Kim Gordon has been a counterculture icon since his years in Sonic Youth and now he's breaking new ground with his latest offering: "BYE BYE 25," a powerful and critical reimagining of his song "Bye Bye," originally included on his album The Collective. This new version, which combines spoken word, minimalist beats, and a sober yet incisive visual aesthetic, transforms the intimate into a politically charged statement with a personal stamp.
The song starts with the original foundation: a looping beat, distorted bass, and a list of seemingly trivial objects. However, in “BYE BYE 25,” that list takes on new meaning. It now features words banned by federal regulations and conservative political agendas: terms like “climate change,” “diversity,” “mental health,” and “inclusion.” The result is a piece that reveals, with irony and coldness, the gaps in official discourse in the United States.
The music video, co-directed by Kim Gordon and Vice Cooler, presents an urban and decadent aesthetic. The images show fragments of everyday life interrupted by elements of visual protest, references to social movements, and decontextualized pop symbols. The montage underscores the fragmentation of contemporary identity in the face of a culture of surveillance and censorship.
“BYE BYE 25” is not just a song, but a gesture. An act of artistic resistance in the midst of a polarized context, where art once again takes its place as a critical tool. At 70, Kim Gordon doesn't simply look back; rather, she points directly at the ghosts of the present with implacable lucidity. The result: a sonorous, uncomfortable, beautiful, and necessary manifesto.