Exclusive Video Premiere: ‘Prisoner of Love,’ Jessica 6 (feat. Antony Hegarty), Styled by Nicola Formichetti

Not everyone will admit to loving disco. But deep inside, everyone loves soul-searing, bass-thumping, sex-appeal-oozing disco à la Summer’s “I Feel Love,” which is what Jessica 6, and its frontwoman Nomi Ruiz, serve up in heaps. And smartly, the sensuality that pervades the band’s debut album See The Light is as present in the band’s visuals as it is in sound. Ruiz is simply a bombshell, and J6’s gritty, red-drenched videos put her front and center. (Bandmates and production team Andrew Raposo and Morgan Wiley make their presence known in acid-house synths and basslines.) Her seductive performance and voice even caught the attention of the man behind one of the most captivating stage performers in the world: Gaga stylist Nicola Formichetti.
 
For their new video “Prisoner of Love,” Formichetti does put Ruiz in a baroque, high-necked, crystallized piece by The Blondes, but for the most part, he lets her captivate in simple outfits, like a black crop-top or a white tank. (Her two-toned nails, however, are pretty eye-catching.) Halfway through the Marco Ovando-directed video, Ruiz’s friend and collaborator Antony Hegarty of Antony and the Johnsons appears, adding a warm timbre and throaty roundness to Ruiz’s breathiness. But this isn’t a repeat of Hercules and Love Affair’s 2008 synthy rave tribute hit “You Belong” (in which Hegarty supplies Ruiz’s backing vocals); “Prisoner of Love” is a more organic affair, with Hegarty crooning while Ruiz purrs, and the two engaging in a vocal tête-à-tête until crescendo. On top of vocal layers, there are Ruiz layers too, with the singer’s silhouette providing a window to her bandmates, Hegarty, and Ruiz herself. Check out the exclusive here, and rest assured that underground dance music divas are just as sexy as their ’70s predecessors.

JESSICA 6’S DEBUT, SEE THE LIGHT, IS OUT NOW. THEY’LL PLAY WITH HOLY GHOST! THIS SATURDAY AT BOWERY BALLROOM. FOR MORE ON THE BAND, VISIT THEIR MYSPACE.