Constructed reality in film (music videos)

[cimorene]

I recently became aware of this music video by the Rwandan-Belgian pop singer/songwriter Stromae, "Papaoutai" (2013) (in French, English subtitles)

Watch on YouTube

This song is what Wax calls a banger, but what I love about it is the constructed reality of the video and how it plays with the real/fakeness through the set and the costumes.

It reminded me of this older-to-me but actually younger music video by Swedish-African(American) hiphop artist Timbuktu, "Annie Liebovitz" (2014) (in Swedish, no subtitles)

Watch on YouTube

This is one of my favorite music videos (not that I'm an afficionado or anything!) because of the constructed reality, which uses mannequins like "Papaoutai" but also flat photography, with pieces of his surroundings (nightmarishly?) constantly turning into flat mattpaintings and pieces of scenery in a way that absolutely gives me chills. Also yes, it really uses Annie Liebovitz.

The visual design/sets in both cases are a little reminiscent of the set design of the "Broadway Melody" extended sequence in Singin' in the Rain where Don and Cosmo describe the planned dream sequence in the movie they're making, The Dancing Cavalier, and that's my favorite set design EVER. Especially the nightclub where Gene Kelly dances with Cyd Charisse, where everything from the other tables to the actual spotlight is painted on the walls/floor.

Comments

[yvannairie]

Oh I fucking love Stromae, I play "Ta fête" and "Tous les mêmes" at work all the time. Extremely danceable.

[cimorene]

Wax could bond with you there. I only recognize this one song by name, having borrowed it from her. I'm slow to adopt new music because I need a lot of time to mull it over.

[torachan]

Those are both neat videos and very good songs (especially Papaoutai, which I just went and bought on iTunes after watching this).

[cimorene]

Wax bought the whole album recently and I haven't had time to like... listen to it carefully, but I think it is all pretty great. Or, you know, similar to this song? Not all of them are this catchy, but it also isn't one of those albums where you're like "Oh I see why that was the single" and there are like 2 tracks worth remembering. (He has a new album apparently, but she says she hasn't listened yet. She watched some interviews with him though. His stuff is like political and autobiographical I guess.)