Grumpy Is No One's Second Choice
In their new music video, "Protein" directed by Sarah Ritter, Grumpy sing about being someone's second choice, but prove they're far from that.
Published
Brooklyn's enigmatic musical mainstay, Grumpy, is so back. With their new single, "Protein," an electro-pop banger that delves into the raw underbelly of digital longing, Grumpy, aka Heaven Schmitt, gives us a taste of what we've been missing. Imagine the sound of a cursor echoing through a cave, punctuated by a condescending "You've Got Mail" notification. That's the vibe.
Set against a shimmering soundscape that's as haunting as it is exhilarating, "Protein" dissects the all-too-familiar feeling of being someone's second choice.
The music video, a collaboration with Sarah Ritter (who shot our Issue 06 cover of Samia, among many other notable feats), takes the concept of flirting via text and catapults it into a futuristic alien war zone. As Heaven sings about emphasized texts and nude photo requests, their co-pilot is tragically ignored, leading to a crash landing on a desolate alien planet. The standout lyric "you emphasize my text and then ask if you can keep my nudes" perfectly encapsulates the song's poignant commentary on digital intimacy and vulnerability.
Below, Heaven and Sarah tell us about their collaboration, the hidden meanings, and why Grumpy's first music video is just the beginning.