⚡ Σtella portrays queer love in her stunning “Samba” video

Σtella/Stella‘s first release since signing to Arbutus Records, “Samba” is a dystopic yet delightful disco.

Geriatric men dancing, glittery ocean water, friends feeding one another soft serve from adjacent moving vehicles: It’s all in Σtella‘s newest music video for “Samba,” the first single off her upcoming album. Directed by Isi Charbila and Σtella herself, the project is bottled euphoria. Featuring ecstatic dancing from local talent Konstandinos Georgopoulos and Ioannis Michos, the video is reminiscent to Queer As Folk with its exuberant portrayal of queer love.

Σtella (born Stella Chronopoulou) is no stranger to the scene: She’s been steadily releasing breathtaking tracks since 2012 and collaborating with Grecian music Gods such as Sillyboy and My Wet Calvin. With this first release outside of Greece (and her first track since signing with Montreal-based label Arbutus Records), Σtella effortlessly blends retro Robyn-esque vocals with futuristic keys and guitar solos on this 80s-inspired track. The song and the vibe of the video perfectly encapsulate thoughts and feelings that stream through a partygoer’s head on a long night out, with Σtella singing, “Do I know you? / Have we met before? / Do you realize that they own you? / Have you finally had enough?” The gorgeous visuals combined with the quietly rhapsodic vocals result in a video that’s veritable eye candy.

Woven into this video’s ecstasy is a sense of foreboding, as there’s something unspoken yet ominous about the final project. Maybe its the interwoven cuts of Georgopoulos and Michos dancing in a red room, or perhaps it’s Charbila‘s eerie fascination with lights and shadows, or it could be Σtella‘s vaguely threatening lyrics– whatever it is, the effect it leaves behind is certainly sinister. Still, this ability to contain both hard and soft is Σtella‘s selling point. The video, the song, and the artist herself contain multitudes.

As the seasons begin to turn, “Samba” is the perfect score to shimmy your way into summer.