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First Watch: Regina Spektor, 'Bleeding Heart'

The latest video from Regina Spektor, for her song "Bleeding Heart," is an endearing, beautifully conceived ode to youth and the awkward stumble toward self-discovery and young adulthood. The video, directed by Spektor's husband, Jack Dishel, intercuts scenes of the singer dancing to the mantra, "Never mind your bleeding heart," with fuzzy photos and videos from her childhood. The oldest black-and-white images and films were taken by her father when Spektor was living in the Soviet Union.

"Throughout my childhood I'd sometimes get tired of standing as [my father] took his light meter readings or asked me to play piano or pose," Spektor tells NPR Music in an email. "But now when I look back on every recorded moment, I'm just grateful. It took hard work and patience on his part — most of the photos were developed and printed by him in his darkroom in spare time from work."

Spektor says the rest of the video shoot took place in a studio against a green screen. Illustrator Chris Tucci provided the paper backdrops and moving collages. Spektor says, "Together he and Jack looked through hours of my embarrassing adolescent footage. [But] I'm grateful to have a music video that has such personal moments from my life."

"Bleeding Heart" is from Regina Spektor's latest album, and first in four years, Remember Us To Life.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Robin Hilton is a producer and co-host of the popular NPR Music show All Songs Considered.
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