Singled Out: Victoria Kuhne's Vice
Music artist and Grammy-nominated producer Victoria Kuhne tells us about her single and video "Vice", which comes from her forthcoming Saints EP. Here is the story:
"Vice" was inspired by one of my favorite paintings. I am a very visual person and I found myself studying the little information there is out there about Hieronymus Bosch and had been exploring his work a lot. I kept thinking of "The Garden of Earthly Delights" for some reason when the lyrics and the melody for "Vice" came to me. I ended up submerged in that painting during my whole writing process for this song.
When it came to producing the music video, I really wanted to portray what the 2019 version of the Garden of Eden would be like if I were running the place. This video is my version of a modern Eden through my eyes and in my perception, it would be full of excesses and overindulgence. I needed it to reflect decadence and excessiveness in every scene.
For the whole concept of this EP, of which "Vice" is the first single, I chose to tell my story in the form of a Venus creature that is not satisfied in heaven, so out of boredom she comes down to Earth. The important thing here is that it's her decision. It's her choice to experiment with pleasure and sin, pain and pleasure, power and temptation. She is in control and in charge of her sexuality and her body. The bad decisions are still consciously made as they are part of an experience she chooses to have. I think there's something extremely empowering about that.
I grew up in Mexico, in a strict family, going to a very strict all-girls Catholic school where we were taught to admire and worship all these different saints. As an adult I've always been fascinated by this concept. I've managed to see the images and stories behind these saints as dope works of art and I've taken so much inspiration from that and from the story of Adam and Eve. There's many biblical references and metaphors hidden in my lyrics. For example, in "Vice" there's a line that says, "Somewhere deep in Eden hides a devil wearing my disguise." In the lyrics of the song I am temptation in the human form, which is a concept I am obsessed with.
What I really hope to achieve with "Vice" and with the rest of this EP, which will be called SAINTS, is to bring a full experience to people. Not just one single after another, but a body of work and a concept that's defined by the duality in all of us. If you listen to the lyrics carefully, you'll find how the five songs are connected and are part of the same universe I created for this first EP. My close friends who have heard them tell me my songs make them wanna make bad decisions that make them feel more alive. I love the idea that my music could inspire people to experiment with life more and take charge of their bodies and their experiences. That's what my song "Vice" and my upcoming EP SAINTS are all about.
Hearing is believing. Now that you know the story behind the song, listen and watch for yourself below!
Singled Out: Victoria Kuhne's Vice
