“The Low Gives Weight,” which is the first taste of Pollari’s forthcoming album, is out now
NEED TO KNOW
- Joey Pollari’s new song “The Low Gives Weight” features lyrics partially written in the historical British cant Polari
- The music video showcases Pollari’s interpretive dancing inspired by Elvis and classic musicals like Cabaret
- Pollari will star in Netflix’s Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story and American Horror Story: 13 later this month
Joey Pollari is ready to introduce the world to his new musical era.
The actor and musician, who’s best known for his roles in Love, Simon and the ABC series American Crime, released a brand-new song called “The Low Gives Weight” with an accompanying music video on Tuesday, Sept. 15. Speaking exclusively with PEOPLE, Pollari, 32, opened up about how the song came to be.
Pollari wrote much of the rock song in Polari, which is a historical British cant invented by gay men to speak openly in public while homosexuality was criminalized between the 16th and 19th centuries. The Eden actor discovered the language during the pandemic and joined a Polari-speaking group, which he tapped into during his songwriting process.
“I had always wanted to do that, a song like that,” Pollari says. “David Bowie had a few songs that he had used words from the language Polari, but I thought I would try and give my shot at it.”
Credit: Courtesy of Joey Pollari
Over the years, Pollari — who came out over a decade ago — has intentionally pursued projects that reflect a “through line” about the “transition” from private to public. With this song, he sought to find a connection between the history of Polari and his own story.
“They are about people wrestling with private ideas, grief, strain at home, etc. It seems to be universal beyond my own journey of coming out,” he says.
The music video, co-directed by Pollari and Andrew Herbert, follows Pollari as he does interpretive dancing across an industrial loft and a downtown rooftop.
Reflecting on the shoot day, Pollari says he walked away with his feet completely “bruised and cramped” from dancing in dress shoes. The dancing was a mix of choreography and “organic movement.”
“I had all hands on deck from friends of mine and it was just a pure exertion,” he says, adding that he was emulating an “Elvis swagger.”
“I’ve always wanted to do a dancing video. I love All That Jazz. I love seeing Liza Minnelli in Cabaret and Sweet Charity. I thought, I want to get my hands on that,” he adds.
Credit: Courtesy of Joey Pollari
“The Low Gives Weight” is the first release from Pollari’s forthcoming album and it follows his second album I’ll Be Romance in 2024. He also released an EP called Last Evenings in 2023 and his debut album About Men in 2020.
Up next, Pollari is set to star in Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story, which premieres on Netflix on Sept. 17. A week later, he will star opposite Jessica Lange and Emma Roberts in American Horror Story: 13, which premieres Sept. 24 on FX and streams on Hulu the following day.
“The Low Gives Weight” is out now.
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