Seattle based singer-songwriter Mary Lambert released a fun and refreshing music video for “Secrets,” the featured song on her debut album Heart On My Sleeve.

The upbeat song sends an important message to viewers: never pretend to be someone else or try to hide one’s true self. Many know Lambert for writing and singing the hook for Macklemore and Ryan Lewis’ “Same Love,” which also includes an impactful message. These beautiful social themes sprout from the songwriter’s passion for spoken-word poetry.

When speaking about her discovery of spoken-word, she said, “I watched a couple of different poets, Anis Mojgani and Shira Erlichman, and I became obsessed. I knew I had to do it, that it was another part of me that needed to be explored.”

She represented Seattle in the Brave New Voices International Poetry Competition, won Seattle’s Grand Slam Poetry Competition in 2011, and released 500 Tips for Fat Girls, a book of poems that depict her personal experiences.

I believe that Lambert’s experience adds an edge to the song. She incorporates a kind of poetry into her lyrics, and her incredible presence in the video definitely comes from years of performing in front of an audience.

“I wanted to write a pop album that had profound emotional depth and interesting language, while being accessible and catchy. I wanted the songs to be poignant and raw, but I want to hear them on the radio. I like to describe Heart On My Sleeve as a pop album with a conscience,” she said.

The video, featuring a confident and comfortable Lambert along with a diverse group of dancers, was very simple. A majority of the video showed Lambert and others dancing excitedly to the featured song. It leaves viewers exhilarated and wanting to join in the fun. The diverse group also further gets across Lambert’s message that one should not try to hide who they are.

Both “Secrets” and its music video won me over in a heartbeat. Lambert not only wrote meaningful lyrics that prove to viewers that embracing one’s imperfections can be gratifying, but she also brought those lyrics to life with a cheerful and captivating video.

The Chant’s grade: A