Tony Lio’s “Imperfect” Turns Modern Beauty Standards Inside Out
Punk Head: You talk about today's idea of perfection being "lost in translation." That's a broad cultural observation. Was there a specific experience, conversation, or moment that made you feel compelled to challenge that idea through music?
Tony Lio: As I've mentioned before the genesis of how "Imperfect" came to be came from multiple inspirations but the tipping point ironically came from a magazine article. Sometime last year I found an article covering the actress Aimee Lou Wood who at the time was starring on the TV show "The White Lotus" and was gaining a lot of attention and acclaim for her work. Part of the article focused on her discussing her struggles with body image and how she was bullied for having slightly large gapped front teeth which she still gets criticized for. Hearing that confused me because here is a talented actress and beautiful woman, and yet some people are so fixated on this one slightly off trait she has it's blocking out everything else that's great about her. Those thoughts eventually led me to question if she came in around in say the 1950s, 60s or whatever would she be criticized for that one trait or would no one care? And so the idea snowballed to the point where I eventually came to the basis of what became "Imperfect": When did having something unique become something only past society would accept and today's world deem it not worthy of "perfect". Once I got that idea I was off to the races.
Punk Head: Was there a moment during the writing process when you knew, "This is different from anything I've released before"?
Tony Lio: I believe that when I composed the melody for the chorus, "Relive something you've never seen, a lens never lies never lies. Relive something you've never seen, immortal in time imperfect all mine", I knew this song was special. For me as a songwriter if you crack the code on the chorus you have a good song but if it's a chorus with a message you have a great song.
Punk Head: You've now worked with Zack Miranowic three times. What has changed most about your creative relationship since "Evangeline"?
Tony Lio: I think and Zack have managed to develop a great rapport when working together for I know that he can take the initial ideas I have and expand on them while he can freely offer constructive ideas that he believes will make the song better and stronger. As I've said before we've been friends for over a decade and played music together before but didn't work on a song together until two years prior in 2024 with "Evangeline"; around that time, Zack was expanding his knowledge with producing and I've always tried to experiment working with different people for certain songs and decided to bring "Evangeline" to him to see where it would go. The experience proved to be a great one which led me to work with Zack again the following year on "Beautiful Chloe" which had a much a harder-driven sound and the style he was most experienced in. The experience was again fruitful and when I finished the demo for "Imperfect" I knew I wanted to work with Zack on it and I think we made a tune that we are both proud of.
Punk Head: The choice to film in Times Square is interesting because it's simultaneously glamorous, overwhelming, commercial and deeply human. How did that setting reinforce what you were trying to say about individuality and imperfection?
Tony Lio: Shooting in Time's Square honestly did give "Imperfect" another layer of identity as on the surface the city is forever known for being iconically beautiful but there's that laying underbelly quirks of individuals and businesses that give New York its true identity. No joke about two blocks in when we first arrived into the city we were hungry and saw an in the wall pizza place selling slices $1.50 a piece. I'm not lying when I say that was one of the best slices I've had in a long time and it was New York in a nutshell, iconic and chaotic.
Punk Head: Your music often balances emotional honesty with big, cinematic presentation. When people look back on this period of your career years from now, what do you hope "Imperfect" says about who Tony Lio was as an artist at this moment?
Tony Lio: When people look back on my career years from now and when it comes to "Imperfect" I hope it will be viewed as a song that not only became one of my signature tunes but also as the song that pushed Tony Lio to the next level as not only as a musician but as a creator.
