Out of all music that I listen to and music videos that I watch, I believe that Melanie Martinez’ music truly makes an impact, and she is definitely one of my favorite artists. Since her debut, she’s used a child-like theme over underlying ideas exposing the most disgusting aspects of human nature and society, using the innocence of a child to truly emphasize the ugliness. On September 5, 2019, Melanie Martinez released a movie that incorporates music videos of all of her songs from the album “K-12”. Some topics that are mentioned in her music are the grooming of children, corrupt authority figures, her life as a celebrity, the hypocrisy and two-facedness in regards to the sexuality of women, and the development of a girl into a young woman.
Here are the three songs in the album that I think have the greatest impact:
“The Principal”
In this song Melanie uses the two words ‘principal’ and ‘principle’ interchangeably to make a point. As the ‘principal’, you should have ‘principles’ and morals and devote yourself to your job, not take position only for power.
“Where’s the principle? [principal]”
“Sneaky, greedy, money-seeking”
“I’ve tried to make you listen, but you won’t, it’s your way right?”
“Killing kids all day and night, prescription pills and online fights”
“Show and Tell”
In this song Melanie discusses how she feels as a celebrity and how two-faced her fans can be. One second people love her, but they’ll instantly turn on her if someone makes a false allegation. (I believe this is in reference to drama that she was in prior to the release of this song. There were allegations that she pushed herself onto a friend but it turned out to be a scorned friend who just wanted to hurt her career.) She also references how toxic and sick the music industry is, and how difficult it is to make it to the top.
“Tell me you love me, but you treat me like I’m never there”
“Show and tell, I’m on display for all of you to see”
“Harsh words if you don’t get a pic with me”
“Art don’t sell, unless you’ve f*cked every authority”
“Strawberry Shortcake”
In this song Melanie discusses the way society views sexuality in women. She expresses how society expects women to be poised and perfect at all times, yet when harassed, it seems to be the woman’s fault.
“It’s my fault, it’s my fault, cause I put icing on top”
“It’s my bad, It’s my bad, no one told them not to grab”
“‘Cause it’s how I look and not what I think”
“Instead of making me feel bad for the body I’ve got, just teach him to keep it in his pants and tell him to stop.”
Eminem shows the love he has for his daughter and his niece and how they are his world.
0:30, The video starts with Marshal looking at old videos of his daughter and his niece and it looks like he just is analyzing how they were and maybe how he misses them
1:00, Now it looks like he is just reminiscing about all the old times he had with his daughter and how different things are now and by the song it seems like he is expressing the struggle he went through before the fame
1:30, Now Marshal talks about his wife Kim on how things were once great and seemed like they would never go down hill but destiny drove them apart and they now are not together
2:00, He reminds the kids now that although things aren’t the same as they once were with Kim everything will be alright and him and his mom are okay in the end.
2:30, Now he talks about how Christmas once felt empty because there barely was gift under the tree and money was tight with the family.
3:00, He explains how him and Kim went there own ways and he flew to LA with DR.Dre to listen to his CD and get signed, things went good so he then flew them out to LA so they can all be together
3:30, He again is reminiscing and saying how he always only wanted to make them happy and give the world but he ended being all alone in a empty house by himself.
4:00, He ends the song by switching up the hook and saying he will never let anyone hurt his daughters and that he will always be there for them.
The song overall is eminem just venting in his song saying how he wishes things turned out a little different and how he was closer once with his daughter and now it seems like they have fallen apart and he is all alone just thinking and watching old videos of old memories.
They say money is the root of all evil. I say money is the root of all people.
0:00 – 0:20 Joey is saying how money controls people no matter who you are. That’s the goal we all as people have.
“Really started from the bottom, boy cotton
But they still planting plantations, we keep buying in, closed-minded men
Pride is higher than the prices on your Pradas and Balenciagas.”
Joey had a strict upbringing because he grew in an environment with daily threats and violence. He then adds the fact that this generation is so focused on designer clothes and stuff, which makes them “trapped.”
0:52 – 1:12 This scene is essential because Joey wins by gambling. This shows the lifestyle Joey had to undergo to make it out of poverty with his mother.
