Anna Sun Celebrates the Pleasures of Obsession on “Mine”

Pop music has always glorified the object of one’s affection. There is nothing one’s lover cannot do. They can protect and save us from the world and make us happy when we’re sad. This conceit has been incorporated into many meta-pop songs: the “I know they are just a regular person, but they do something no one else can” tunes to me. One wants to be “Bobby’s Girl” or with “A Guy Named Joe” because they make one feel special. The listener identifies with the desire of the singer rather than judges the person loved. They don’t want to be Bobby or Joe; they just want to be that person’s mate.

Brooklyn-based indie-pop trio Anna Sun (singer-songwriter Samantha Aneson, drummer Nikola Balać, and bassist Andrew Shewaga) takes this a step further on the video for their debut single, “Mine”. As its title suggests, the narrator is narcissistic. The recipient of their obsession is a pillow, an inert entity that obviously can’t do anything. Aneson stars in and co-directed the video with Nick Snow and Stephanie LeBlanc. She appealingly presents her happiness even as she mocks her fixation.

There’s something sexy about the whole thing due to the soft lighting, lots of skin showing, and the lilac tint. Prince was clearly on to something when he demonstrated how purple was the love-sexiest color. The song gently mocks its wholesome pretensions. “When you’re with me, there is nothing I can’t do,” Aneson dreamily sings. She keeps the mood light and cheerful. Yes, the singer is fanatical. But she’s not hurting anyone. There’s something fun and pleasurable in being captivated by another. The song and video reveal the positive side of preoccupation.