More Than That

## Music Video

"**More Than That**" is a song by American singer and songwriter Lauren Jauregui. It was released on January 11, 2019 through Columbia Records, and is expected to be featured on Jauregui's upcoming debut studio album. Written by Jauregui two to three years before its release, the song was inspired by Greek goddess Aphrodite and depicts a flirtation that is challenged. Creatively directed by Jauregui, the music video references Greek and Roman mythology, along with Sandro Botticelli's paintings *Primavera* and *The Birth of Venus*. "More Than That" was positively-received by music journalists, who called the song "darkly seductive", "hypnotic" and a "first-class banger".

## Background

More Than That" is one of two songs Jauregui performed at MTV's Plus 1 The Vote Election Party in November 2018. On January 8, 2019, Jauregui announced that "More Than That" would be released on January 11, 2019. The following day, Jauregui released the single's cover art, inspired by the renaissance painting *The Birth of Venus*. *Billboard* described the cover as "sexy, Renaissance-era-inspired artwork"; *Idolator* called it a "glorious" and "literal work of art"; and MTV deemed it a "Louvre-worthy cover art". Jauregui said she wrote the song two or three years before its release. She kept her demo vocals on the song as she liked how it sounded.

## Composition

Jauregui called "More Than That" a "sassy" song about flirtation that is "not necessarily engaging" but conscious, and about "sticking to my own guns and not giving into the flirtation". In a Beats 1 interview, Jauregui said she wrote the song without intention to keep it for herself, "so that separation made me be more free in the moment." Jauregui was inspired by the ancient Greek goddess Aphrodite, remarking that "she's very sensual. She's about love. She's about connection with pleasure and self [...] and that was really important to me." Billboard described "More Than That" as mid-tempo R&B and a "sultry grinder". Idolator described the track as "slinky" and "darkly seductive" with "sensual beats", as Jauregui challenges and "toys with her admirers". Uproxx wrote, "over a pounding R&B beat, Jauregui teases her infatuated lover". BBC deemed it a "sassy, assertive takedown of a wannabe lover." Paper said that Jauregui's lyrics "breathe in the open" through a "lo-fi trap rumble", as she sings about her "refusal to settle". Rolling Stone described it as a "smooth R&B track" where Jauregui "rebukes the advances of showy special someone while asserting her independence and worth".

## Critical reception

*MTV* called "More Than That" a "hypnotic" and "sultry number that finds her cooly asserting her dominance". *Idolator* wrote that the "darkly seductive banger" showcases Jauregui's "full potential" and praised the "beguiling" production. *Uproxx* called the song a "first-class banger" and "an excellent showcase" of Jauregui's "smoky, sonorous voice". *Earmilk* complimented the production, and wrote that Jauregui "sets the bar high" with the song "packed to the rim with attitude, including ample bark to match her bite". *Paper* praised Jauregui's songwriting and her "gorgeous raspy howl" in the song. *Rolling Stone* considered it an "intoxicating" and "flossy" record in which Jauregui "asserts her independence and worth".

## Music video

The music video was released on January 18, 2019. It was directed by Lauren Dunn and creatively directed and co-edited by Jauregui, who also cast the dancers. Inspired by the Greek goddess Aphrodite, Jauregui described her concept as "Aphrodite's visit to Earth" while she "finds herself in a unique club surrounded by the earthly embodiments of the divine feminine". The video is also partly inspired by Sandro Botticelli's renaissance painting *Primavera*, in which the Roman goddess Venusstands among three women dancing around her. In the video, Jauregui's Aphrodite and three other women drive to an all-female nightclub called Olympus, where they join the female crowd admiring a group of exotic dancers performing in front of them. Jauregui is later invited by a dancer to the stage. The single's cover art, a recreation of the painting *The Birth of Venus*, was brought to life in the video.

Aphrodite "is the ultimate celebration of femininity and beauty and sexuality in an empowering way", Dunn said. "When we think of a strip club, it's often darkly lit and seedy and secretive and you don't tell people you're going. It's not a place you envision women getting together and going to celebrate other women." Jauregui explained that it is "about taking that kind of rap video imagery and empowering the women who do this work … each woman's spirit is captured in a way that's revering her strength and her sensuality." Jauregui said that the dancers are the "centerpiece" of the video for her. Dunn described the video as "a celebration of women's power and beauty, in every form. Every body type, every color." The wardrobe of Jauregui and the women alongside her references the garment worn by the women in the *Primavera* painting. Stylist Mimi Cuttrell said that the wardrobe is a "take on old Greek mythology and ethereal goddess vibes, but it was important to us that we had a [Jauregui] spin on it all." The visual design of the video takes cues from the world of Aphrodite, including the lighting, production design, and cinematography. The video also integrates some visual references from Jauregui's previous video for "Expectations", such as doves and roses, symbols that are associated with Aphrodite.

