Revenge Wife: More than a “Fantasy Girl”
After an 8-year-long tenure as the lead singer of HOLYCHILD, Liz Nistico decided to launch a solo project called REVENGE WIFE, which not only feels like evolution but it definitely signifies that much in Liz’s career, where her personal perspective now takes an even greater role in the art she puts out, with the latest release being the music video for her single, “Fantasy Girl”.
“Fantasy Girl” immediately brings memories of 80s Italo disco with a twist of Japanese Citypop, it’s like a euphoric synth-fueled rush that develops into an anthem-worthy dance-pop banger to set the tone of its message.
“‘Fantasy Girl’ is about breaking up with someone in the honeymoon phase, so they always remember the best version of you. It’s a cynic’s love anthem. Is it romantic to be remembered forever? Hopefully, the memory of me will eclipse my flaws.”
The music video comes tied with a bit of a teaser, “Everything Will make sense soon..” says Liz, reminding us of the sequential nature of her current batch of music videos, the previous of which, “Niente” came out about a month ago. for “Fantasy Girl” the intention is again to puzzle you with innocuous footage that doesn’t reveal very much of anything, yet it entices you with the undeniable pleasantness of it all. But what could I tell you about an almost uninterrupted shot of Liz, pealing a big orange… on a beach during twilight hours? It’s like she says, everything will make sense soon enough, I guess.
If there’s a type of pop song that never goes away and never loses it’s gotta be songs like “Fantasy Girl” which are danceable and catchy enough to make you truly forget all your worries, hangups, inhibitions, and just vibe and get a-moving along with its sheer impetus and energy. This invitation to “let go” of whatever’s bogging you down is not just some cool stylistic choice for how the sound carries itself, it’s also intrinsic to the song’s origin and its message, which are built upon an artistic examination of avoidant attachment and how it fuels escapism fantasies that can be detrimental to any real, honest connection with someone. Of the song’s lyrics, R.W. Says:
“Have you ever read the book ‘Attached?’ I think I should start there if I’m going to try and explain the meaning of Fantasy Girl. It says how anxious and avoidant attachment styles are a dangerous coupling because the avoidant person has a hard time with intimacy so they’ll let their fantasies wander, imagining how someone else (often a past partner) would be better than their current partner. Anxiously-attached people would feel this disconnect and spiral in dismay. If you go back through my music over the past 10 years, with Revenge Wife and HOLYCHILD, you’ll probably see this concept snaking its way through my lyrics. Take the anxious-avoidant relationship dynamic and add a distrust of men’s honest sexuality and the prevalence of porn, you get my new song, ‘Fantasy Girl!’
Outside of Revenge Wife, Liz continues to work as a creative by directing music videos and even writing songs with other artists, such as when she co-wrote 2019’s “Xanax Damage” for rapper Future. And speaking of the literal future, Revenge Wife will be releasing her debut album later this year, expect it in this coming fall season!
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