For as long as we can remember, singers have been belting their hearts out on televised competitions. Starting with the discovery of some of the world’s most notorious pop stars on Star Search, the most modern and significant of these programs being American Idol whose first winner was none other than Kelly Clarkson. Since then, these programs have discovered the likes of Leona Lewis, Carrie Underwood, Jennifer Hudson, Chris Daughtry and One Direction. The Voice first aired in America in 2011 and became one of the most popular reality talent competitions of all time. On season 19 in 2020, young heartthrob Carter Rubin took the crown, melting hearts worldwide. In October 2021, he released a breathtaking professional lyric video for his debut single ‘horoscope’ that I just can’t take my eyes off.
Up and coming American pop singer Carter Rubin was born in Shoreham, New York to a musical family. His grandfather is Ric Mango, who at the age of 15 joined the popular 1960s rock ‘n’ roll group Jay and the Americans. This group is known for their hit “Come A Little Bit Closer” and one of my personal favorites, “This Magic Moment”. Coming from a tight knit family, Carter began singing at the early age of 7 and would often sing with his older brother Jack. Jack was diagnosed with autism causing his family to open a nonprofit foundation called ‘Families in Arms’ which surprises families of children with autism with trips to Disney World. Their mission statement reads “to give families of children with autism the opportunity to create memories that go far beyond the walls of therapy”. Quite serendipitously, at the age of 15, Carter auditioned for season 19 of the American talent competition, The Voice. His cover of Lewis Capaldi’s ‘Before You Go’ impressed the judges so much, both Gwen Stefani and John Legend turned their chairs around to pitch for his talent and the clip went viral overnight. Choosing Gwen Stefani’s team, Rubin went on to win the entire competition, making him the youngest winner in the shows history. The grand prize landed Carter $100,000, a trip to Universal Orlando and a recording contract with Republic Records.
Staying focused on school, spending time with family and working a summer job, Carter spent much of his time since winning undertaking virtual training sessions with head vocal coach, Trelawny Rose and working on his debut album with the New York City-based label. Rubin indulged fans earlier this year with the promise of more music, of which would be more mature than viewers saw on the tv competition. A true gentleman never breaks his promises and on October 22nd, he released his debut pop single, ‘horoscope’. Simultaneously, he put out a stunning animated lyric video to accompany his single release and it just might be one of the strongest debut releases for any young pop star.
Carter Rubin’s colorfully animated lyric video for ‘horoscope’ is so aesthetically pleasing. It features a dazzling cosmic color palette of purples and yellow. These two colors are opposites on the color wheel and when you combine them, the result is a high-contrast color combo that is bright and pops, hence the term ‘complementary colors’. These color combinations tend to lean on the bolder side which is perfect for this music video’s celestial themes. The illustrations are brilliant, showcasing creative visuals of the different zodiac signs. The fun animations throughout the video show the Scorpio with it’s bobbing tail, the huffing Taurus, the swimming fish of the Pisces, the weighing scales of the Libra, the shooting arrows of the Sagittarius, the Capricorn represented by the sea goat, the clipping claws of the Cancer, the roaring of the Leo lion, the historical vase of the Aquarius, the goddess Virgo and the twin snakes representing Gemini. These visuals represent the artist’s ‘horoscope’ theme perfectly, especially when the lyrics read “No I don’t even check your horoscope anymore”. Rubin continues his zodiac-related lyrics when he sings “We kept ignoring all the signs. Our futures never were aligned” in the hook. The animations align with this line specifically because in Western astrology, it is believed that celestial phenomena can have a direct impact on human behaviors and personalities. Other lyrical astrological references include “New moon, tattooed. Maybe retrograde” and “I guess our constellation grew apart”. This custom lyric video is a jaw dropping introduction for this captivating new pop star and fans sit eagerly, awaiting his upcoming debut album.
Check out Carter Rubin’s animated lyric video for ‘horoscope‘ on YouTube here: