Mỹ Tâm Explores Animated Escapism With "SON OF A GUN"
Mỹ Tâm, photo courtesy of the artist
By Emily Herbein
In mid-2020, Philadelphia based artist and composer Tammy “Mỹ Tâm” Huynh and her collaborator Amber "Anba" Janssen released an electro-pop concept EP, Philly Pop, which serves as the frame story for 2021’s emergent single, “SON OF A GUN." Recorded at home using Huynh’s DIY setup thanks to quarantine, Philly Pop follows a narrative based around a dystopic city that is firmly entrapped in technology. It’s a relevant passion project, illustrating what it feels like to want to separate yourself from your phone but not knowing how to unplug. It fully emphasizes the fear that unplugging might even be impossible, and we’ve all had that thought. It’s topical and presented in a way that is uniquely visceral to Huynh and Janssen, using both visual and sonic methods inspired by Japanese pop music and classic animation. I’m really thrilled that this was sent my way. Philly Pop and “SON OF A GUN” cross over all creative mediums, and both releases address one of the most present sources of modern-day anxiety: the pressure to remain relevant online is so intense in a way that I can’t even explain. This release defines that anxiety in a tangible and lighthearted way that I really appreciate.
Through the second half of 2020, Huynh enlisted an ensemble cast of players to bring “SON OF A GUN” to life. Teaming up with Trap Rabbit’s Logan Roth and Arjun Dube and Treacle Mine Recording’s Michael Cumming to produce and master the track respectively, the single zooms in on the world Huynh and Janssen created in the fictional city of “Root,” the setting for Philly Pop. The track also features Trap Rabbit contributing additional keys and percussion of course, as well as Dave D’Arville on guitar, Walter A. Cano on trumpet, Ben Stocker on tenor sax, and Hailey Brinnel on trombone. Huynh transformed a bedroom collaboration into a fully realized studio concept, and she and the rest of her crew should be proud of that pay-off.
The soundscape for “SON OF A GUN” is heavily inspired by classical video games, and that influence is evident throughout every aspect of the instrumentation. The narrative overlay blended with Huynh’s energy-sparking vocals makes this track listen like a fully immersive experience. The brass sections lend themselves to imaginative cityscape found-sounds, and the synthetic percussive backing beats lay down the foundation for a constant driving beat. The Japanese pop influences are definitely evident in its heavily electronic-leaning space, making it a high-energy experience with or without the video to pair it with. It’s a unique listen, and in conjunction with the video, it has the same feel as if you’re moving through this fast-paced escapist adventure. With only occasional breaks in form, the track really does listen like one chapter of what I can only hope are many from Janssen and Huynh’s imaginative world.
While the song and video are relevant to the frame story from Philly Pop, Huynh emphasizes that listeners can appreciate the broader message of acknowledging the prospect of escapism without directly tying it to the narrative, though it’s definitely more of a fun listen when paired with the visual. The story follows the character Satou Yuki, who is struggling with the doldrums of everyday life and caving in to the pressure of seemingly mundane teenage things like deadlines and homework. Despite these anxieties, he’s a character built on foundational perseverance and emphasizes the importance of not taking life too seriously. Following the pixelated animation style, Yuki is also a video game fanatic, which directly lends itself to the video. We’re watching him slip into an alternate reality in what feels like real-time. With an instrumental that Huynh says was largely improvised, there’s an important metaphor presented to the viewer with “SON OF A GUN.” The nostalgic visual, the vastness of the lyrical escapism, and the forward-moving soundscape all lend themselves to a project that encourages taking a step back from reality and understanding that not everything is as heavy as your mind makes you think it is.
With the help of animator Justin Tu, Huynh and Janssen pieced together pixel art and animation in a way that they’d never done before. Rather than outsourcing an entire visual team, they decided to tackle the project themselves and have Tu work on the final touches. As someone who has absolutely no grasp on what it takes to put a visual project like this together, the way that Huynh and her team executed this project reaches a whole new level of professionalism. The lighthearted listen paired with thematic anxieties that are always at the front of most people’s minds makes “SON OF A GUN” very real for any listener who finds it.
You can stream Philly Pop above, and watch the video for “SON OF A GUN” below.