‘Dark Horse’: Maria Wilman’s new single

A review of Maria Wilman’s new single and music video ‘Dark Horse’.

Maria Wilman is a singer and songwriter based in London. Inspired by the desire to fulfil her dream of a music career, Maria Wiliam embarked on a journey of very prolific songwriting, eventually leading to the creation of Dark Horse.

Produced by Colin Elliot (Richard Hawley, Slow Club), and released on 9 February, ‘Dark Horse’ is a statement of relying on inner strength and keeping moving through challenging times. 

The lyrics, widely deep and introspective, reflect on the possibility of reinventing oneself as a way of healing; how in everything that seems lost, there is always a chance of re-emerging as new, and embrace that change. The music itself really does help convey this powerful message. Starting with a soft-rock sound that brings to mind the ever-classic sound of The Pretenders, the song builds up supported by the appearance of a chorus and a subtle (yet effective) strings accompaniment in the background – two magnificent additions to the general sound of the song. 

As the song moves forward, the bridge leads to a brief but thrilling guitar solo, which prepares the return of the verse, and eventually the chorus. On top of this, Maria Wilman’s powerful and soulful voice certainly adds to making this song as emotional and moving as it is. 

The release of ‘Dark Horse’ is accompanied by its music video, based on Wilman’s script and idea, and directed by Alex Amorós. Accompanying the deep sense of the lyrics, the video follows the idea of emerging as someone new, as we first see the singer featuring herself as a piece of a chess game. 

Later on, a sense of freedom and renewal is conveyed when we see her singing, running and even dancing on an open landscape. Her image often merges with a herd of horses riding free. Finally, The black and white filter, Wilman’s makeup, the incredible cinematography (by Alex Amorós and Alessandro Mariscalco), add up to a stunning and powerful aesthetic. 

Maria Wilman is an artist of great depth and intensity, two qualities that colour her music. 

Author

Candelaria Gómez

Candelaria Gómez Contributor

Hey! I'm a violinist and music student based in Argentina. I love art in all its expressions -and I love to write about it.
Thank you for your interest on my posts!

Recent posts by this author

View more posts by Candelaria Gómez

0 Comments

Post A Comment

You must be signed in to post a comment. Click here to sign in now

You might also like

Make Good: The Post Office Scandal — A musical miscarriage of justice

Make Good: The Post Office Scandal — A musical miscarriage of justice

by Primrose Jarvis

Read now