Mavi Phoenix’s ‘Ugly’ video is as low-budget as it gets — and is the rapper refusing to do the ‘expected’ yet again

I have been watching Austrian singer and rapper Mavi Phoenix closely over the last few months. Ever since she gave her acceptance speech at the Amadeus Austrian Music Awards, when she won the FM4 Amadeus Award.

An award speech in which she pointed out, in a polite way that, other than FM4, few organizations in Austria support independent music, or the young Austrian musicians creating it.

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Something I was happy to hear an Austrian artist talk about at such an important event, as it is something that has driven me crazy since I moved to Vienna three years ago.

Just how much good indie music is in this country, and how little Austrians and their music outlets support it.

Because, apparently, according to most Austrian media outlets, and most Austrians if the truth were told, it is more important to promote and support American artists like Billie Eilish, Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga and Jonas Brothers, or Brits like Ed Sheeran, Dua Lipa and Florence + the Machine, than it is to support your own country’s artists first.

And nothing against the artists I just mentioned, as I enjoy their music just as much as anyone (well, everyone but bloody Bieber!). But, come on Austria, maybe throw a little more support and money towards the world-class indie musicians your own country has first?

Anyway… I liked that Mavi Phoenix talked about it during an event where nothing negative is meant to be mentioned. And I liked her even more because of it.

Mavi Phoenix’s ‘Ugly‘ music video

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And I brought this up now because Mavi Phoenix is proving yet again today how cool she is, and how much she is going to continue to refuse to act the way she is ‘expected’ to act.

After all, let’s face it, kissing the rear ends of the people in the Austrian music industry, and doing what they expect you to do, probably won’t get you that far anyway.

Not if you and your music don’t fit that same boring box these folks have been pushing for the last 20 years.

Related: Check out some of the other Austrian artists we’ve interviewed or covered

A box that the just released Mavi Phoenix ‘Ugly‘ music video definitely won’t fit into.

Not considering she filmed it herself while in front of a video camera in a friend’s room.

A music video that is so low-budget, it really doesn’t get much lower than this.

And not when it’s just Mavi Phoenix talking into the camera about how difficult and expensive music videos are to make, how she thought “I got this. I can do this”, and all of this while absent-mindedly shoving ice cream into her mouth.

Because, after the ‘Ugly‘ video’s one minute 30 second introduction, it then moves onto Mavi recording her actual music video.

Again, it’s just her, looking into the same camera, and lip syncing to her new song ‘Ugly‘, while adopting various poses.

Yep, Mavi Phoenix’s ‘Ugly’ music video probably took her a couple of hours to film, cost her about 1 euro 50 cents, and still has just as much impact as anything she could have produced that would have set her back thousands of euros instead.

In other words, it’s Mavi Phoenix not only pointing out young Austrian artists don’t get the support or attention they deserve but that, when it comes to music videos, most of them can’t afford to produce anything too fancy either.

But, if they take their creativity in their own hands, and decide to work around the blocks the Austrian music industry usually puts in their way, any young Austrian artist can forge a music career, and can create a music video their fans will watch and probably like.

Watch Mavi Phoenix’s ‘Ugly‘ music video below. It’s as simple as a music video gets, and very very cool. Listen to the single itself in the Spotify widget below that, then keep up to date on her goings-on on her website.

And as for someone in the Austrian music industry who does support Austrian indie artists as much as he possibly can, check out music journalist and W24 presenter Peter Schreiber’s list of 10 Austrian artists you should be listening to. And yep, Mavi Phoenix appears on that too!



About Michelle Topham

I'm a Brit-American journalist, former radio DJ at 97X WOXY, and Founder/CEO of Leo Sigh. I'm also obsessed with music, anime, manga, and K-dramas. Help!

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