NEW YORK —
“My intention writing this song was to get myself out of deep, heavy, painful feelings and move towards the light,” NYC-based art pop singer/songwriter BRIDGET BARKAN says, sprinkling positivity and support on our breakfasts this morning with her new single and music video “GOOD THINGS,” released May 21, 2024.
Sonically glam/pop meets Grizzly Bear meets Pat Benatar, this “actress of music” and former Scissor Sisters backup singer says, “theatrical performance is always there for music videos, and my dance background always finds its way back in, as well.”
Bridget Barkan “Good Things” Music Video
Emotionally weighted by personal tragedies, loss, and challenges exacerbated by the events of October 7, 2023 and the ongoing war in Gaza, Bridget was mired deep in a dark place. “I was going through a lot emotionally and personally that October, as were a lot of people in the world with the attack on October 7th and the impending war,” she explains. “All that I was going through personally exploded out of me, and I found connections between a lot of the experiences: the duality of sorrow and relief, as well as the heart’s true compassion… No matter the perspective, you can see that many truths exist at the same time.”
Losing her father (the celebrated songwriter/producer Marcus Barkan who wrote for Nat King Cole, Lesley Gore and even wrote the Banana Splits theme song “Tra La La”, among many others) during the pandemic meant she had to struggle with the loss in isolation due to the quarantine. Bridget also suffered a great deal of personal trauma in the last year from a miscarriage and a difficult breakup. “Good Things” finds her emerging from the grief to celebrate life and overcome all this hardship. The accompanying video is an incredibly beautifully shot and dramatized expression of the song, really showcasing her artistry and vision, capturing the beauty and wonder in life while also grappling with the inevitable pain– reminding everyone they are not alone.
Photo credit: Will Polanco
Written from a 5-step songwriting process Bridget invented as a songwriting workshop instructor at Carnegie Hall where, for the last seven plus years, she has taught incarcerated youth and NYC teachers, “Good Things” holds onto the glimmer of light in a dark and hardened world.
Bridget explains about a line from the song: “I used to love October changing leaves on Halloween, but this is the month I was almost a mother, now little pumpkins mean something different to me“:
“This lyric is probably the hardest to sing, but it came without effort and it rhymed without thinking. It’s such an honest feeling, and describes all of the fun things you imagine doing with your children on Halloween (putting your baby in a pumpkin costume, taking them trick-or-treating)… a deep sense of longing through a very simplistic description.” While expressing a very poignant take, the song remains upbeat and encouraging.
A regular in the NYC artsy pop underground that includes Bright Light Bright Light, Xavier Smith, and John Cameron Mitchell among many others, Bridget is a “Jill of All Trades” on a one woman journey through love and loss. She also formerly toured the world with Scissor Sisters and can be seen in their earth-shattering “Let’s Have A Kiki” video as one of Ana Matronic’s crew. Having inherited her father’s knack for songwriting, Bridget’s intrinsic artistry and talent is a legacy she proudly carries.
More About “Good Things”:
The video, directed and edited by Bridget, herself, and co-edited by Isabel Del Rosal and co-starring “twin-dancer” Casey Urban, shows Bridget using “dance to move energy and emotion through me. I feel it’s healing, so I consider this video a ritual to release the sadness,” she expresses. “The Boom Box Room was a perfect location. It has so many different light options, so I just went with it. There were some unplanned, organic things that happened with one rainbow light set up, which showed a more expressive and fun side of the song…”
“…My co-director Isabel said she could see me outdoors in part of the video, and I realized, ‘Of course! Rain makes things grow, and sadness can make things grow!’ So, we went to the botanical gardens and stole some shots of the blooming flowers before we got kicked out.”
More About Bridget:
Bridget Barkan is a chameleon artist who shape-shifts through genre and style with a thread of raw truth and soul, woven into every melody and lyric. A native New Yorker, she has toured the world with pop/glam band Scissor Sisters, opened for Lady Gaga with them, and has performed with Bright Light Bright Light and Slow Knights. Starring in LGBTQ romantic classic “Walk with Me,” as a singer/songwriter, Bridget was featured on the original album, as well.
As a singer, she has shared the stage with Drag legends Joey Arias, Murray Hill and more and has released singles with the House DJ/producer legend Todd Terry, as well as numerous of her own singles. She worked closely with Baz Luhrmann as the voice of Misty Holloway on the Netflix show “The Get Down.” As a child actress, she has appeared in countless commercials and Sesame Street. She has starred in HBO’s Everyday People, Sherrybaby, Redacted, God’s Pocket, Steven Soderbergh’s The Knick and had a recurring role as a one-legged “hooker” on Law & Order: SVU.
On stage, Barkan has appeared in numerous productions including Dog Sees God and alongside Lea Michelle in a workshop of Spring Awakening.
Follow Bridget Barkan Online
Featured photo (top) by Will Polanco
