Seductive alt pop meets mesmerisingly polished R&B, 'Pretty White Candles' is the newest single from emerging Australian artist Tayiha.
Despite her age (18 years old), Tayiha has crafted a sultry sonic landscape that taps into her own youthfulness and confidence, displaying a knack for intuitive songwriting that spotlights her as a creative talent trending up."I was actually inspired by a track called 'Intro III' by NF," Tayiha says. "I really liked that concept, but wanted it to relate more to my own personal life and what I was going through with a guy at that time.
"So I definitely leaned more into writing about the toxic side of love and how it can almost be like a tug of war between you and this person and this feeling. It's about not being able to let go of something you know is bad for you."
The music video is equally intimate as Tayiha evokes her best 'Eyes Wide Shut' impersonation as she plays cat and mouse with a lover.
scenestr is stoked to premiere the 'Pretty White Candles' music video today.
"The entire vibe of the song delves into a completely different style of music compared to [my] previous work," adds Tayiha about 'Pretty White Candles', her first new music of 2023.
"I think it's got such a distinctive sound and the concept is quite different. I wanted to try something new and being inspired for this piece by artists like Lana Del Rey and Cigarettes After Sex, I think with 'Pretty White Candles' I did exactly that."
As for the creative direction of the music video, Tayiha already had an idea percolating in her mind.
"When I first started writing the song 'Pretty White Candles' I had already envisioned the music video. Dark and ominous, and a big candlelit castle with long hallways.
"Obviously the castle part was a little unrealistic, but my videographer Connor and I still made that vision work.
"'Pretty White Candles' is a symbol for something that looks beautiful and elegant on the outside, but the song dives into a much darker meaning of toxic love built upon lust.
"The music video is abstract and symbolic, but it works well with engaging people to think a little deeper on the true meaning of 'Pretty White Candles'."
