Synopsis

In a barren landscape, a strange, alien-faced boy watches a circus-like performance where System of a Down play beneath a tent. The child moves through the surreal setting as performers and symbolic imagery surround him, creating an atmosphere of curiosity and unease. The band's performance is intercut with close-ups of the boy's distorted features, emphasizing his separation from the world around him. Rather than following a conventional storyline, the video presents the boy as an outsider searching for identity and escape.

Factoids & Trivia

• "Aerials" was released in 2002 as the third single from System of a Down's second album, *Toxicity*.

• The video's most recognizable visual effect is the boy's unnaturally stretched face. The effect was created with computer-generated imagery, giving the character an unsettling, almost mask-like appearance.

• Shavo Odadjian later explained that the alien child was intended as a version of himself. He connected the character with his own feelings of alienation and not fitting in.

• The circus setting, stage symbols, and exaggerated performers give the video a deliberately theatrical, surreal quality rather than presenting a literal interpretation of the lyrics.

• The video helped establish the band's reputation for visually unconventional clips, particularly during the period when *Toxicity* turned System of a Down into a mainstream rock act.

• The song earned System of a Down a Grammy nomination for Best Hard Rock Performance at the 2003 Grammy Awards.