“I got connections that guaranteed to see closed doors.”
Joey was lucky enough to pursue his rapping career from the people he already knew. He is implying; most neighbors would get slammed by the door if they were in Joey’s position. It’s tough to get signed by a record deal and pursue the career Joey was striving for.
“I got a dollar and a dream, know what I mean?
And I gotta get my mama off the scene.”
1:54 – 2:22 “All you need is a dollar and a dream” is the New York State lottery slogan. Joey is trying to live a better life with his mother. The mom is not living a stress-free experience and Joey is trying to get the money to pay the rent and pursue his rapping career.
2:38 – 2:49 Joey goes to the local shop to get himself a mic with the money he earned from gambling and trading the sneakers he won.
“They say money is the root of all evil.
I see money as the route of all people.
‘Cause we all follow paper trails, paper trails
And everybody gotta pay their bills, pay their bills.”
2:58 – 3:24 The person in the scene was desperate for money. He didn’t hesitate to kill the man who was wearing his shoes. Remember, the shoes were lost from gambling.
3:26 – 3:45 Joey is seen opening the box and having a mic and money in it. This shows the importance of money was for his upbringing and community.
The music video ends with the verse, “It’s the dollar dollar bill, it’s the dollar bill that kills y’all.” This implies the “hunger” many facing poverty have for money. Some turn out to kill each other as shown in the music video. It was tough for Joey and the people in his community to get the funds needed to support themselves. As shown in the video, Joey’s mom was getting yelled at work while Joey was trying to pursue his rap career with the money he earned. At the end of the day, there’s always good and bads in everything we do. In this scenario, money is an evil thing. However, it is the goal many people work hard for because that’s the only way to live in this world.
(0:16-0:29)- Stan’s girlfriend walks in to talk to him, noticing that he has cut his hair to appear more like Eminem. After she calls him by his real name, “Stanley” he loses his temper, pulling her in the bathroom and storming out. This clip from the beginning already shows his obsession with the rapper, as he has begun to change himself to look like a copycat of Eminem.
(1:00-2:07)- Stan is seen writing letters to Eminem as he is sitting in a room with what looks to be a shrine for Eminem. The lyrics in this clip are about how Stan is going to name his daughter Bonnie, just like Eminem. The lyrics about Stan relating to Eminem for the first time, as they both had friends who committed suicide, shows a normal fondness for someone’s idol, as he can deeply connect with Eminem. However, the tremendous amounts of photos and posters of Eminem hung around shows us how great his obsession is.
(2:19-2:25)- The letter written for Eminem by Stan is dropped on the floor, proof that Eminem was never purposely ignoring his fans although this later results in Stan’s breakdown.
(2:44-2:52)- Stan begins to get more upset after the concert since Eminem never stayed after the show to sign things for Stan and his little brother. However, the video shows that security was the one preventing the rapper from meeting his fans, even though he did try to reach out to them.
(3:05-3:17)- The lyrics, “P.S. we should be together soon” are sung by Stan, as he glues a photo of Eminem onto his girlfriends face, in a picture of the two of them. He even talks of how upset his girlfriend gets that all he focuses on is Eminem. This is a new level of his obsession as he keeps trying harder and harder to get closer to the rapper, by even hurting his closest relationships.
(3:30-4:40)- One night, Stan’s girlfriend gets up as he sleeps, and goes down to the basement and finally finds his shrine to Eminem. She realizes how consumed he is by his feelings towards the rapper. As she begins to look through all the photos, Stan suddenly comes up to her, furious with rage, he takes her out of their home and throws her into their car trunk. It’s at this point that his obsession and rage have reached the maximum and he is ready to end it all since the only thing he found worth living for, Eminem, has never gotten back to him. The lyrics are severe now, as Stan sings, “You ruined it now, I hope you can’t sleep and you dream about it”, and “Hey Slim, that’s my girlfriend screamin’ in the trunk. But I didn’t slit her throat, I just tied her up, see I ain’t like you”, as he commits suicide by driving off a bridge with his pregnant wife. He makes sure to note how Eminem is the reason for these two tragic deaths.
