Live Review: Phil Fresh finds his groove on 'GLOW' visuals

Phil Fresh is a rising name in Australia's exploding hip-hop scene. With a range of experience under his belt, 2020 has seen the Sydney native expand to new heights with brilliant singles 'Forever' with Bread Club and the banging 'OH MY GOD' in June and March respectively. You might also recognise his name off the back of his stellar feature on track of the year contender Kwame's 'TOMMY'S IN TROUBLE'. The highlight of Phil's year however was the release of his double single '2 Songs off The EP I Meant To Drop Last Year'. It's lead single, 'Glow', has now been given a striking visual, an embodiment of his uncanny ability to wear his heart and identity on his sleeve and doing it in the face of adversity.

Phil Fresh has developed a reputation for wearing his authenticity as an artist and pride in his Tongan descent, with the video featuring and representing a full range of Tongan artists pushing cultural boundaries. The track's video, directed by both Phil Fresh and Rewiti Brown, features choreography from Sela Vai. On the choreography, Sela comments, 'The mood board was soul train/Pasifika power/empowerment of womxn in all aspects of ur life and not just romantic relationships/party dances/feeling first.' Multiculturalism is a critical part of contemporary Australian culture and so rarely are unique ideas and representations of varying races, cultures and communities portrayed in Australia's indie music scene.

For this reason, Australia's expanding hip hop scene is playing an extremely important role in expanding representation within the Australian music. No longer are Australian music videos covered in classic Aussie pubs, great coastal road trips or blokes drinking cold beers. Instead, they're engaging disenfranchised youth of Western Sydney, exploring the nuances of Polynesian communities, highlighting the adversities of BIPOC people in this country and more, all thanks to the diversity of Australia's growing rap scene. Finally true Australian "culture" is being put on show, one that represents the brilliant diverse communities and art forms that exist outside of Sydney's Inner West or Beaches suburbs. Phil Fresh's 'Glow' manifests this perfectly, there's a courage and determination written all across this thing, both sonically and visually, and it represents a vision deeper than music with positive energy.

‘GLOW’ is out now.

Words by Parry Tritsiniotis

Image: Curtis Sweet

SEE ALSO

KWAME RELEASES INTENSE, CINEMATIC VISUALS FOR ‘TOMMY’S IN TROUBLE’ FT. PHIL FRESH & CLYPSO

PHIL FRESH DEMOLISHES STEREOTYPES ON ROWDY NEW SINGLE ‘JONAH’