Alix Page's "Frank" Reflects on Love and Loss

Photo By: Dillon Matthew

Though the new year has many of us excitedly looking to the future, moving forward we must give our attention to some of the music you may have missed in 2020. Last August, California singer/songwriter Alix Page released "Frank," a poppy sleeper-hit about unreciprocated love and summer romance. The track's lyric video, hand illustrated by Jordan Pories, recently came out in late-December.

Inspired by the imagery and themes from Frank Ocean's "White Ferrari," "Frank" sees Alix Page building her own narrative recounting a missed opportunity between herself and a romantic interest. Page's soft vocal register works in tandem with her incredible songwriting ability to convey a relatable and bittersweet story. The track borrows elements from genres like indie-pop, but unlike many of her contemporaries, Alix Page sets herself apart by offering an authentic and genuine vulnerability in her writing. Her video conveys this powerlessness as well, featuring soft pastel tones that capture the nostalgia and sadness of lost summer love.

The lyric video for "Frank" is full of symbolic imagery that communicates a sentimental mood to its viewer. The text is hand-written, like memories or notes scrawled quickly into a journal, but it never stays for long. Page's lyrics, like the experiences they convey, are fleeting, and often we can only reflect on them by looking back. Jordan Pories amplifies the track's message by animating Page's ethereal performance as texts on a screen, or sentiments ("I want it bad") only visible in a rear-view mirror.

Though reflection can be difficult, perhaps this is what we need as we move into 2021. Taking an introspective moment to dwell on our past is something that Alix Page has clearly mastered, and hopefully this video will promote a similar sense of mindfulness. Looking to the future, however, I cannot wait to see what new music Alix Page releases this year.