*Vogue* described the video as "hypnotic", "fashion-forward", and "subversive". *Uproxx* wrote that the video is as "enticing" as the "provocative" song. Hayden Brooks of iHeart Radio said that the video continues Jauregui's "drastic departure from her Fifth Harmony past" and praised Jauregui's performance. MTV called the video "entrancing" with "compelling visuals", and deemed Jauregui's "awesome attention to detail" a "testament to how stunningly Jauregui is navigating her debut solo era."

## References

1. ↑ Aniftos, Rania (November 7, 2018). "Lauren Jauregui Performs Two New Songs at MTV's 'Plus 1 The Vote' Election Party: Watch". *Billboard*. Retrieved August 16, 2018.
2. ↑ "Watch Lauren Jauregui Perform Two Brand New Songs At MTV's Plus 1 The Vote Election Party". *Radio.com*. November 7, 2018.
3. ↑ "Lauren Jauregui's New Song 'More Than That' Is Out On January 11Th!". *Coup De Main*. January 8, 2019. Retrieved August 16, 2019.
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Kaufman, Gil (January 12, 2019). "Lauren Jauregui Teases New Song 'More Than That'". *Billboard*. Retrieved August 16, 2019.
5. ↑ "Lauren Jauregui Shares Provocative, Classically Inspired 'More Than That' Single Art". *Billboard*. January 9, 2019. Retrieved August 16, 2019.
6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 Savage, Mark (January 18, 2019). "Lauren Jauregui: 'The music industry clouds your soul'". BBC. Retrieved August 16, 2019.
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Lauren Jauregui Shares New Single 'More Than That': Stream It Now". *Billboard*. January 11, 2019. Retrieved August 16, 2019.
8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Nied, Mike (January 11, 2019). "A Bop! Lauren Jauregui Plays The Temptress On The Slinky 'More Than That'". *Idolator*. Retrieved August 16, 2019.
9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Roth, Madeline (January 18, 2019). "Lauren Jauregui Is A Literal Goddess In Her Entrancing 'More Than That' Video". *MTV*. Retrieved August 16, 2019.
10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Espinosa, Joshua (January 11, 2019). "Lauren Jauregui Shares Her Aphrodite-Inspired Track "More Than That"". *Complex*. Retrieved August 16, 2019. Cite error: Invalid `<ref>` tag; name ":4" defined multiple times with different content
11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 "Lauren Jauregui Breaks Down The Meaning Of "More Than That". *Genius*. February 8, 2019. Retrieved August 16, 2019.
12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 Gilke, Chloe (January 11, 2019). "Lauren Jauregui's New Single 'More Than That' Is A Sassy Club Banger". *Uproxx*. Retrieved August 16, 2019.
13. ↑ ""I wasn't writing it with the intention of it being for me, so that separation made me be more free in the moment."". Beats 1. January 28, 2019. Retrieved August 16, 2019 – via Twitter.
14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Love, Michael (January 11, 2019). "Bops Only: 10 Songs You Need to Start Your Weekend Right". *Paper*. Retrieved August 16, 2019.
15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 Spanos, Brittany (January 11, 2019). "Hear Lauren Jauregui's Intoxicating New Song 'More Than That'". *Rolling Stone*. Retrieved August 16, 2019.
16. ↑ Roth, Madeline (January 11, 2019). "Lauren Jauregui's 'More Than That' Is A Swaggering, Hypnotic Flex". *MTV News*. Retrieved August 16, 2019.
17. ↑ Paul, Larisha (January 13, 2019). "Lauren Jauregui sets the bar high on "More Than That"". *Earmilk*. Retrieved August 16, 2019.
18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 Rossignol, Derrick (January 18, 2019). "Aphrodite Visits Earth In Lauren Jauregui's Provocative 'More Than That' Video". *Uproxx*. Retrieved August 16, 2019.
19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 Okwodu, Janelle (January 18, 2019). "Lauren Jauregui Steps Into the Spotlight With a Fashion-Forward New Video". *Vogue*. Retrieved August 16, 2019.
20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 20.3 20.4 20.5 20.6 20.7 Roth, Madeline (January 29, 2019). "How Lauren Jauregui's 'More Than That' Video Is A Celebration For Women, By Women". *MTV*. Retrieved August 16, 2019.
21. ↑ Brooks, Hayden (January 18, 2019). "Lauren Jauregui's 'More Than That' Video Shows 'Aphrodite's Visit To Earth'". *iHeartRadio*. Retrieved August 16, 2019.
22. ↑ "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. January 21, 2019. Archived from the original on February 2, 2019. Retrieved August 16, 2019.
23. ↑ "Chart Search | Billboard". *Billboard*. Archived from the original on February 2, 2019. Retrieved August 16, 2019.