Murs tackles homophobia, teen suicide, and bullying in his latest video for “Animal Style”. The song is a narrative about gay teens that forced Murs to step out of his comfort zone a little bit in order to speak on issues he felt deserving He wrote the following statement and released it with the new video.
“Animal” Style is a song I did for many reasons. The first was to be an advocate for people close to me who are out, and those who have yet to come out. It’s also a love song, which is nothing new for me. But with this one I wanted to challenge the listener to ask themselves: Is the love shared by two people of the same gender, really that different than the love I have for my partner of the opposite sex? And finally, I just felt it was crucial for some of us in the hip hop community to speak up on the issues of teen suicide, bullying, and the overall anti-homosexual sentiment that exist within hip hop culture. I felt so strongly about these issues and this song that I had to do a video that would command some attention, even if it makes some viewers uncomfortable. Even if it came at the cost of my own comfort.
Watch the video below from Murs recently released LP, Love & Rockets Vol. 1.