Music Video Premiere: "Lust for Life (feat. The Weeknd)"

[Sebastian 327]

Don't understand the hate The Weeknd get, but whatever. I really like the video! Think it's very suiting for the song itself. The retro VHS filter or whatever is kind of distracting, and the sliding part is so bad edited lol. But otherwise, yey!

[litewave 519]

Yes, it's a peace sign, but naturally my mind went:

 

 

gdi brain!

 

That peace sign did look kinda sinister... Turns out that besides representing the letters N and D (for "nuclear disarmament") in the semaphore alphabet, the sign is also a runic symbol for death of man and the circle represents the unborn child.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peace_symbols#The_peace_symbol

 

Doesn't help to resolve the ambiguity of the video. The message seems to be a mixture of joy and the need for vigilance.

[terusama 4,427]

I think earlier I said I didn't like it but I was on my way to the clinic so I didn't have time to explain.

 

Basically it's just really boring to me. They spend what, 3+ minutes on her and The Weeknd sitting on the sign doing nothing in particular? If there were cuts between her on the sign and her doing the choreography.I think that would've been more compelling and interesting. Good production value but really not much as far as plot. MTWBT suffered the same issue but at least it was more dynamic than this.

[MusclePup 101]

Any theories of what the ribbon boat could mean? Where do I feel like I've seen that before?

I cringed at the ribbon boat kite thing, but I agree I can't place where I've seen it before  

[cathdelrey 595]

I think that the way abel isn't there in the start and she runs to join him on this 'on top of the world/ethereal' place + the way he just lets her jump after hugging her to show her he cares/loves her kind of signifies to me that he doesn't exist outside of this dream like sequence and that he's dead and her jumping and joining him is kind of them being together in the afterlife (considering she's a ghost in the LFL trailer) 'blue skies forever'- them together forever in a better place, 'our lust for life keeps us alive'- even if they are dead, their memories and love keeps them feeling alive. Plus, the black dot we see at the end of the Love video leading into the LFL video turns out to be her pupil, so maybe love was all in her head (telling herself it's enough to have memories and love someone), but as time goes by she can't live in her head anymore while she keeps revisiting her lover in her dreams (the sign scenes) and kills herself to be with him.

[leaked_version 10,498]

I think earlier I said I didn't like it but I was on my way to the clinic so I didn't have time to explain.

 

Basically it's just really boring to me. They spend what, 3+ minutes on her and The Weeknd sitting on the sign doing nothing in particular? If there were cuts between her on the sign and her doing the choreography.I think that would've been more compelling and interesting. Good production value but really not much as far as plot. MTWBT suffered the same issue but at least it was more dynamic than this.

OMG. MTWBT is literally one of her worst videos, if not her worst. It was just horribly done and she didn't look nowhere near amazing in this one. I know, tastes differ and all, but that is just wrong.

[terusama 4,427]

OMG. MTWBT is literally one of her worst videos, if not her worst. It was just horribly done and she didn't look nowhere near amazing in this one. I know, tastes differ and all, but that is just wrong.

No no, I didn't mean to say MTWBT was better, just that it was more dynamic. I agree it's a bad video.

[MahaMaha 1,110]

A MASTERPIECE!
Even better than Love. Also I'm dying for the visuals (except for the fucking cover) being so coherent. The vintage sci fi theme is everything. Because with both UV and HM I felt like the videos were cool as stand alone concepts but they were not really connected to each other.

Any theories of what the ribbon boat could mean? Where do I feel like I've seen that before?

Because the Lipsters^TM ship Abel and Lanz

[Off To The Races 2010 demo pls 19,335]

1 word of the day:

 

Beautiful

[Nick Del Rey 5,225]

I agree it gets a little boring but its just sooo beautiful, the cinematography and the CGI is just so top notch! I love it.

[leaked_version 10,498]

No no, I didn't mean to say MTWBT was better, just that it was more dynamic. I agree it's a bad video.

