Early in the morning on Tuesday, Calvin Harris and Sam Smith dropped the music video for their new hit track “Promises”. The song has been climbing the charts since its release a couple weeks ago. Its velvety vocal performance by Sam Smith and catchy hook captivates EDM and pop music fans alike.
The video for “Promises”, directed by Emil Nava, is delightfully unexpected in its theme – the best word to describe the glitter-fueled romp is “wild”. The video serves as a sort of mini-documentary on queer nightlife and ball culture in NYC. Its diverse cast is stacked with dancers that have worked alongside artists such as Rihanna, Madonna and Prince.
Pro choreographer and dancer Jamari 007 opens the video with a line about the importance of NYC’s ball scene, the primary focus of the video’s visuals:
“It’s just that ‘let go’ – of not having to be somebody that I don’t want to be at that time.”
The visuals for “Promises” certainly speak to letting go on a dance floor, switching between professionally-composed footage of models and dancers before quickly jumping to cameraphone-like footage using bright flash. The illumination of the energetic, sweating dancers feels like a candid look into a nightclub, bringing a sense of authenticity to the film.
The energetic club scenes are sprinkled with more mellow scenes from inside a brightly-colored house, and cameraphone footage of the cast of the video laughing together.
The music video utilizes Super 8 footage for many of its scenes, a unique stylistic choice aiding to the documentary-like vibe. This may have been the medium of choice as a nod to the rise of the NYC ball scene in the 80s, as Super 8 film gives the music video a vintage look.
This is definitely a music video to watch twice – every detail from the intricacy of the settings, to the costumes, to the star-studded cast bring their own meaning and depth. Just try not to get lost in the sparkle.
Watch the video for “Promises” by Calvin Harris and Sam Smith here:
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