Early influences are so powerful – they can inspire people to greatness or stop them from reaching for the stars. In her defiant new music video, “Done Playing Small,” critically acclaimed vocalist V. Contreras takes on that second group, the ones who can halt listeners in their tracks. The inspiring song rejoices in reconnecting with the young girl within her who was strong and vibrant before the world made her curtail her dreams, ambitions, and, ultimately, her self-worth. The Seattle-based singer started big and small, at 12 years old, she performed with a 25-piece jazz band. Later she worked with music legend Randy Jackson as well as renowned songwriters and producers who have collaborated with industry giants from Madonna and Whitney Houston to Brandi Carlile, and Macklemore. Contreras has brought her dynamic vocal style and original songwriting approach to each of these pairings, not least to the soaring melody and deep emotion of her latest single.
“Done Playing Small” produced by Davide Russo (Ruhde) and written by V. Contreras herself, is a profoundly personal expression for the singer, but V. Contreras also intends for the single to resonate deeply with her listeners. “It’s about reclaiming your power, rewriting personal narratives and deciding not to live by someone else’s definition of who you should be. I hope that this message inspires others to do the same,” she says. The song powerfully articulates the voice of a child who can’t be heard, embodied in the song of a woman who won’t be silenced. Built on a contemporary electronic instrumental groove, the music allows Contreras’ voice to drive the song and its potent message, instilling both with visceral power. In a moving performance evocative of vocal powerhouses like Celine Dion or Lara Fabian, Contreras is unrestrained in expressing the liberation of finding within her “the girl who wants it all, and she’s done playing life small.”
Filmed in a black and white style that works as both an elegant setting and as raw cinema verite, the “Done Playing Small” music video filmed and directed by Fuego Gatsby depicts a lost young girl looking for validation, a teenager leaving a bad situation, a bride whose happiness has been thwarted and other women ready for personal liberation. Contreras herself is transformed throughout the video as she shifts from a black-garbed figure surrounded by darkness to a white-robed and enveloped in gossamer while the film explodes into full color. She throws handfuls of dirt – a rejection of all the voices that tried to clip her wings – as her voice rises unconstrained to the heights of self-empowerment and renewed confidence.
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