Empress Of - Someone I Know

JUL 01 2024 · 12:00

Empress Of - Someone I Know (2024) Director: Sabrina Nichols Era: Post-Streaming Indie Revival (2024) - Mid-2020s era of curated tribute culture, lo-fi animation aesthetics, and independent label charity compilations recontextualizing late-1960s soft pop for contemporary audiences. High curatorial value as a documented artifact of the 2020s soft pop revival and tribute culture ecosystem. The video is a confirmed animated work by an established indie animation director, released on a major independent label platform (Sub Pop) in conjunction with a multi-artist charity compilation. It captures Empress Of at peak critical recognition in 2024 and documents a meaningful act of intergenerational musical preservation. The bright, warm, low-contrast aesthetic serves as a formal visual argument for the timelessness of Guryan's songwriting. Context: This video accompanies Empress Of (Lorely Rodriguez)'s cover of 'Someone I Know,' originally written by Margo Guryan for her sole studio album 'Take a Picture' (1968). Released July 24, 2024 via Sub Pop, it served as the lead single for the charity tribute compilation 'Like Someone I Know: A Celebration of Margo Guryan,' released November 8, 2024, the third anniversary of Guryan's death. A portion of proceeds was donated to reproductive health services. The compilation represents a broader 2020s cultural moment of rediscovering overlooked female songwriters of the 1960s, accelerated by TikTok-driven rediscoveries and label reissue campaigns. Empress Of was at the height of her commercial visibility in 2024, having released the critically acclaimed 'For Your Consideration' earlier that year. Director notes: Empress Of's 'Someone I Know' music video was directed by Sabrina Nichols and released on July 24, 2024 via Sub Pop Records as the lead single for the tribute compilation 'Like Someone I Know: A Celebration of Margo Guryan' (Sub Pop, November 8, 2024). The video is animated, consistent with Nichols' established body of work in animated music video direction. Sub Pop's official social media described it as an animated video.