On An On “Drifting”
On An On’s video for “Drifting” plays out kind of like a David Lynch film. We see a man get into bed next to his wife. Then, we see his dream projected onto the wall behind the bed. We watch what leads to the man in that dream going to bed next to his wife, and his dream is also projected behind the bed. It’s a dream inside a dream. Only, there’s tragedy in both dreams, and in the end you’re not really sure who is alive and who is dead.
Stromae “Carmen”
Belgium’s Stromae apparently has some dislike for Twitter. His latest video for “Carmen” is an animated feature. It all begins with a little blue bird flying into the window of a young man who is sitting on his bed texting on his phone. The bird starts to go everywhere with him, and even begins to get bigger. It gets so demanding that it results in him getting kicked out of his home. He eventually is kicked out of his girlfriend’s house, too. Soon enough we see a bunch of people all riding giant blue birds that lead them to a cliff. They toss their people off the cliff into the mouth of a gargantuan blue bird that immediately craps behind it. If this isn’t some kind of metaphor for Stromae’s dislike of Twitter, then I’m sorry to miss the actualy meaning.
Sia “Big Girls Cry”
As I first noticed that Sia’s video for “Big Girls Cry” yet again included dancer Maddie Ziegler, I thought that things were going too far. It’s not so much that Maddie is in the video again, it’s that Maddie is dressed the same in all the videos. She’s not even a different character. But then, I watched the video. And the insanity of the performance ensued leading me to believe that Maddie is going to be rocking performances for a long time. She completely sells all the moves, at one point reminding me of Sesame Street’s Mr. Noodles brushing his teeth. This girl doesn’t have to move about a cage or apartment to dance. She can do it in one spot little more than her face. It’s also her last video for Sia. So sit back and enjoy the end of a trilogy.
Brandon Flowers “Can’t Deny My Love”
Brandon Flowers’ new video for “Can’t Deny My Love” takes place back in expansionist times. Brandon plays a young man who is determined to go out into the desert. His blonde haired love doesn’t want him to leave until the morning, but he’s determined. On his way out of town a dark haired lady gives him a smile. She’s a member of the Satanic cult he discovers in the mines. So’s his blonde haired love. He verifies it by the ribbon she wears in her hair. I’m not sure the relationship is over as maybe Satanic women are his thing.
Joy. “Weather”
Joy.’s video for “Weather” isn’t entirely clear in its story. We start with a young woman concerned with the men knocking on her front door. She makes her way over to her mother who is sitting there refusing to accept what is happening. She hardly moves. As the young woman continues to maker her way out the back, you’ve hopefully noticed the men walking past the window dressed in protective covers. As the woman heads out back she tries to keep them from collecting items like travel bags and lamps. Eventually the mother comes out as well and makes an attempt to prevent the things from being taken. It ends with both mother and daughter being forcibly removed. We never find out what this is all about, but the men dressed like they’re dealing with toxic substances is more than a little alarming.
