© Still from Sethen Norris — Top Dollar Bitch [Official Music Video]/ Source: Youtube
"When you’re too kind, people will take advantage of it. When you have boundaries, people will call you difficult. Hard to work with. I am not hard to work with, I am just not letting you use me." — Sethen Norris
Just as in a written text there is a literal interpretation and a poetic one, in a human being there is also a literal and a poetic anatomy. The former can be seen, while the latter is invisible to the eyes. The former is composed of flesh, bones, and the face that we present to the world. The latter is made of energy, memories, and faith. Let me introduce you to this beautiful energy I had the opportunity to get to know.
Sethen Norris, 22, is a New Yorker from Brooklyn who has moved to Los Angeles, “the city of angels.” He explains with a crystal-clear voice that he hasn’t returned to New York to see his family in two years and hopes to do so soon.
Raised in a loving, diverse family, self-described as a “circus” due to the significant disparities among its members, he developed a passion for the world of music at the age of seven. He sang all the time, loved literature, writing, storytelling, and producing musical tracks. He knew, from a young age, that he had something to share with the world.
“Music is everything. It’s the only thing that gets me up in the morning. It’s extremely necessary and healing for me, to take time for myself and really meditate and relax — especially the process of making music, making a record from scratch can be very therapeutic for me.”
His life is marked by music, but in the fourth grade, he distances himself from singing because he was heavily bullied by classmates. He tells me with the wisdom of someone who has overcome significant obstacles, but with the sorrow of someone who knows that what he experienced was unfair:
“It was pretty intense, you walk in a classroom and everyone hates you. My mom would come to our classroom and yell at them. I used to question, ‘God, why are you letting these kids bully me?’ but then I realized: I got bullied all these years so I would have thick skin for the future. Now I can handle everything.”
His love for music returns at the age of fifteen, where he finds an outlet for expression and healing at the same time, because…
“I had so much anger at 15 years old. I needed something different, something where I could freeze my feelings into, that I could replay. And that was music! I didn’t have the usual teenage years, I grew up in my bedroom, actually, working on projects. My dad would come and ask ‘what are you doing?’ and I would be like 'I’m not watching porn, I am building my future!”
© Still from Sethen Norris — Top Dollar Bitch [Official Music Video]/ Source: Youtube
In August of this year, “Top Dollar Bitch” is released. With nearly 2K views on YouTube to date and thousands of streams, it is the first single of which Seth is truly proud of, a piece where he sees himself entirely and reveals his authentic self.
“I remember when I was 11 I always told myself ‘at the age of 21 there’s going to be something great’. It was a big promise that I made to myself long time ago. And I’m very happy to say that I did that, no matter what the reaction is, if it blows up or it doesn’t, at the end of the day I will always be proud because I stayed true to myself.”
From the provocative and extremely catchy lyrics, and the iconic chorus “I’m a Top Dollar Bitch with a whole lot of dick, huh?” has created shock (both positive and negative) in the audience.
“I started recording the song in April of 2021, it took two years to finish it. When it comes to this song specifically, I remember very vividly how it came out - I was in my kitchen and I was walking back and forth, thinking about life, what I wanted, all these big dreams that I had, and I was frustrated, because nobody was giving me a chance at all. And, I don’t know how it got to my head, but I remember saying 'I’m a top dollar bitch with a whole lot of dick, huh' and I really liked it. And so it was only a matter of days until I went to the studio and I recorded it.”
© Still from Sethen Norris — Top Dollar Bitch [Official Music Video]/ Source: Youtube
The music video in three words: latex, heels, and a lot of sex. A brilliant combination of kisses, tongues, saliva, dancing on the thin line between pornography and entertaining provocation, portraying a moment of joy and frenzy for the singer-songwriter.
“I remember telling everyone around me ‘This is gonna be a celebration, of me turning 21, accepting myself for everything that I was, everything that I am and everything that I will be’. Also, it was a way to manifest everything that I wanted in life.”
Despite the explicit nature of the record, Seth explains:
“I wouldn’t describe it as a sex record, it really encapsulates the frustration that I had at the time. It was a huge ‘fuck you’ to everyone, the manager I worked for, people who doubted me, but it was also the biggest, most beautiful experience I have had in my life, working with people that I love on set and getting a chance to work with all ethnicities, religions, it was really an amazing experience.”
Indeed, what makes this music video absolutely unique is the story behind it.
“When we shot the music video, it was the first time we were interacting with each other... in a thong, half naked. I didn’t have a relationship with any of them. Matt told me ‘I was very surprised that you didn’t invite me to hang out for a dinner or something before the music video’. But there was a reason why I didn’t. I wanted to capture everything organically, our first kiss etc. Matthew is hands down the most genuine person I have met. Very kind, professional, so easy to work with. He just goes with the flow, which is not easy in this industry. And Melissa, I had a friend of a friend who referred her to me, and she was amazing!”
With great bitterness but profound respect, he explains to me the challenging life in Los Angeles and the myth of the ‘city of broken dreams.’
“When you’re an independent artist, you’re 19, alone, in Los Angeles, you’re dealing with so much, that you barely have time for your dreams! You need to put your dreams on a shelf, you’re surviving, you shouldn’t be in doubt if you’ll be able to pay rent or not. T.D.B. really was a big fuck you to everybody that made me mad, that doubted me, that told me ‘you can’t do this’. I don’t need anyone’s opinion on who I should be, what I can or can’t do. That’s the main inspiration for the song, I wanted people to respect me.”
