Maryze. has shared a queer horror-themed music video for the popular single “Emo,” a track off the Montreal artist’s debut album 8, which dropped earlier this year via Hot Tramp Records (Alicia Clara).

The self-directed music video goes from sweet to spooky, featuring Maryze opposite model/artist Brit Carpenter in a dysfunctional romance, reminiscent of angsty first love. We follow their relationship from the honeymoon phase to when things turn toxic, culminating in an unexpected bloody end.

“I always seek out queer representation in horror, so this music video is my little contribution. I also feel like queer narratives lack the nuance that straight relationships receive in film, so I wanted to portray all the sides of the story, from beautiful tender moments, to scary unhealthy fights. The horror aspect is left pretty ambiguous and moves into a more experimental art direction. We set out to use horror devices to illustrate the toxicity of relationships without having any explicit on-screen violence. I wanted the viewer to be left asking: “who killed who?” – Maryze

Maryze created the video concept with horror screenwriter Joel H. Brewster, making it her most cinematic and narrative project yet. The visuals were shot by artist Janette King and edited by Solomon Krause-Imlach who produced the song. “Emo” pays homage to 2000s pop punk icons, taking vocal inspiration from Avril Lavigne and Paramore, and emulating Fall Out Boy bass tones and Green Day’s tremolo guitar in “Boulevard of Broken Dreams”.

Order 8 by Maryze HERE