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Flaunt Premiere | Natasha Hunt Lee Releases Unapologetic Anthem “Half Baked”

A tribute to the twenty-something experience.

Written by

Tamara Jiji

Photographed by

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Styled by

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Photographed by Paige MacCready

Living within a state of indifference is a story seldom told—when you aren’t necessarily in the gutter, but not entirely content either, yet still functioning enough to make it throughout the day. This feeling isn't foreign to Natasha Hunt Lee, and served as the inspiration behind her latest single, "Half Baked." Following the release of her debut EP, The End of the World, Natasha’s latest single acts as an extension of the foundation she’s built thus far. Accompanied by an equally-alluring music video, directed by friend and collaborator Paige MacCready, "Half Baked" encapsulates the very essence of the mid-twenties experience. “I wanted to go back to the more everyday middle, where you're not dying, but you're definitely not doing the best you ever have. And there's a lot of things that are disappointing or upsetting or just part of being mid-twenties.” she explains.

Natasha, like most artists, discovered her affinity for music at a young age. But it wasn’t until attending New York University that her passion for music solidified. “When it came down to college, it made me feel ill to think about focusing on anything else other than music.” she recalls. And it’s that focus that led her to where she is today, reeling off the success of her aforementioned EP, and working towards the making of another.

The conception and creation of this project altogether was nothing short of spontaneous. What began as an impromptu trip to the desert, resulted in a coming-together of ideas, and eventually gave way to the home-video-esque rollercoaster ride that is "Half Baked." Starring Lee herself, frolicking around the city of LA, this music video is a trip of its own—one in which we’re transported from bedroom, to garden, to cliff—and with each location see a different side of Lee. Wearing everything from nightgowns to sweatpants, all of which were sourced between the closets of Lee and Director Paige MacCready, with a few pieces of jewelry from Shana Cave, the video holds a certain intimate, homemade feeling to it. “It was a very organic process in terms of like, we styled everything together…That's something I like to very much do, especially with artists, I really want it to feel like them,” MacCready says, further emphasizing the “take me as I am” mentality the song seeks to uphold.

At its core, "Half Baked," was a collective effort, one brought about by Natasha herself, Producer Micah Gordon—whom she coincidentally grew up down the street from, and Director Paige MacCready. When asked about her inspirations behind the video, and as a director overall, MacCready replies, “I'm trying to always click the camera when it's that real moment. And I do think people are the most beautiful then. What always inspires me is things that feel very raw… I think for me personally, I've always just really related to things that don't feel forced, and working with Natasha has never felt forced.”

Watch the music video to "Half Baked" below!

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Music, Single, Release, Natasha Hunt Lee, Tamara Jiji
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