(4:41-4:50)- Eminem finally is seen writing back to Stan, however it’s too late. He writes of how he is sorry for not getting back earlier, but how he is concerned for Stan, and that he has read all the letters and believes his fan should get help. However, in the end he realizes that it is in fact Stan that was the man responsible for the tragedy he had previously heard about in the newspapers.
(4:52-4:56)- Stan’s little brother is seen at the grave, with an older woman who is visibly upset. The little brother looks like a younger version of Stan, and Eminem as well. The anger in the woman’s face makes me believe that she is reminded by the death of Stan every time she looks at the little boy due to their resemblance.
(5:40-end)- The music video ends with the crime scene of the accident being shown, as they discover the bodies and rule it a double murder. They also discover a tape, one that belongs to a man named Stan. This discovery leads to Eminem finally knowing that this man was this obsessive fan of his.
Purpose- The music video and lyrics both tell the story of an obsessive fan named Stan, who gradually grows more insane as he tries to get in touch with his idol, Eminem. He begins by reaching out to him and sending letters and talking about how fond he is of the rapper, and how he has posters of him all over his house and how Eminem is the reason for him waking him up every morning. After this, his insanity progresses as he starts to express anger towards Eminem for not answering his letters or signing an autograph for his brother. He talks of how he can relate to Eminem’s past, as they both had absent fathers, and how the rapper’s music makes him feel better after Stan has to deal with a bad day. Lastly, Stan loses it, getting extremely angry and ranting about how Eminem never got back to him, and how because of this, he has decided to drunk drive, speeding to his death. He finishes by talking of how his girlfriend is gagged in the trunk of the car, and says goodbye before he drives the both of them off a bridge. The song ends with Eminem’s perspective of finally reading the letters and getting back to Stan. He addresses all of Stan’s comments and concerns and talks of how concerned he is for Stan, pointing out that he doesn’t want him to end up like the man who drove him and his pregnant girlfriend off a bridge. The video ends with Eminem realizing that this mentally ill man that everyone has been talking about actually is Stan, his biggest fan.
Genre- The song is Hip Hop/Rap but the music video can be seen as a thriller video or a drama.
Context- Eminem wrote this song as he was and even now is one of the most well known rappers in the world and has to deal with crazy fans all the time.
0:00 – 0:30 The video starts off with a home invasion. Someone breaks into Polo’s house and begins to shoot at him.
Polo G is from Chicago, and as we all know Chicago has a very high crime rate. I think this is a fitting way to start off the music video as it directly ties into his Chicago up bringing where gun violence is a very present. His first line being “Decorate your block with red tape, foenem’ slidin every day” is also referring to his Chicago up bringing. Foenem is a Chicago slang term meaning gang or crew.
0:31 -0:49 Polo G gets out of his room avoiding the shooter and continues walking in the halls of his house.
At around 0:44 we see Polo G dumping a pill bottle into the air. This is referring to his battle with addiction. Polo G was addicted to pills like Xanax and Percocet for a few years so him throwing them into the air is symbolizing letting go of that addiction.
“Can’t relapse off these drugs, man R.I.P. to Juice
We was tweakin’ off them Percs, I popped my last one with you”
Here Polo G is referring to the late rapper Juice Wrld. Juice Wrld was a fellow Chicago rapper and friends of Polo G. When Polo G says “I popped my last one with you” he literally means it. He remembers popping Percocet with Juice Wrld for the last time before Juice died in December of 2019. The death of his friend has actually helped Polo G with his battle in addiction.
0:50 – 1:20 Polo Continues walking through the poker room. The TV shows another image of Juice Wrld again paying his respects to him.
1:21 – 2:10 Polo walks into a jail, then into a cell joined by a masked man. Throughout the scene he is again dodging projectiles. Towards the end of this scene he leaves the cell but is then surrounded by guns.
