ENTERTAINMENT: Singer-songwriter John Grant has received praise not only for his musical talent — his latest effort, Pale Green Ghosts, was named Album of the Year by music retailer Rough Trade — but also for his bravery. The gay musician revealed he is HIV-positive at a concert in 2012, and his latest music video for his haunting new single, “Glacier,” reflects both the artist’s courage and talent.
Featuring footage from various moments in LGBT history, the video’s images are juxtaposed against Grant’s uplifting lyrics, which utilize the image of a glacier to convey the emotional transformation that occurs during suffering — and are in turn complemented by the track’s soothing, ethereal sound.
In an August interview with HIV Plus, Grant said “Glacier” was a song he wished he could have listened to when he was younger and coming to terms with his sexuality. “I wished I had heard somebody talking about the fact, you know, being gay didn’t make me less of a human than other people,” he said. “It takes a very, very long time to undo a lot of the damage from that abuse.”
