Montreal-based songwriter Ada Lea, known for her introspective lyrics and delicate melodies, has just released her latest single, “Come on, baby! be a good girl for the camera,” ahead of her upcoming EP Notes, set to drop on October 4. The song, written during the creation of her second album one hand on the steering wheel the other sewing a garden, reflects Lea’s nuanced take on the pressures of the music industry.

In her own words, Lea (the moniker of Alexandra Levy) describes the track as a playful yet biting commentary on the performative nature of the industry. “I wrote this song while on a very challenging tour that took everything out of me,” she explains. “Over the years, I’ve developed a suspicion that your skin must be made of macho steel to ‘make it’ in the industry—you’ve gotta be able to suck it up, put a nice smile on your face, and do a little dance with a twinkle in your eye.”

The accompanying music video, directed by Lawrence Fafard, brings a new dimension to the track. It follows the story of drag queen Lolly Poppers, offering a slow, visually driven narrative that complements the song’s themes. Despite Fafard’s lack of prior music video experience, the two collaborated to create a series of visually striking images, with Lea commenting, “Lawrence’s photography has always inspired me, so I reached out. We had a tight deadline, but Lawrence’s idea to approach the video like a sequence of beautiful photographs clicked instantly. It’s simple, yet it feels really special.”

Notes marks a continuation of Lea’s evolving sound, blending autobiographical stories with a subtle fictional touch. Her previous work on Saddle Creek and Next Door Records established her as a distinctive voice in Montreal’s music scene, and the upcoming EP promises more of her signature mix of vulnerability and artistic depth.

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