Throughout this scene, Polo is rapping about the troubles he faced while growing up in Chicago; he says “where I’m from they turn death into a contest.” He then continues ” My niggas went to war but they ain’t get no Vietnam checks.” Here he is referring to the gang culture that surrounds Chicago. He grew up with gang culture and saw his friends killed from it. He compares death to being a contest because in gang culture it is common for people to try and show how tuff they are through violent means such as shootings. This leads to many deaths. The war he refers to again is gang culture. He says “they ain’t get no Vietnam check” meaning that this senseless gang violence ultimately leads to nothing. I think this scene is perfect for what he is rapping about. When in jail you are stuck there until you serve your sentence. He felt trapped growing up in Chicago, much like being in jail. He is dodging bullets in the video. The bullets could be referring to literal gun bullets or any other hardships of growing up in Chicago. He is then surrounded by guns after leaving the cell, which can refer to him facing one problem after the next.
2:11 – 2:50 The intruder that has been following Polo through out video has been unmasked. It is revealed that it is actually Polo G who was the intruder.
I think Polo G being the intruder that has been following him around symbolizes self conflict. He’s been trying to shoot himself from the beginning of the video, but he’s also been dodging every bullet. This could mean that he is overcoming his problems and growing as person.
0:00 “Little is known of Sierra Leone, and how it connects to the diamonds we own.”
At the very start of the video, Kanye gives us a preface about where our diamonds come from – using child labor. Usually, these children are stolen, or captured and traded to be used as slaves for the diamond mines. They are not given any kind of protective gear to wear, and operate in fear because one wrong move can get them killed-either by the rebel soldiers overmatching them, or by a mining-related incident.
0:40 “We are the children of the blood diamonds”
Blood diamonds references the fact that these diamonds are extracted through bloodshed.
1:00 and onwards: Kanye is in Europe but the video flashes between Europe and the children in the Sierra Leone mines. Some biblical statues in Europe are shown as well.
1:46 A European man proposes to a European woman. He puts a diamond ring on her finger. For a split second, she is delighted but then the ring starts oozing blood all over her hand. The camera blurs and refocuses on a child who we can clearly tell have worked in the mines, and who appears to be standing in their hotel room. It’s almost as if the child who may or may not have died, is haunting them through that diamond.
3:16 The camera shows a statue of an angel’s face, then transitions to the child miner’s face, making the connection that these children are angels too, who have been forced to risk their lives and endure slave labor so that a rich European lady (shown in the next scene at 3:23) can buy a diamond. This scene is especially powerful because in the diamond store, the man behind the counter reaches down, and the hand of the child is in his cabinet, handing him the diamond piece that the lady wants to buy. This emphasizes how diamonds are supplied behind the scenes.
3:51 Kanye is speeding in a car though the streets of Europe. He looks at his rear-view mirror and sees a miner boy in his back seat. He then opens his car doors and jumps out 007 style. His car crashes into the diamond store. A bunch of miner kids surround Kanye who is on the ground and they help him back up. At this point, it is unknown whether or not Kanye died and joined the miner kids. They run off to a field, then into a church.
4:55 The end message that is displayed shows: “Please purchase conflict free diamonds,” as Kanye walks across a bridge somewhere in Europe.
Kanye is a well known rapper, and during the time this song was released, he was catering to those who are into rap/r&b, usually the younger, flashier crowd, those who share his fashion sense, and perhaps those who can identify themselves through Kanye’s unapologetically narcissistic and “extra” ways.
Kanye for me, has achieved two things in this one video. First, he wanted to draw attention towards the unethical practises of blood diamond mining in Sierra Leone. Given the historical context, Sierra Leone was corrupt, and rebel groups would take over diamond mines to make money to fund their operations. Kanye sheds light on where these diamonds came from and why we must not buy diamonds that came from slave labor that also helps fund terrorism. This is clear by how the video starts and ends; with plain black and white text.
Second, without the visuals of the music video, the lyrics are actually not about blood diamonds. Personally, I think he is using diamonds as a metaphor to refer to his success. When he says “diamonds are forever, they won’t leave you in the night, I have no fear that it might,” could be a reference to the fact that diamonds, or material things in general, won’t ever leave you, unlike people in his life. This may be a reason why we are so addicted to getting material things. “Diamonds are forever,” could also be referring to our guilty conscious that would haunt us forever, because there is a possibility that someone lost their life, their freedom or their family for that piece of rock. The verse that sums up the whole song for me is “R-r-r-r-r-right there stands a man, with the power to make a diamond with his bare hands.” He is a very successful artist, and has made gold and platinum selling records, as well as millions of dollars. Instead of physically mining, his creativity has allowed him to make “precious metal” from just his musical talents.
