Extreme turbulence and a literal crash landing in this unexpected video for Vic Mensa's unguarded new song.
Andrew Donoho, director "Rage stood out as one of the most powerful, personal, and intense songs Vic has released, and I wanted to create something equally visceral. The song stemmed from his mindset during a fight with depression and addiction, so a plane crash felt like the perfect metaphor for the loss of control and the battle for survival. Burying this metaphor into a drug/alcohol fueled death-dream allowed the raw emotion of the song to manifest on screen in a harrowing narrative that takes place between fantasy and reality."
Director Chris Marrs Piliero has already scored one smash through the clever use of subtitles — see his gem "Next Girl" for The Black Keys — so, here's another should-be winner. "Dark Nights" does a great job of introducing you to Dorothy, while also making sure to point out all the things you might have missed — hey, it's Pedro!
Stardom as an instant glamour model can be a bitch. Or maybe, it's just the photographers who discover and explout these beautiful people who are truly the bitches. Such is the situation in this tale of Rita Ora going from a street savvy headturner to a glossy pin-up girl under the watchful eye of a creepy Warholian predator type who peels her away from her man.
Another track from the Kanye and Paul McCartney collaboration drops, this time as the lead single for Rihanna's upcoming new album. Vertically constrained to just the center third of the screen, the focus of this silvery b/w clip is Rihanna's emotional performance, with Sir Paul and Yeezus in supportive mode. It's simple and effective, making clear that Rihanna can thrive with music as simple and easily stylist as a pair of blue jeans. (In fact, I wouldn't be shocked if a country cover of this becomes a hit.)
Holy crap. An all-star, action packed trailer for Jay Z and Beyonce first feature film coming... NEVER. So, breath a sigh of relief, since all involved surely know that this compilation of action flick cliches would be a clunker even by Hollywood crap standards.
That said: We get Beyonce at her hottest, Jay at his most badass and cast that would be the envy of any blockbuster: Sean Penn, Don Cheadle, Guillermo Diaz, Emmy Rossum, Jake Gyllenhaal, Blake Lively, Rashida Jones and Kidada Jones.
And if you want to see Jay and Bey' on the run together: Go get your tickets for their tour — which is what this trailer is really meant to promote.
Roc Nation's Bridget Kelly and rap star Kendrick Lamar easily hold this video down, with director Clifton Bell applying the occasional halftone reprographic and multiplicity effect, but otherwise letting them casually do their thing.
