Video: Watch Noah J. Ricketts, Sandra Mae Frank & More in Magnus Riise's Pride-Themed Music Video

Just in time to relieve those post-Pride doldrums, queer indie pop artist Magnus Riise has released the video for his new song, an effervescent queer bop co-written with Tim Rosser and Charlie Sohne (Jonathan Larson and Kleban Awards, India.Arie's High Above) called My Heart Can Beat Again.

The video, which explores the strength of the solidarity among LGBTQ+ people, is about AIDEN (Leighla Rene), who, seeing the isolation of a neighborhood queer kid, sends her parents' old camcorder around the world to collect messages of support from the LGBTQ+ community. When the queer kid, RILEY (Liam Zalben), sees the video, it shows him the size of his queer family - and strengthens his resolve.

Over 50 LGBTQ+ people contributed taped messages, including Soman Chainani (The School for Good and Evil), Sandra Mae Frank (Spring Awakening), Noah J. Ricketts (Gatsby, Fellow Travelers), Telly Leung (Broadway's Aladdin), Bobby Steggert (Tony Nominee), Barrett Foa (Avenue Q, NCIS:LA), Joshua Castille (Spring Awakening), Russell Harvard (There Will Be Blood), Kitty Scott-Claus (Drag Race UK), Jordan Doww (Teen Choice Award Nom.), Flamy Grant (#1 iTunes Christian Chart), Henrik Asheim (Norwegian MP), and Jeff Hiller (Somebody, Somewhere). Videos were sent from around the U.S., Spain, Norway, the UK, India, Germany, France and Mexico.

For Magnus, who directed the video, the project intersected with his personal story in a surprising way when Darryl Stephens and Rodney Chester, two stars of Noah's Arc, the groundbreaking Logo show about four Black, gay men in LA, sent in a video, "As a young gay kid growing up in small town Norway, Noah's Arc was the first indication I had of there being a broader family out there- one that I might one day be a part of." He continued, "The show filled me with the same hope that Aiden's video gives to Riley."

"My Heart Can Beat Again" is streaming on all platforms. More information on Magnus' music, videos and tour can be found on his website (magnusriise.com) and his social media accounts (@magnusriise across platforms)

Artist/Songwriter Bios:

MAGNUS RIISE (Artist, Songwriter): Magnus Riise is a Norwegian-American recording artist. His debut EP, "Until Tomorrow," has been streamed in over 70 countries and garnered media coverage from outlets like HuffPost, The Advocate, and Queerty. Magnus has toured internationally, captivating audiences in New York, London, Oslo, Copenhagen, and beyond. Magnus' bold visual EP, Until Tomorrow, explores difficult subjects close to his heart like mental health, sexuality, loss, and self-acceptance-- and is the product of a collaboration with artists who have won VMAs, garnered hundreds of millions of streams for their work, and have starred on Broadway and network television. Magnus is the host of Extended Play, a monthly showcase of emerging queer pop artists at VERS in Hell's Kitchen.

TIM ROSSER AND CHARLIE SOHNE (Songwriters): Tim Rosser and Charlie Sohne are writers for theater, television and pop music. They've received the Jonathan Larson, Ed Kleban, ASCAP Mary Rodgers/Lorenz Hart, and San Diego Outer Critics Circle awards- and their off-broadway musical was a TimeOut NY critics pick. Their song cycle was commissioned and premiered by the Oakland Symphony Orchestra- and excerpted and performed by the San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus. They've sold scripts to Netflix and Freeform, and have written songs for Tony Winner Lindsay Mendez, Emmy Winner Billy Porter, and Four-Time Grammy Winner India.Arie.

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