To sum it up, Kanye is letting us know that there is a price to pay for success. However, it is also important to celebrate our successes, to never be apologetic about the good things that happen in our lives. At the same time, we must remember the less fortunate, we must stand up for injustice when we have the platform, voice, or privilege of doing so. He is also explicitly showing us that human exploitation is wrong, and a good way to stop this is by refusing to buy diamonds that come from conflict zones. If there’s no demand for them, then there’s no money to be made, and therefore no incentive to continue these unethical human exploitation methods.
The silver lining is that these blood diamond operations have since been stopped, although these mines are still in operation, and miners who apply to work get paid very little and work in dangerous conditions. With this said, diamond mining in Sierra Leone nowadays is therefore legitimate, so it technically wouldn’t be unethical to buy. A good movie that explores this subject is “Blood Diamond” starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Djimon Hounsou (Strong Language and Violence)
Start – Video begins with him and his inner darkness sitting behind him from an angle.
17 seconds – Begins to mention the girl he really likes.
23 seconds – Video shows a white pure flower.
33 seconds – Video presents us with a white marble statue of two lovers.
31 -39 seconds – He slides a diss at Drake with a couple lines about hiding a child because of the controversial reveal of his child being brought up by Pusha T.
41 seconds – Mentions the “fire,” the time between breaking up with his lover and their reconnection. It’s also illustrated in the video with a ring of fire.
51 seconds – Talks about how he can’t lose her again
1:02 – The inner darkness begins to take over and begins to corrupt the lovers as illustrated by the black paint beginning to spew out the mouth of the man on the lover statue.
1:04 – Inner darkness rubs hands together as if something was accomplished successfully.
1:09 – Mentions how he felt lonely and now has company again, and this time it’s for good.
1:21 – Begins to talk about his lover’s life during the period of their breakup and how she also had other “personal” relationships with people while he did.
1:45 – Stresses the importance again of not wanting to lose his lover.
1:50 – Black paint begins to cover a corrupt the pure white flower from the beginning of the video.
2:01 – The white marble statue of the two lovers are now completely covered in black paint.
2:33 – The lady kissing the skull signifying love to death.
2:51 – Ring of fire has been reduced to tiny flames
3:00 – The video shows us two skeletons covered in black paint lying next to one another, signifying them dying together after being together for life.
3:10 – Video ends with him standing side by side to his inner darkness.
The genre of music this is considered to be is R&B or Popular music. With that being said, the majority of people that listen to these genres are young people and with the message of the video being about love, relationships, and dating it leads me to conclude that this video is catered towards a younger audience that hasn’t married yet. The context surrounding this song / video is incredible. First I’d like to start off with how Gesaffelstein is the producer, and also the inner darkness standing next to The Weeknd throughout the whole video. Then I’d like to proceed with how the song is about the tumultuous relationship that Bella Hadid and The Weeknd had; however, it can also be perceived as a diss track towards Drake. To support this we first have to understand that Drake had hidden a child away from the world and it was brought up by Pusha T during their rap feud. The fact that Drake had the audacity to hide it could indicate that he was either protecting his child from all the publicity, or that he was ashamed about having a child with an adult film actress, that part is up to speculation. Moving forward, The Weeknd throughout the song is basically a love song to Bella about their relationship and how he wants to be with her forever as depicted by the lyrics and video. The message of the video is to her to reassure his compassion for her as well as illustrate the complexity of their relationship through the white purity becoming covered in darkness, and how it changed their relationship completely.
Pitbull ft. Jennifer Lopez & Claudia Leitte – We Are One (Ole Ola) [Official Video]
Music Video: https://youtu.be/TGtWWb9emYI
0:00 to 0:16: Brazil soccer team playing and I think the photos are the Brazil team getting World Cups. While all this is showing there are no vocals, only instruments playing.
