Sam Pilling, director: " wanted the visuals to juxtapose the song so decided to set the video at night and to film it in quite a raw, off the cuff way, rather than a more obvious, smooth approach. Dornik wanted the video to be about having fun, good vibes and a sense of release so we constructed a story that had those upbeat elements but also had a slightly darker undertone too.
The parade of women in varying states of NSFW undress has got The Weeknd dizzy. And you might be a bit dizzy too, after you follow the hypnotic and graceful camera moves that pull you through just another night after night after night in his hotel suite.
It's clear from the start that today won't be a good day for the young man in this new J. Cole video. Director Sam Pilling plays with that palpably impending doom, twisting the storyline into a climax that's as emotionally devastating as can be for our hero.
What do you do when you've rented a big warehouse, presumably in Japan, and a lot of strobe lights? You make a video. Because you can. And, if you're The Weeknd, you have Drake on the track and in the video as well.
Maybe this is how Abel deals with not being able to connect to his love interest in "Belong To The World."
A druggy and depressing night in a crap club takes a Tarintonian turn when a bandit arrives with a gun and an inclination to shoot that look off The Weeknd's face.
(Oh, and Juicy J. Despite being the artist of record here, the Three 6 Mafia rapper takes on what would be the traditional featured role, with The Weeknd clearly the focus)
You likely met Mikey Ekko as Rihanna's duet partner on "Stay." His solo video has a similarly haunting vibe as director Sam Pilling shows him in danger of literally fading away in a glamorously trashed home.
