The difficulty of communicating with a romantic partner is brought to hilarious yet poignant life in the video for TOMI‘s new single “If You Tried”.
Just in time for Pride Month, “If You Tried” is Laurel Canyon-esque folk rock track that finds TOMI singing about when trying to speak to your lover is like talking to a wall. “I don’t want to tell you something that could break your heart, so I keep it to myself for the most part,” opening lyrics that put on display the fear that can bubble up when needing to have a difficult conversation with someone you care about. Yet avoidance is never the answer, and TOMI continues “Maybe if you tried, you would see it through my eyes…maybe if you tried, maybe we’d be on the other side.”
While the subject matter is painfully relatable to any type of relationship, TOMI and her partner Haile Lidow have brought the concept to comical “life” through the allegory of a mannequin romance. And unlike the movie Mannequin, this one never comes to life. As TOMI begins a whirlwind romance with the statuesque lesbian Barbie, it all quickly comes apart because of the one-sided communication. It’s a fun video that does justice to the heartfelt track.
Catch TOMI on tour with KT Tunstall next month, leading up to a performance at Bonnaroo. Watch the video above and stream the track here!