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Watch the Video for Mr. Little Jeans’ Late-Night Pop Anthem ‘Runaway’

Mr. Little Jeans

No one in music is more culturally important than the dance-pop diva right now — Rihanna, Katy Perry, Gaga, Minaj, even Madonna’s back — so naturally we’ve seen a parallel underground emerge, a weird mirror reflection where freak flags come in the form of subdued aesthetics, DIY production values, and literary lyrics (see Niki and the Dove, Charli XCX, et al). That’s where Mr. Little Jeans comes in: the spritely, smart project of Norway’s Monica Birkeness, she’s got hooks from here to the Aurora Borealis but swathes them in dark-hearted mystery, bright synths lurking beneath her breathy, indelible voice. The video for “Runaway,” from her forthcoming full-length debut, blends the wistful longing of the lyrics with opaque images of Birkeness, a soft braid framing her face, and the haunting nature of the light hints that the line “when you runaway, you can go anywhere” maybe isn’t totally celebrating liberation. It’s a late-night anthem for summer lovers, and a promising hint towards whatever she does next. “Runaway” is out April 10, and her full album is due in August.