Rudie Edwards' first experience with music involved dancing and singing along to her dad's records — and in a way, not much has changed. The British singer, who's influenced by a lot of the same classics she grew up dancing to, just wants everyone to have fun. Her new music video for "Lover Like You," the second single from the artist and debuted exclusively by Refinery29, is the perfect example of what to expect from this brand new star.
"The music videos that I watched growing up, the artist wasn’t trying to look too cool," she told Refinery29. "There was a lot of stuff in it and humor and I was just like, I want to do something like that. I want to do a video where I don’t take myself too seriously, I’m having a laugh in it, and a girl that maybe is like me or has maybe got this huge hair, or wants to dance around like an idiot and doesn’t feel like they can... that it’s alright, you know?"
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Edwards grew up in a small town, but by her mid-teens she was ready to move on. She moved to London and attended the BRIT School, a free performing arts and technology school for students aged 14 to 19. Edwards studied for two years, and she credits the program for getting her started in the industry. "I met, like, a lot of great musicians there and started bands there and that’s when I kind of started focusing on the writing side of things," she said.
But the inspiration for her upcoming EP had more to do with the music she'd been listening to — and a really bad breakup. Disco-inspired songs like "Uptown Funk" helped her shape "Lover Like You," but the breakup solidified the sound.
"I really just wanted one song that was like, 'I’m okay,'" she explained. "You know what I mean? 'I’m good.'"
And that's how she wants her listeners to feel. While her original idea for the "Lover Like You" video involved a swapping of gender roles, with Edwards prowling the dance floor looking for men, she instead landed on this more abstract dance party because it was ultimately more fun. This way there's something for everyone.
"I always imagine people hopefully listening to it and feeling some sort of strength from it, I guess," she said. "I went through crap, but I’m still here, you know? I’m still alive and kicking."