Caroline Smith talks about her new video for “Half About Being a Woman.”
by Kaylen Ralph
We haven’t exactly kept our love for Caroline Smith, the folk singer-turned-R&B bombshell, a secret here at The Riveter. Given our shared Minneapolis roots, we pretty much consider whatever she does perfection, and when she and Lizzo pranced down Lake Street earlier this fall, we all wanted to be her in those short shorts and oversized jean jacket. What a babe.
Two weeks ago, Okayplayer had the honor of debuting Smith’s latest music video. “Half About Being a Woman” is a sultry song about breaking up and breaking down, only to pick yourself up and start all over again. The song on its own is a powerful ballad about self-care and recovering from our “mistakes.” The video version stars Smith herself in two roles – she’s both the woman who can’t seem to see through the heartbreak of a breakup and the woman who puts up a strong front.
Although she’s currently on tour, we had the chance to connect with Smith via email and ask her some behind-the-scenes questions about the song, the video and her perspective on her evolving career.
Kaylen Ralph: An aspect of “Half About Being a Woman” that hadn’t occurred to me before seeing the video was the idea of a woman being her own worst enemy, or her own best friend, but that’s what struck me the most about this video. What inspired you to cast yourself in the roles of both the “strong” and “weak” woman?
Caroline Smith: I wanted to illustrate the duality of strength. No person is simply “strong”. I believe people have to find strength by overcoming hardship. I think that’s what makes it so beautiful. So simply showing strength without the ugly side leaves out the part of the story that I find most interesting.
KR: How did you decide to shoot the video in black and white? Breakups (and relationships) usually aren’t the same way, so I found the juxtaposition really interesting in that way.
CS: I felt black and white would allow more emphasis on the facial emotions. I’m not quite sure why. I just felt it would frame a contorted and distraught face and make it feel stark and beautiful.
KR: “Being a woman, is half about being wrong,” is such a powerful line. On top of that, this video makes it seem like being a woman is about being wrong and about forgiving yourself for your missteps. In addition to relationships, what other issues do you think affect women in this way?
CS: That sentence is an unfinished sentence. It is supposed to mean that the other half of you is right. By that, I am talking about trusting your intuition and allowing yourself to be right. I think women have a hard time with that which lends to them having a difficult time walking away from unhealthy situations. Women are distracted by devices to make them feel inferior every day—diet pills, skin bleaching, hair products, all day, every day. Of course, it’s hard for us to trust ourselves or to feel confident enough to do so.
KR: Your hair is essentially its own character in this video. Aside from long hair being a symbol for femininity, what else are you trying to convey through this image?
CS: Exactly what I am saying above. I know I have coveted hair and it defined me for my whole life. The decision to cut it off came from my needing freedom from it. Freedom from the hair prison so to speak. All you ladies know what I’m talking about. It’s a distraction and I wanted to be able to see clearly aside from straightening products and hours in front of the mirror each week. I’m not trying to tell all ladies to cut their hair, but I encourage to put whatever their distraction is at bay, whether it’s your weight, your skin, etc; we all have our vices.
KR: Since making the shift from folk to R&B, what other subjects are you finding easier to explore in your music?
CS: Healthy love. I love writing about it. I think writing about tumultuous relationships only further romanticizes it and encourages girls to find it, so it feels good to sing about something healthy for a change. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll always write my bittersweet ballads, but I think I’ve found a nice balance.
Kaylen is one of The Riveter’s co-founders and editors. She moved to Minneapolis, MN after graduating from the Missouri School of Journalism in August 2013. In addition to her editorial duties at The Riveter, Kaylen also works as a freelance researcher for The Sager Group. You can follow her on Instagram and Twitter at @kaylenralph.