I think this video is dynamic enough. Dancing in the beginning, climbing up to the top of the Hollywood sign, running on the sign, the red dress or whatever that is, when she holds Abel while standing behind him. ENough energy for a slow song like LFL. 

[cathdelrey 595]

I think Abel wearing black signifies the fact that he's dead, her wearing red symbolises her love, and when Abel removes some ribbon and it floats into the night into a boat shape represents him taking it and setting it free so she can move on, but she still thinks about him and decides to jump to be with him because she can't be happy without him

[MahaMaha 1,110]

I think Abel wearing black signifies the fact that he's dead, her wearing red symbolises her love, and when Abel removes some ribbon and it floats into the night into a boat shape represents him taking it and setting it free so she can move on, but she still thinks about him and decides to jump to be with him because she can't be happy without him

Aaaaand we're back again with Lana's dead ex bf who she writes all her songs about. A throwback to BtD, Blue Jeans, Tropico, West Coast, SoC etc

[American Bottom 16,237]

Rich Lee did Special FX on several Pirates of the Caribbean films. I'm pretty sure it was just a nod to that franchise. You guys think wayyy too much into things..but then again We stan a controversial queen

[H E R O I N 1,536]

I think Abel wearing black signifies the fact that he's dead, her wearing red symbolises her love, and when Abel removes some ribbon and it floats into the night into a boat shape represents him taking it and setting it free so she can move on, but she still thinks about him and decides to jump to be with him because she can't be happy without him

I think the ribbon means something like the red string of fate...

[sparklrtrailrheaven 8,353]

I absolutely loved it-- to me, this perfectly embodies Lana's concept of "retro sensibility, with a futuristic flair." Both the more literal callbacks (Lana's outfit, the TV performance-esque setup at the beginning, plus backup dancers) and the more subtle (the sweetness and simplicity, the peace sign imagery) really hearken back to the sixties, while keeping a grip on Lana's current message of hope and stability in today's world. 

 

I also appreciated the connecting sequence to Love-- my theory, like others that've posted here, is that the Love video is what's taking place in her mind as she's performing in the LFL video, ostensibly for TV. I think she and Abel represent almost god-like characters (I don't feel that they're dead, necessarily), and their jump off the sign is not suicide, but descending "down to Earth" to bring their message to the youth of America. It's almost a Ziggy Stardust-type setup, imo-- an alien/supernatural singer comes to Earth to spread a message of peace and love to a troubled and receptive group of young people. I really like the concept, and I'm enjoying seeing how the various themes Lana's presented thus far (1960s, witchcraft, peace/love, space) are tying together. 

 

All in all, I think it's a very lovely treatment, and it's really made me appreciate the song and era more. I'm finally, officially excited for what's to come!

 

(also, I think it's too common for people today to claim things are "cringey" just because they're whimsical, silly, or fun-- you're welcome to your opinion, but I find little touches like the ribbon boat to be really cute. There's nothing wrong with having a little bit of wonder, and nothing wrong with Lana doing something lighthearted and sweet, even if it borders on childish, imo. We could all use some lightening up, I think )

[Amadeus 11,293]

Rich Lee did Special FX on several Pirates of the Caribbean films. I'm pretty sure it was just a nod to that franchise. You guys think wayyy too much into things..but then again We stan a controversial queen

 

the boat is a reference to the refugee crisis in europe

[Summersault 822]

I cringed at the ribbon boat kite thing, but I agree I can't place where I've seen it before

 

I feel you..I'm pretty sure Gandalf blows a ship out of pipe smoke in Lord Of The Rings at some point, so that might be the association for me.

[American Bottom 16,237]

the boat is a reference to the refugee crisis in europe

Or it's alluding to the Weeknd making Lana so wet she needs a boat

[sparklrtrailrheaven 8,353]

the boat is a reference to the refugee crisis in europe

 

Or it's alluding to the Weeknd making Lana so wet she needs a boat

 

 ~ the duality of lipsters ~