genuine.” So she tapped her “besties to shoot it,” including PISSKISS, and edited the footage herself to create a lo-fi visual that looks voyeuristic with real diary entries running over the top of black-and-white, night vision frames.

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They filmed everything in Joshua Tree, California, near TOOPOOR’s hometown. Having been born and raised in a desert city, she wanted to tap into her roots for this. “My idea was to be chased and be running for my damn life,” she says, underscoring shots of her running nude to symbolize liberation and escaping trauma. “Which is essentially what I’ve been trying to do for years: run.”

"DESOLATION" is TOOPOOR's first official release in two years, following her song, "Casadastra," with Killstation in 2020. She first entered the music scene back in 2019 with "Crazy Girls" — an industrial, hard-hitting breakout after years of working as a DJ that centered on similar themes of toxicity and mental health.

Photos courtesy of TOOPOOR