FKA twigs' Stop-Motion Spectacle: pamplemousse
Music videos were the first form of text that popped into my head when given this assignment. The marriage between audio and visual design in this particular format couple together to make a product unlike any other. FKA twigs takes that concept and kisses it on the lips with her latest video pamplemousse.
The song title was the first aspect that caught me eye. I wasn't sure what pamplemousse meant. I initially thought it was an obscure color I've never heard of before. The quick google search later made me smirk. Naming a song after the french translation of grapefruit is a very artistic move. Later learning that the song is actually named after the La Croix flavor made me appreciate the title even more.
I appreciate twigs' bold behavior in terms of song title conventions and the like. Originality is a commodity nowadays. The song's identity is hard to categorize; making for a very unique and abstract experience. The beat reminds me of a cybernetic jungle chase scene with twigs' melodic vocals adding onto the chaos of it all. The video wouldn't hold as much weight as it does without the visuals though. From the jump, FKA is changing from look to look; animated like a cartoon character without sacrificing the integrity of her image.
The stop-motion technique is the reason twigs' video gives off such a cool look. Each second of pamplemousse contains dozens of images that grant the feeling of motion. This technique also allows the video director to add a lot into such a short duration. The time-consuming nature of executing such a task makes this method daunting for many. Anyone who attempts to create in this style deserves some form of applause; however, Aidan Zamiri & Yuma Burgess (credited as video by) deserve much more. Same goes for the rest of those included in the credits. From Art director to stylist and Choreographer, it took a team of creatives to make pamplemousse.
The message of twigs' song matches the feeling behind the video perfectly too. FKA lyrically sets the scene by describing her and the posse she claims; how they come off as 8 simi haze lookin girl scouts with pamplemousse smelling weaves and filter faces. Vogue. The spectale she's illustrating with each line coupled together with the constant movement of the video amalgamates into one of my favorite music videos of the year.
This particular video should be involved in the conversation when discussing the radical selfie.
India Ennenga's article above delves into selfie culture and the spectacle or lackthereof that this particular medium affords. More importantly, Ennenga discusses how culture dictates the parameters of our thought. How it binds us in place amalgamting into a grand cultural weaving. She uses the self-portrait of Marry Morris Knowles as an example of the radical selfie. A piece of production that gives the opportunity to untangle yourself from the web of culture and see something greater. FKA twigs does just that and more with pamplemousse.
On the merit of stop-motion animation alone, pamplemousse blows every other main-stream video out of the water in terms of visual execution. Let alone, the aural mode. Not a lot of artists have the courage to name their song after a La Croix flavor; then talk about how their weaves smell like said flavor in their song. Towards the end of pamplemousse, twigs pokes holes into the realities of social media addiction, guilty pleasures, and how others percieve her as a spectacle. In just a few words, FKA is able to discuss legitimate problems in a way that doesn't deter from the song's virtue. Everything hits on all cylinders with pamplemousse. You don't want to miss this one.
Hi Marcos,
Really interesting video choice but I dig it. I particularly liked in your very first paragraph just quickly going into the title choice of the song and analyzing where there might be meaning there. As far as the design choices go, I think your strongest paragraph is the one in which you discuss the nature of the stop-motion design. I would have to agree in that this technique certainly makes this video more interesting. You also make good connections between your analysis and the Ennenga article. Good work!
I like how you connect your audio and visual selection of the music video, to the larger societal problem of lack of originality. I think that you are correct in saying that not a lot of people are taking risks, or creating original content in the way that FKA Twigs is. I think that this concept also really intertwines well with the things we've been learning in class about how difficult it is to produce content that is truthful to our individuality, and not just as a participation in trends and group-like thinking.
I thought that the video that you chose was a great example for this project. I was amazed to see how the song matched so well with the different pictures that are placed. Like you even said, the amount of pictures that were placed for it to depict a video is amazing. I also like the personal touches in your writing! I thought that adding your opinions really helped me see what you truly thought about this artist's work.