Jess Taylor recently dropped the video for her dark new song, “Crooked Roots,” and it’s definitely a video worth watching.
The song itself is rootsy, and more bluegrass than country some would say. Taylor’s strong vocals evoke some similarities to some of Carrie Underwood’s darker songs like “Two Black Cadillacs” and “Choctaw County Affair.” But Taylor doesn’t go as deadly with the theme as Underwood tends to, but rather she focuses on the family of a man who did her wrong. It’s an interesting twist on a song calling out a man, rather than placing all the blame on him for his actions, Taylor hints that maybe some of his negative personality traits just run in the family. She sings, “Underneath the dirt, there lies the cold hard truth. That boy’s got crooked roots.” In some ways, this pierces more than a song attacking him would, as she’s attacking him and his family. It’s a cleverly written track, and the production of the song perfectly matches the dark story the lyrics portray.
The simple, black and white video is enormously effective in getting the message of the song across. Taylor’s all-white costume links to the idea of purity and goodness, while the man in the video is dressed in all black, evoking a more sinister and evil personality. Simple decisions make a world of a difference, and in a simple video like this one, they matter even more.
The song is great, and the video is even better. Watch it below.
The simple, black and white video is enormously effective in getting the message of the song across. Taylor’s all-white costume links to the idea of purity and goodness, while the man in the video is dressed in all black, evoking a more sinister and evil personality. Simple decisions make a world of a difference, and in a simple video like this one, they matter even more.
The song is great, and the video is even better. Watch it below.