Rachel Crow Proves There Is Hope for the Bullied in ‘Mean Girls’ Video

Attention, teens and kids battling the bullying epidemic — help has arrived in the form of Rachel Crow‘s new video for ‘Mean Girls.’ The singer, who brightened our days and our lives as a precocious, extra-bubbly ‘X Factor‘ contestant with an old soul voice, co-wrote the song about reclaiming your life from bullies — and the accompanying video demonstrates that things do and will get better.

We’re not saying that the video is a lifesaver by any means. But it does offer hope and something to hold onto when things are bad. It lets the bullied know that they are not alone, despite feelings to the contrary.

It’s important to mention that this is a difficult video to watch. It doesn’t go down easy, especially the opening minute, where young girls recount their personal histories of being bullied. Some cry. Others are clearly confused and don’t understand why they’ve become the target of taunts. It’s heartbreaking and feels like you are watching a therapy session that you’ve stumbled into and most definitely weren’t invited to.

That’s why it’s so effective. Crow’s video makes the viewer and society see something that’s uncomfortable. That’s the only way change can be enacted. And this all comes from a 14-year-old! Crow, whose upbringing hasn’t been easy, is prominently featured, her shock of honey highlighted curls as big as her ebullient personality. She looks and sounds older than her age, but it works for her.

The video cuts to footage of Crow singing the song, spliced with more images of titular mean girls bullying others. Regina George, the resident you-know-what of the Lindsay Lohan-starring film, is replicated here.

Rachel plays the role of a high school student, walking down the hallways, sitting in class, observing taunts and note passing. It reminds you how lonely adolescence can be. Some of the girls being bullied have phrases written on their palms in Sharpie, like “I have feelings” and “I’ve never felt so alone.”

The light at the end of the tunnel comes when Crow makes friends with outcasts. The message implied is that it’s okay and you will find a way to fit in and make friends. Don’t give up hope! Mean girls will no longer run your world.

Watch the Rachel Crow ‘Mean Girls’ Video