This Christmas season’s local musical hit comes from an unlikely source – pop icon Clinton Paul, more well-known for his upbeat, dancey tunes and his unmistakeable look than for ballads performed in a church.
And yet, this is exactly what the singer has managed to pull off with his latest track All in the Eyes of a Boy.
The video for the track, which was filmed at Santwarju Madonna tal-Ħerba in Birkirkara, had already attracted over 19K views mere days after its release.
Clinton Paul is no stranger to controversy. He first burst on the music scene to mixed reactions with Badass Soldier in 2010, quickly quelling criticism with nonchalance and drowning internet trolls in a parade of polished video productions. His 2011 release, Rebellion, led to the birth of one of Malta’s most loved memes with the tagline ‘I’m a rebellion’.
Now, he returns with a decidedly untypical offering, what he describes as a “pop power” ballad that comes complete with a Gospel-inspired crescendo at the end.
The result is a catchy track that would not sound out of place as a Eurovision Song Contest contender, and which includes a surprisingly religious slant.
“The song is about finding your way to Christ. Sometimes we can get carried away in a wave of materialism – parties, clothes, drinks, make-up …These are all fun, but this time I wanted my music to be all about finding peace within you, through the eyes of Baby Jesus,” he says.
And, while some cynics have questioned the convenient timing of the release and this ‘sudden’ display of spirituality, Clinton Paul’s fans seem to be with him on this one, quickly leaping to his defence. They point out that the singer is known for his regular performances in aid of philanthropic endeavours like L-Istrina, Maratona Missjoni, Dar Bjorn and Fondazzjoni Nazareth, among others.
…parties, clothes, drinks, make-up …These are all fun, but this time I wanted my music to be all about finding peace within you
“I didn’t want the usual Christmas lyrics that would limit me to sing this only during the festive season. I perform in multiple events throughout the year and I can easily add this new track into my setlist,” he says about the track lyrics.
Clinton Paul’s choice of venue created an even bigger sensation due to the fact that the singer is not usually known for having particularly religious leanings.
“I am proud to be an outspoken LGBTQI activist and each year I always look forward to performing in the Malta Gay Pride Concert in summer, and meeting tons of fans who come for the event. As an artist, I feel that I have a power and I should use it well,” he says.
As for the unusual location, the singer insists that he couldn’t have imagined filming the song anywhere else but inside a church, thanking Mgr Paul Carmel Vella for making this possible.
Securing a permit to carry out the filming was a far-from-straightforward process, he adds.
“I made contact with other churches to enquire about filming there, but we were rejected. Thank God, we got a positive response from Santwarju Madonna tal-Ħerba. The song and lyrics were analysed well, something that I had no objection to.
“I was also asked what I would be wearing for the filming – it was a challenge for me, but I am versatile. I did have to limit the amount of makeup used, and I could not wear heels. It all worked out in the end.”
Quite the departure from the image portrayed in the video for All In The Eyes Of A Boy, then?
“In the video for Diamond, that was released for Pride this year, I perform with four, hot, male dancers and I’m in heels and flamboyant outfits. I’m in my own element. But with the Christmas track I wanted to give the public something totally different to my last video, but something they would still talk about. You always need to present something different to stay in the game, or else you can get knocked out quite easily,” he says.
Meantime, Clinton Paul is getting ready to take part in the mother of charity marathons, Boxing Day’s l-Istrina, held annually in aid of the Community Chest Fund. And later on, he is expected to drop his fifth studio album.
“We kick off production and recordings in January. It’s going to be a big year,” he concludes.