By Mike Sain't Louis ·
Mainstream: the ring where everyone points at me
Violet neon lights, stadium floodlights and a stage that looks like a boxing ring or a TV set. On the cover of Mainstream I'm in the centre, bare-chested, with a sharp mohawk and a star tattooed on my shoulder. On either side, two men in suits shout at me and point their fingers, red with rage.
The composition is almost a storm. Them with their mouths open and veins bulging; me still, looking at the camera unfazed. That calm in the middle of the yelling seems to me the most powerful thing about the image. Whatever they say, the central figure doesn't move.
And then there's the word that gives the single its title. Mainstream: the conventional, what plays everywhere, what the majority accepts. Is it a wish, a mockery, a criticism? With those two gentlemen beside themselves and accusing, you sense that the conversation about who deserves to be at the centre isn't going to be peaceful.
I like to leave the question open. The answer is in the song, and I invite you to listen to find out which side of the ring you're on.