Synopsis

My Brightest Diamond performs "Be Brave" in a New York recording studio, where Shara Worden sings among the musicians and chamber ensemble yMusic. The straightforward studio footage is interrupted by stylized images of Worden in elaborate headwear, masks, and makeup, while dancer Jessica Dessner moves through the frame in a ritualistic performance. The result combines documentary-style recording footage with theatrical, dreamlike imagery, reflecting the song's urgent self-address and its call to respond actively to a troubled world.

Factoids & Trivia

• "Be Brave" was released on September 20, 2011, as the first video connected with the album *All Things Will Unwind*. The song itself had originally appeared as a single with a Prefuse 73 remix and an alternate version featuring Son Lux.

• Shara Worden described the song as both a response to global crises and an internal conversation with herself. The lyric's repeated address to "Shara" functions as a demand to stop observing and begin doing something tangible.

• Worden said she was writing the song in the fall of 2009, while thinking about environmental disasters, social justice issues, and several major tragedies reported during that period.

• She also characterized the song as a kind of rain dance and discussed researching Cherokee dancing prayers. That idea helps explain the video's combination of singing, movement, masks, and ceremonial-looking gestures.

• The recording features the New York chamber ensemble yMusic, with additional background vocals from DM Stith. The musicians appearing in the studio footage include Brian Wolfe, Zac Rae, Brad Albetta, and Brian Snow.

• The video was recorded and filmed in New York. Its structure deliberately leaves the song's studio performance visible instead of presenting a conventional narrative.

• Jessica Dessner appears as the dancer. The video's unusual visual styling includes fascinators by Emilliner, a mask by Lake Simons, and makeup by Noelle Marinelli.

• "Be Brave" was later noted for its stark face paint and intense performance imagery, which made the clip one of the more visually confrontational pieces associated with *All Things Will Unwind*.