Trevi Moran is nothing if not self-aware.
"I'm so psychotic," she admits on the chorus of "Faces," a single about her everyday rollercoaster of emotions. "I got this feeling in my soul, demonic/ I don't know how to take control, but I like it." While the internet sensation has been dabbling in music for some time, this marks her reintroduction to the world as a trans woman with a brand new name — more open and true to herself than ever before.
"The lyrics are actually very personal, even though the song is upbeat," Moran tells PAPER, explaining how she collaborated with her good friend Sam F on the power-pop cut. "It's my mental health anthem all about trying to break free. I just want someone to listen to it who feels/ felt the same way as me to fully understand and resonate with it."
The pair took their "sweet time" with finishing "Faces" because Moran says she wanted to wait until her mental health improved before releasing the song this June. Those following her journey on YouTube will know that Moran has publicly struggled with sobriety, documenting her personal experiences with detox, relapse and rehab.
"So hopefully this is the comeback [my fans have] been waiting for," Moran says of her significant break from music during COVID lockdowns. "I think it's reflective of who I am, not only as a pop star but as a human being. If you fall, you have to fuckin' get back up. It's hard, but worth it."
For the "Faces" video, out this week, Moran teamed up with choreographer Richy Jackson, best known for his longtime work alongside Lady Gaga ("Stupid Love," "Rain on Me"). With director Juliana Carpino on board, the visual pushed Moran "the hell out of my comfort zone," she says, with beauty transformations and a full-on dance number. "I even left the set with a broken foot. Not joking. When Richy says go all out, I don't think he meant that."
Jackson says they had one day to "create the magic" and, prior to that, spent significant time in the dance studio rehearsing. "I said to Trevi, 'We're getting on the floor,' and from that the 'Faces' steps were born," he explains. "The key word here is 'determination.' Trevi is all of that: The want to be great, the want to perform and the want to be that bitch."
Related | How Richy Jackson Got America Dancing
The choreographer continues, "In each of our lives we are at one point knocked down, and after listening to 'Faces' it reminded me of 'the Phoenix rising' out of darkness. I envisioned Trevi as this Phoenix as she starts on the ground to eventually dance her way back up. The dance on the ground is strong yet vulnerable."
So regardless of all the "different faces" Moran wakes up with — and in the case of her new video, different hair colors too — she's finally learning to choose her battles. "I'm breaking free now and I'm paving my own damn lane," as she sings on the song — a mission statement for restarting your life and never looking back.
Photo courtesy of Trevi Moran
Related Articles Around the Web