Cam’s ‘Diane’ Is Making the Right Kind of Impact
By commercial standards Cam's new song "Diane" is not yet a "hit," but the song is doing exactly what she hoped it would do: healing.
In her first single from an upcoming album, the "Burning House" singer plays the villain. She's the mistress who reveals what's been happening to her paramore's wife. On its face the song is a Dolly Parton, '70s folk-rock inspired jam, but beneath the surface the singer says it's a chance for people devastated by infidelity to find answers.
“I hoped it would help some people — and in my mind specific people that I’m close to —but you never know who it’s going to reach," she says.
A private Facebook chat has formed regarding the song that's turned into something of a group therapy session. On one hand, Cam's saddened by how many stories she's hearing, but on the other hand ...
"I’m not ambitious to be a celebrity, that’s not what I’m in it for," she says, underscoring the importance of her music reaching fans on a deeply personal level. "The reason that it’s worth it for me is I get to hear really in-depth stories about what 'Burning House' means to them; about what 'Mayday' means to them. People going through divorce. People with addiction problems.
“Those really important healing moments, where I get to hug someone and know that we’re both gonna walk away from it better, that’s why I do this," she notes.
The semi-recently married singer describes herself as a serial monogamist, but admits she carries a certain amount of guilt around with her and wonders how she may have mistreated people in the past. You hear it in "Burning House" and in select lines of "Palace," a song she co-wrote with Sam Smith.
"Diane" is drowning in guilt, and the music video amplifies the emotion exponentially. Actress Liz Fenning plays the title role, and the filming was intense.
“We didn’t meet until that day, on camera, actually in that park scene," Cam says. "She’s walking up to me and she’s got tears in her eyes and she’s like ‘Did you know he was married? Did he tell you he loved you?’ Like, really intense questions.”
Of course you can't hear or see the dialogue on camera, but you can see how uncomfortable the singer is, which was kind of the point. The response to the video — and the song — is exactly what she was hoping for.
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