More Than ‘fine, fine, fine’: partygirl’s New Single + Video

BY Calli Ferguson

Photo by Isabelle Fama from 'fine, Fine, Fine' Video shoot

A 6-piece instrumental is the stone dropped in the pond that will ripple into the experience of partygirl’s newest single “fine, fine, fine”. It’s a cool, colorful blend of sounds– including bright and somehow familiar guitar riffs delightfully elevated by violin and saxophone. There’s something so satisfying about hearing instruments that cross genres on a track that still somehow reads distinctly rock. It’s just one of the ways ‘fine fine fine’ feels good on the senses.

Of course, when the vocals come in there’s this kind of ‘oh, damn…’ moment (especially, that is, if this is your first partygirl listen– it was mine). Pagona Kytzidis’ rich, deep sound is beautifully strange and strangely beautiful.

'fine, fine, fine' cover art by Natalie Tischler

Released today in tandem with a music video directed by Sydney Tate, “fine, fine, fine” is the first single off the Brooklyn maximalist rock band’s newest project. And it certainly earns them that ‘maximalist’ title. What is fearlessly layered in sound doesn’t take from the lyrical and thematic depth of the song either... Lyrics like “you blurred the lines on my mirror/ you said I have a problem too beastly/ it’s not quite numbness you will see/ instead it simmers and stings” speak to the song’s attempt to consider the pulls between numbness and performance in instances where we pretend to be “fine”.

The song will pull back in moments only to make some room to grow back into a dramatic place. Those serendipitous instrumental blends build in energy, and just when you think you may be at the song’s climax about halfway through, it moves you to a softer moment at the start of the bridge that allows the music to build once again. This time the lyrics, “Please hold me down/ I swear I’ll be good this time” come to crescendo in this delicious, desperate plea. There’s a catharsis in the yearning belts that almost spill over in Pagona Kytzidis’ powerful, emotive vocal performance on this song. And it’s still not over– the song doesn’t peak in energy and slope off, but pulses. 

photo by Lauren Baliscao

That passionate bridge is also where, in the music video, the lead singer’s clownish make-up is smeared by a collection of incoming hands. Then, hands grab the food on the table. A mess. A beautiful, bubbling mess. 

It’s like the holding-together or putting-on-a-show of it all fold to the impulses like sticking your hand in the sticky goop or stuffing cake in your face or your friend’s face - or crying.

For context, the single’s new music video, also newly released today, is a gorgeous trip– pretty but freaky and surrealist. In an almost Charles Fréger-ish scene, the band members enter in animal masks, with Kytzidis’ face painted like a clown. Shots cut from bare faces to masked, bare to masked. When you take the song’s violin and place it in this folksy, forest creature, field of tall grass, wonderland picnic-kinda scene, I’m tempted to call the whole thing whimsical. And it is, but notably, whimsical in a much more of a haunting way than a playful one. 

The animal masks at play here definitely add to the pretty aesthetic, and yes, the whimsy of the video. But they come to life lyrically and thematically too. It feels like the performance, theatrics, and literal masks are props in the narrative of “fine, fine, fine”-- and of painting the pretty picture when in pain. 

The “fine, fine, fine” single and music video is a delightful listen/watch (respectively). And beyond how it feels to the ear, it also has that beautiful thing that music can do– the kind of emotional paint bushing that might find you, satisfyingly, in a space of resonance when things actually aren’t fine.

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📻 listen to ‘fine, fine, fine’ where you listen

🎥 check out the video here

🎫 and catch partygirl live Tuesday, February 11 at Baby’s All Right

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fine, fine, fine (music video)

Filmed, edited, directed by Sydney Tate
Story by Pagona Kytzidis
Produced by Claire Lin Jenkins
Creative Direction by Pagona Kytzidis & Claire Lin Jenkins
Set & Prop Design by Caitlin Eder
Set Design and Prop Styling by Lisi Schauer
Prop Design by Vic Ingram
Production assistant and BTS by Isabelle Fama
Clown/star - Pagona Kytzidis
Hawk - Francesca Pastore
Cat - Claire Lin Jenkins
Frog - Jonathan Ashley
Fox - Andrew Jordan
Rabbit - Jenna Love

fine, fine, fine (song)

Lyrics by Pagona Kytzidis
Music by Pagona Kytzidis, Francesca Pastore, Jonathan Ashley, Claire Lin Jenkins, Andrew Jordan 
Produced by Francesca Pastore
Engineered and recorded by Jeff Berner at Studio G
Mixing by Francesca Pastore
Mastered by Carl Saff
Album art by Natalie Tischler
Lead Vocals, Rhythm Guitar, Piano, Wurlitzer: Pagona Kytzidis
Lead Guitar: Francesca Pastore
Drums: Jonathan Ashley 
Violin, Backing Vocals: Claire Lin Jenkins
Bass: Andrew Jordan 
Alto Saxophone, Flute: David Mirarchi
Backing Vocals: Lotus Rogers