The Righteous Young’s “Everything Burns”: Idolator Premiere

Wynter Gordon has returned to us at last — and this time, she’s not going it alone.

Now backed by a 5-piece band, the shapeshifting singer-songbird is making a dramatic stylistic evolution with The Righteous Young, a project dreamt up entirely on her own. No label interference, no executive demands — just her own creative vision.

With “Everything Burns,” the first taste of what’s to come from Wynter’s new endeavor now out today (June 3), the singer-songwriter reveals her very new sound, a kind of soulful acoustic folk that brings acts like Florence + The Machine, Ghost EP-era Sky Ferreira and Tori Amos to mind. It’s an earthy, more organic production — a sharp contrast to the pulsating House beats and disco revival currently dominating on the radio airwaves. Wynter’s voice has also never been spotlighted so much as with her latest effort, proving that she’s working with some seriously powerful pipes.

From Wynter herself: “’Everything Burns’ is an open letter to all the leading men in my life, starting with my father.”

Check out the video premiere for “Everything Burns” up top.

The accompanying video, directed and styled (even down to designing the jewelry!) by the singer-songwriter herself, sees Wynter frolicking in the forest, wearing a variety of chic flower-and-antler crowns in a mixture of grainy “found footage” clips (think Blair Witch) and surreal, artsy scenes with a cast of otherworldly friends.

This isn’t the first time Wynter’s sonically swerved, of course: From penning R&B-pop bangers for the likes of Jennifer Lopez and Danity Kane, to getting us breathing heavy with “Dirty Talk” and her dance floor-filling With The Music I Die, to her more experimental The Human Condition, Wynter’s been consistently evolving through the years.

The Righteous Young is now preparing new music for later this year alongside Mike Elizondo, a fellow musical genre-hopping talent who’s had a hand in crafting tunes for the likes of everyone from Alanis Morissette to 50 Cent to Carrie Underwood. The band will also begin touring later this summer, with showcases in both NYC and LA.

What do you think of Wynter’s latest evolution? Let us know in the comments below.

Get an eyeful of even more pop music coverage, from artist interviews to exclusive performances, on Idolator’s YouTube channel.