We’re excited to see a new original song and music video from Disney cosplay artist Traci Hines. Inspired by the animated Disney Classic “Sleeping Beauty,” Hines mixes Aurora and Maleficent to find a deep personal meaning in the legend along with a great pop sensibility.
Hines enlisted the talents of Brandon Toy to direct, and Adam Gubman for assistance on the music. Talented artists like Amy Brunolli (designed the album art), Chad Evett (who designed the Sleeping Beauty gown), and Creatures of Habit (who designed the black lace dress) all jumped in to help. She even filmed on location in Ireland.
I asked Hines what inspired her to make this video, “This song is inspired by Sleeping Beauty, specifically as an exploration of what she might have been experiencing & feeling while she was under the sleeping curse. But as I began writing it began to take on a much more personal meaning, and in the end, I realized that really, This is my story.”
“I struggle with illness and chronic pain, and during a particularly rough patch I began to feel very down and fearful about the future I felt stuck- asleep, and though I fought so hard to maintain a positive outlook, I felt myself slipping into a darker place,” Hines continued.
To me the song is about how how Sleeping Beauty and Maleficent are really two sides of the same coin. Which, as it turns out, is an important part of the song according to Hines, “I think we all have moments where we’re being pulled in two different directions. One voice telling us to give in and one to fight. This song represents the darkness & the light; negative and positive, fear and hope. Sleeping Beauty is the narrator in my song, and Maleficent, “the beast” the darkness, and the prince, the strength and light. Really, they’re all her. Two different sides of the same person.”
Clearly this was a very personal video for Hines.
“I’m happy to say that I’m in a much better place now-I’ll probably never be perfectly healthy, but I am perpetually joyful,” said Hines. “Getting to tell my story through the lens of one of my favorite fairytales means a lot. I hope by telling my story I can encourage others who might also be hurting or struggling. You are not alone, you are so loved, and there is always hope.”
Hines is best known for her Cosplay as Ariel, Disney’s Little Mermaid, but her singing career is taking off too. We’ve previously highlighted her takes on Cinderella and Elsa among other performances.
Photo courtesy Benjamin Hines Photography
STUNNING! The song is beautiful and is made better by the excellent makeup as Aurora. Sleeping Beauty is my favorite princess so you can figure I was looking for errors in her looks. But she nailed Aurora’s beauty perfectly! Job well done!
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