Ms. Lotus Fankh is a respected eccentric spirit in the Milwaukee music scene. She dabbles in: singing, songwriting, producing, instrument playing, poetry, and more. Drawing inspiration from the realms of Soul, Funk, Jazz, and Rock; the velvety voiced talent utilizes music to share her personal stories/experiences. Her live shows are known for transcending the norm and she has graced many a stage within the 414 and surrounding areas. Her goal is to continue spreading her unique brand of art long into the future. Recently, she leaked her debut music video “Better Than This.” The offering is for the title track off of her debut EP.
The tune is set to a low key soulful base with distinctive musical elements and a haunting groove. The hook is favorable. The harmonies are clean and the lyrics are simple yet significant. The verses are attention grabbing. Ms. Lotus Fankh serves up emotional melodies with her one of a kind tone and bestows upon the listener a story of heartbreak with an enlightening conclusion pertaining to her self-worth. The ordeal is based on a real life love triangle that Lotus unfortunately found herself in the middle of along with her ex and best friend at the time. She decided to put the painful situation to music as a means to help herself heal. She shared an early version of the record with her inner circle and found the strength to keep pushing forward. And it’s a good thing that she did. “Better Than This” is a valuable effort. Great way to set forth a debut.
The video for the track is co-directed by Ms. Fankh herself and Anthony Diaz. The theme for the vision centers around graphic imagery and vivid symbolism. These mechanisms represent multiple messages including: silence, death, rebirth, alter egos, and much more. From the cringe worthy scenes of the earthy singer sewing her own lips shut to the slightly eerie appearance of Chicago Drag Queen Luka Ghost, there is plenty to keep the viewer’s eyes glued to the small screen. Lotus wanted the visuals to serve as a mirror of sorts and get the viewer to ask questions as well as re-watch the piece in order to be able to appreciate all that it contains. She definitely accomplished her goal. Anyone who presses play will be instantly hooked and impacted. All in all, this is a riveting watch.
**My Two Cents: I love Ms. Lotus Fankh and her eclectic style. There is no one in the music scene doing what she is doing and that is an awesome fact. She’s rocking her own lane and will continue to stand out and go far because of it. “Better Than This” is a moving single and the video is beyond dope. The creativity is top notch and you can tell there was some real thought put behind the project. If readers agree, they can catch Ms. Fankh at Company Brewing towards the end of this month. She’s hosting an event to celebrate her debut video & EP. Details for the event can be found here. The Illixer is definitely going to try to slide through. Hope to see you there! Much love to Lotus Fankh for allowing us to share her epic art with our readers! -MinM
