Underscores has released a new music video for ‘The Peace,’ one of the standout tracks from her acclaimed third album, U. Directed by Ayodeji, the visual transforms the song’s intimate relationship drama into a surreal, increasingly chaotic performance staged inside a dramatically lit soundstage.
At the centre of the video is April Harper Grey, the artist behind the underscores moniker, performing while surrounded by a restless crowd. As the track develops, smoke gradually takes over the space, turning what initially resembles a conventional live performance into something stranger and more claustrophobic. The theatrical production mirrors the emotional tension of ‘The Peace’, a song about trying to maintain closeness with someone through shared cigarettes, uncertainty and romantic compromise.
‘The Peace’ is an Imogen Heap-esque tribute to 2000s pop music, pointing to its transformation of an a cappella-style vocal idea into a layered electronic and choral texture. The Counterpoint, meanwhile, identified the song as part of U’s move towards a more streamlined, mainstream-facing form of hyperpop, with Grey favouring electronic production over the more guitar-driven approach associated with some of her earlier work.
Listeners have praised ‘The Peace‘ for its emotional depth and intricate production, making it a standout track from U. The video emphasises the tension between accessibility and experimentation, depicting the song’s vulnerability as increasingly disorienting as the smoke engulfs the performance, reflecting emotional instability.
Watch the music video for ‘The Peace‘ below:
