Grabbitz has never shied away from bearing his soul in his music and lyrics. The New York-born musician is as much as a singer-songwriter as he is a producer, but even after three EPs and a debut album of genre-shifting sound, he’s still got a few tricks up his sleeve.
In the music video for his latest single “Ghost in a Song,” a moody downtempo melody about living for your art, Grabbitz goes full on boy band with the syncronized dance moves. It’s not really cheesy like a boy band. He actually looks pretty natural. Turns out, it’s a new look for Grabbitz as an artist, but it’s not a new love in his life.
“I’ve always loved dancing,” Grabbitz tells Billboard Dance. “I think it’s one of the most authentic ways to connect with music and rhythm. I haven’t fully dove into learning a routine before this video, and although I have a lot to learn, it felt bad ass to try.”
As soon as he finished “Ghost in a Song,” Grabbitz found he couldn’t stop dancing around his apartment. Dancing to this one’s swaying beat and haunting chorus just felt right, so he hit up his choreographer friend Sofi Toufa to see if she’d work out some moves. That night, he headed to a party with some friends, and as luck would have it, Toufa was the first person he ran into.
Toufa and Grabbitz collaborated on the moves and enlisted Laurel Thomson and Asiel Hardison as back-up dancers.
“I really owe it to Sofi for turning my rough ideas into a full blown routine and getting Laurel and Asiel involved,” he says. “I was pretty shook, because they’ve danced alongside Gaga, Beyonce, Motley Crue, Janet Jackson, and others. For them to have joined me so passionately was something I’ll never forget. I have so much respect for what they do, it is the most raw and human form of art.”
Grabbitz, Thomson and Hardison move through a solemn street in Los Angeles bringing “Ghost in a Song” to life, but there is a snippet of his song “King” just at the beginning. The video was directed by Grabbitz and his friend Zach Frank, who also goes by Z, with assistance by Jude Aotik. All that flashy gold fringe he’s rockin’ comes courtesy of Laurel Dewitt.
Don’t be surprised if you see more dancing from Grabbitz to come.
“As my music evolves, the performance will evolve. It won’t ever stop evolving because I can’t be stagnate,” he says. “The song is about making the best art possible, and living on after death through the art you leave behind. I’m staying committed to making music I’ll always be proud of leaving behind. My life is dedicated to the craft.”
“King / Ghost in a Song” is out now on Ultra Records. Watch the video below, exclusively on Billboard Dance.