Serena Ryder and the Beauties, 'No Air' -- Video Premiere

Mary Rozzi

The twangy guitar line that leads off the second song on Serena Ryder's new EP, a collaboration with Toronto roots-rockers the Beauties, might recall the soundtrack of some twisted David Lynch film, but what follows is a brooding lullaby that breathes new life into Jordin Sparks' 2008 glossy single 'No Air.'

Gone are the slick studio effects, shimmering keys and buttery-smooth duet between the 2007 'American Idol' winner and R&B mainstay Chris Brown. Ryder and the Beauties have opted for a smoldering, country-tinged take that is altogether spellbinding.

"The idea of doing these modern-ish covers came from wanting to go play in England, and seeing they've been doing a lot of recent covers -- that's kind of a way to break out there," Ryder tells Spinner. "So that was kind of an idea we had, 'Hey, we should just do this!'

But if the idea to record 'No Air' was spontaneous, the accompanying music video, which is the first in a series of four clips from the Torontonians premiering on Spinner, was clearly more thought out.

''No Air' is the most surrealistic video in nature from the entire tetralogy," video director Hill Kourkoutis tells Spinner. "It tells a tale of the trials we endure through heartache and conflicts. The pain caused by those who hurt us, and the effects of the aftermath."

Set in a stark white medical examination room, a team of doctors deliver the bad news to an angelic looking girl: her heart has been broken. The blonde beauty undergoes surgery to reveal a plastic heart wrapped in cellophane and all appears lost until the girl's love interest walks into the operating room, giving her stylized heart the jolt it needs.

(Oh, and Ryder didn't get a new do for the shoot, that's an actress; beyond her picture on the EP cover shown at the start of the video, the Juno-nominated singer doesn't actually appear in the clip.)

Next Video

Buy Serena Ryder and the Beauties 12" Vinyl EP