I won’t be running away
Like it’s a shame to be abused
I won’t be hiding away
Like it’s a crime, to break their rules
French electronic music project Minuit Machine, helmed by the majestic Amandine Stioui, returns with the evocatively titled single and accompanying video, Queendom. The track is a stark electronic meditation, understated yet richly evocative, building quietly toward subtle rebellion.
Stioui’s voice hovers delicately and articulates brittle yearning through rhythmic insistence. Synth lines glide elegantly, the steady bassline urging listeners forward, yet beneath lies an unsettling awareness: the suffocating toll exacted by conformity’s masks. The music embodies echoes of Visage’s sleek glamour and Ladytron’s crystalline poise. It also features elements reminiscent of contemporary artists like Anika, with her raw intimacy, and Molly Nilsson, whose emotional impact and precision add depth to the arrangements. This combination carries poignant verses upward into expansive choruses that resonate with a sense of quiet triumph.
Lyrically, the piece confronts emotional exploitation head-on, illuminating a path out from under the shadow of manipulation. Stioui articulates a quiet insistence on dignity, turning away from imposed shame and embracing vulnerability in the protective intimacy of another. The result is an evocative balance between inner fortitude and the restorative power of genuine connection.
Director M4R4 (Manon Dupeyrat)’s accompanying visual narrative enhances this sense of cautious defiance. The video follows a figure preparing to step outside, surveillance looming overhead, tension etched in every careful movement. Yet within the clipped gestures and watchful glances lies an unmistakable assertion of agency…a quiet proclamation of autonomy within intrusive surroundings. It feels as though we have intruded upon an intimate ritual, one defined by self-determination and understated bravery. Here, the personal becomes subtly political, embodying the track’s understated call for authenticity amidst pervasive pressure.
Watch below:
Listen to Queendom below and order the album (out now via Synth Religion) here.
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