0:17 to 0:45: The main chorus and Pitbull says:
“ Put your flags up in the sky, And wave em side to side, Show the world where you’re from, Show the world we are one (one, love).”
While he sings this, there is a diverse group of people behind him, many wearing Brazil jerseys. The camera shifts to show the infamous statue, Christ the Redeemer located in Brazil. After the camera shows a backside view of the statue, it shifts to show many different flags being held in the air. This ends with showing fans of many different teams in the stadium.
0:46 to 1:19: Pitbull gives his verse before the main chorus repeats. The music video shows highlights of other games as he sings. Pitbull says he invites the whole world to play in Brazil. He basically repeats this in Spanish before the chorus plays again.
1:20 to 1:49: The main chorus repeats and flags of different countries are being shown again. Pitbull hands it off to Jeniffer Lopez to start her verse.
1:50 to 2:18: Jeniffer Lopez starts her verse by saying “One night, Watch the world unite, Two sides, One fight, and a Million eyes.” As she sings her verse the camera is focused on her and occasionally shifts to soccer highlights.
2:19 to 2:50: The main chorus repeats again and the camera is focused on the crowd of fans again.and occasionally shifts to show Pitbull, JLO, Claudia, and more soccer highlights.
2:50 to 3:07: Pitbull hands it off to Claudia in Portuguese. Claudia sings her verse in Portuguese and the camera is focused on her, the instrumentalists, and some people in the background.
3:08 to 3:56: The main chorus starts again and the camera shifts many times. It shows the singers, more soccer highlights, more fans holding flags, people dancing and smiling, and teams holding the World Cup. The music video ends with fireworks over the stadium and kids holding a homemade World Cup.
The video is about the FIFA world cup being hosted by Brazil in the year 2014. The music video makes this obvious to anyone watching, as it mainly shows the Brazil team and it shows the Statue of Christ which is associated with Brazil. The intended audience is anybody who happens to watch the video, as the music video is asking people to watch the world cup. Anyone can watch it, but soccer fans would be the most inclined to. There are some verses that I pointed out in the timestamps which resonated with me. I think the main chorus which is “Put your flags up in the sky, And wave em side to side, Show the world where you’re from, Show the world we are one (one, love).” is saying that even though many of us represent different nations and different groups and communities, we should all come together and show that “ we are on”. The start of JLO’s verse that goes “One night, Watch the world unite, Two sides, One fight, and a Million eyes.” is another verse that suggests that soccer unites the world. Unity seems to be the theme of this music video. I assume this since the video is full of diverse groups of people who are enjoying the game and having a good time. This video would lead the viewer to the conclusion that they should watch the game as it is enjoyable and everyone is accepted. This message is so in your face, that even if they don’t watch soccer they could realize the message. If only soccer could truly unite the world, that would be incredible.
The music video started with a scene featuring an older adult living in a skyscraper overlooking the busy city(0:01), his pet lizard wriggles in the cage glass. This first scene was filmed in a cool color tone; the lizard at the start of the scene indicates indifference and coldness in the man’s heart. The man thinks back to his past in which he leaves home for his passion for photography. (0:20)Accompanied by a joyful rhythm, the next scene shows a young boy carrying a camera. It is worth noting that the scene’s color and lighting are bright and warm, symbolizing hope, opportunities, and the unknown awaits. (0:58)The boy boards a taxi but was dislodged shortly by the annoyed driver after taking pictures of him and his belongings. (2:16)Later, he meets a woman who lets him take photos of her, and was kind to give him a ride, but later he was brought to a pub and left with a receipt(2:47). (3:08)Unable to pay, he was injured by the owner during which his camera was broken. (3:40)While he was at the police station with his broken camera attempting to receive some assistance, the officers were busy dealing with other matters and ignored him, perhaps seeing him as unimportant.