Seth’s thirst for respect is clearly evident in his words, and one of the reasons that has marked him the most is his hard and unsatisfying work.
“The place that you see the song’s filmed in, it is called Ladurée. I worked in that place for two years and a half. I would be washing dishes at like, 8pm/7pm, I would look around the store and for some reason, I would just see myself in that corner of the store with a thong and a big camera above my head and I would be just rapping to it. The trickiest thing to do, was just being sane through it all. It’s very easy to lose motivation in LA, it can be fun, but everybody wants the same thing. You have models, musicians, actors, every day and it’s beautiful, competition can spark motivation in you - but it can also really be a little intimidating. And working a 9 to 5 will test every drop of patience that you have.”
© Still from Sethen Norris — Top Dollar Bitch [Official Music Video]/ Source: Youtube
Seth not only wrote the entire song lyrics but also directed, co-produced, and was responsible for the styling. The long, yellow nails that stand out and contrast with the black outfits of the protagonists pierce the screen and capture the gaze.
“When I was an employee in Ladurée, we would work from 12 to 8 pm, and there was one macaron that we used to sell, it was yellow with brown cheetah print on it and I just loved the pattern, it was so gorgeous. So I took a picture of it, and when time came for the music video I got in contact with the nail tech and I asked her ‘Can you please do this pattern? Take all the time you need, I just really want it to be perfect’ and she did an amazing job with it!”
In his gentle voice, I recognize as much strength as tenderness. From his story, I immediately recognize from whom he inherited this personality: his mother.
“She’s my best friend and my happiness. She has so many qualities that I love and to this day I admire. She’s a very resilient, outspoken, opinionated person and taught me to speak up for what’s right. She brings me so much comfort.”
When I ask him about his parents’ reaction to the explicit music video, he involves me with a few words in a serene and sincere family portrait, and my heart tightens when he tells me that at first, his mom was bewildered, but…
“She said something and it was so beautiful for me to hear, she said ‘Seth, because you’re my son, it’s hard for me to watch this video, and get away with the fact that you’re my son. But have you not been my son, I would still be able to say that this is a beautifully done piece of art.’ It was really sweet of her.”
His father, on the other hand, reacted to the single by saying, “I’m proud you did this; hopefully, next time it can be a bit less explicit.”
© Still from Sethen Norris — Top Dollar Bitch [Official Music Video]/ Source: Youtube
In Sethen’s life, his connection with God is equally fundamental.
“What brings me peace? Praying to God. People don’t expect this from me, I don’t look like your average Christian, but I am very conservative in a lot of ways — I have a great relationship with God that I value.”
What struck me the most about Seth is his candid and sincere nature. It’s not easy to maintain one’s authenticity in this world, in this industry. He tells me that his candor has, at times, backfired a little bit.
"At first I was very fiery at hate comments. My publicist said ‘You need to calm down!’ I remember once someone commented, ‘I wish I never saw this’ and I replied, ‘I wish your mom aborted you’. I was very mad. What makes you think that you can say these things to me, when I know for a fact that you never would in real life? But then, I came to the realization (ready for this?) — why would I let someone who eats hot Cheetos from their mama’s couch and masturbates till 4 AM, disturb my peace? I can take negative comments and criticism from people who know what I am doing, like other musicians or artists, which happened, by the way! But not from these kind of people.
Or, when my music video got age restricted, I was screaming to everybody, that’s how I reacted at first. I thought it was so unfair. I get why it got age restricted, but I was definitely very upset. I’m just glad people are still finding it, streaming it, enjoying it - and that’s what truly matters."
© Still from Sethen Norris — Top Dollar Bitch [Official Music Video]/ Source: Youtube
But his kindness and gentleness are so evident and bright that I perceived them clearly during our phone call, thousands of miles apart.
When I ask him what someone has said that he will never forget, he replies:
“One day, a homeless guy told me 'thank you, you are so beautiful' — he didn’t mean aesthetically, but in a sincere way. It meant the world to me, I really felt so beautiful on the outside and inside. Another memorable thing, I showed an elderly woman a snippet of my book, that I want to publish in like a year or so: she looked at me, shocked, and then she said 'You are genius!' and I never heard that word in my life! Because you know, I didn’t do so well in high school, and nobody ever told me that.”
Finally, when I ask him what his biggest dream is, he answers sincerely:
It would honestly be to be respected for all that I am. To release my album, and for it to get the recognition that it deserves - I have been working on this album since 2018. My album won’t be all sex - no, it’s going to be a great mix of everything, people who are heartbroken can listen to it, people who just want to listen to fun music can do that. I pray to be in a place where I can have the freedom to do what I feel like doing.
© Still from Sethen Norris — Top Dollar Bitch [Official Music Video]/ Source: Youtube
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Acknowledgments:
Thank you, Seth, for giving me this beautiful interview. It truly felt like chatting with a long-distance friend. I wish you to achieve all your desires. And in moments of frustration, if they come, remember that you can choose your thoughts as you choose your clothes every morning. It is and will always be within your power.
Thank you, Emily and Christina, for making this possible.
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