French Fries, Nudity and Jenny Hval’s ‘Great Undressing’

Jenny Hval has always been revered for her unflinching creative honesty, particularly when it comes to issues of body positivity and fighting the male gaze (just one of the many reasons her most recent album, Blood Bitch, ranked high on our Best of 2016 list). With her new clip for "The Great Undressing," the musician has carried that message into the new year with her head held high — and her birthday suit on proud display.

Directed by Marie Kristiansen, Hval's latest Blood Bitch visual takes the song's title literally, following the musician as she goes about her day: snacking on french fries in bed, shopping, swimming, working out, hanging out with friends, snacking on more goodies in a restaurant filled with couples making out, et cetera, and all in the buff. To our surprise, nobody seems to care; for a few moments, patriarchy, body-shaming and street harassment cease to exist. If only.

Watch below, and scroll down for a list of Hval's upcoming tour dates.

Blood Bitch is out now on Sacred Bones.

Here are Kristiansen's remarks on the video, per a press release:

I don’t want to overcomplicate the message; it’s my opinion that the audience should interpret this film as it suits them. I will, however, tell you what inspired me to make the film. From an intellectual point of view, I was intrigued by what would happen if you watched a naked woman totally ignorant about her own nudity going about a normal day. Would she be perceived as a sexual object? Or would her nakedness and femininity become something ordinary and natural? I have not tried to steer the film in the direction I thought was right; it's more of an experiment that you should be the judge of. From a spiritual point of view, the film explores loneliness and isolation in a world where capitalism and blending in are the two ruling factors.

JENNY HVAL on TOUR
Jan. 14 — Freiburg, Germany @ Art’s Birthday (e-Werk)
Feb. 2 — Berlin, Germany @ CTM Festival
Feb. 4 — Munich, Germany @ Ritournelle Festival
Feb. 10 — Tokyo, Japan @ Vacant (Pollution City - Ultima)
Feb. 14 — Tokyo, Japan @ Astro Hall
Feb. 28 — London, England @ Rich Mix
Mar. 3 — Graz, Austria @ Elevate Festival
Mar. 4 — Budapest, Hungary @ Trafo (Electrify Series)
Mar. 11 — Marfa, TX @ Marfa Myths
Mar. 29 — Austin, TX @ Barracuda
Mar. 30 — Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall
Mar. 31 — Madison, WI @ The Sett (University of Wisconsin)
Apr. 29 — Braga, Portugal @ Gnration
Apr. 30 — Lisbon, Portugal @ Biennial of Contemporary Arts @ Lux Frágil
Jun. 29-Jul. 1 — Roskilde, Denmark @ Roskilde Festival
Aug. 11-12 — Oslo, Norway @ Øya Festival
Aug. 13 — Helsinki, Finland @ Flow Festival