(4:03)In the pre-ending scene, he disappointedly leaves the police station. Along his journey, he encountered a dog he tried to befriend. The dog was being unfriendly and barked at him(4:24). This scene sums up the similarities in the previous event. The young boy offers kindness to others but was rejected because those around him cared more about secular matters and were too concerned about their own lives to notice a helpless boy. Fortunately, the dog’s owner(4:46) appeared: a native American man became the turning point. He sees the boy and offered to fix the broken camera. This action cured the boy and brought a smile back to his face. (5:10)The music video ends with the first set with the older adult putting down a glass with melted ice. The last scene correlates with the song title as well as the main theme of the piece.
We live in a Capitalist society where most individuals goal relates to success and wealth. Nowadays, since people are more concerned with time management and being productive, aspects of communication are being neglected. In the old times and perhaps some rural areas today, neighbors would befriend each other; people are more friendly to strangers. This is not the phenomenon today, especially in a city setting like that of the music videos. The artist and producer are trying to point out this fact and convey to the audience how little actions could change one’s life, how little kindness could bring warmth to others’ hearts, and revive them from hopelessness. The music video was filmed from the boy’s point of view, echoed with the lyrics “Why are they so cold” referring to the adults’ world. The cool tone of the old man’s setting contrast with the warm tone of the boy’s scent. Perhaps the start and end scene indicated that he has become one of the city working people that has a lack of concern for others. There is a contrast between nature and city life can also be the artist’s way of encouraging city people to take a break from the busy working life, take a moment to enjoy life, come to the realization for humanity.
0:00-1:18 Dave (Dicky) gets bombarded by his friends’ remarks as he gets ready for what seems to be his wedding.
1:19-1:32 Dave is visibly nervous on the car ride there as he reminisces through past pictures on his phone.
1:33-1:50 Dave introduces himself to family members and friends at the church as he slowly makes his way inward to get in place for the wedding.
1:51-2:50 As Dave gets into position, we can see the bride coming from behind him. However, she walks past Dave towards a groom. As the couple kisses and the crowd celebrates, we see a frame of Dave being noticeably upset.
2:51-4:56 At the dinner party, we can see Dave with people surrounding him, all enjoying themselves; meanwhile, Dave keeps getting bothered by the fact of his best friend getting married.
4:57-5:37 The video finishes with an interaction between Dave and his best friend – a final farewell as Dave walks offscreen gloomy.
When I first saw this music video, my heart sank. Not because of how it was produced, but because of the reality of the situation. Lil Dicky performs one of the most profound songs in his career with this, largely due to its personal resonance with him. Normally seen as a “jokester rapper”, Lil Dicky tackles on an undiscussed issue and shines with his thoughtful lyricism and powerful cinematography.
The video reflects on the premise of losing someone you love, not through death, but through a past full of mistakes and mishaps. During the course of the song, Dave speaks on breaking the relationship with the love of his life, Molly, due to the launch of his rap career and distancing issues.
“But when the fact is I always put you second to rap/ I’m not mad that you wouldn’t come”
Dave accounts for this failure primarily due to not spending enough time with Molly because of wanting to place his aspirations before his love life. However, it’s clear that with Molly, Dave wanted to place more emphasis on what could’ve been, not what had been.”
Throughout the course of the video, you can see that Dave prioritizes on the intensity of his lyrics and his emotions. The wedding, which acts as a celebration, is full of cheery and jubilant attendees; however, the attention is shifted towards Dave, the outlier. He constantly expresses sorrow for not being Molly’s groom, and distracts himself from the lively atmosphere with flashbacks to his seemingly forgotten relationship. The scene with Molly walking past Dave in the churchroom hits especially hard because it displays all of Dave’s regrets coming together: seeing his favorite girl marry his friend. The final interaction between Molly and Dave signifies the final send off of their relationship, and with Dave falteringly moving on.
Lil Dicky denotes a lot of inspiration for this song from his actual past relationship with Molly, which was cut short by his desire to chase his aspirations.
“So the decision wasn’t the difficult part. It was living with the realities of the outcome.”
The underlying message here is: to live in the moment, to enjoy what you have and not to fret about what you don’t have, and to keep your head straight. Many of us, including myself, are trapped in the bubble of analyzing our regrets and past decisions over and over and are obsessed with delving deep into what the future could be, when in reality, the importance truly lies in the life we live now. Because,
you won’t know if you are in the good times until it’s actually over.
