Synopsis

Set against the faded attractions and empty boardwalk of Coney Island, the video follows a young woman wandering through a deserted amusement landscape while the band performs amid the weathered surroundings. Images of carnival rides, storefronts, arcades, and the Wonder Wheel give the clip a sinister, dreamlike atmosphere, echoing the song's story of a sixteen-year-old drawn toward the devil. The worn-down location and off-season stillness make the performance feel less like a concert than a strange nocturnal ritual.

Factoids & Trivia

• The video was filmed in Coney Island in 2008, during the area's quiet off-season. The absence of crowds and the dormant amusement rides reinforce the song's bleak carnival mood.

• Kelvin Swaby said the location was chosen because its rundown, decaying atmosphere matched the feeling of "Sixteen."

• Several recognizable Coney Island landmarks appear, including the Wonder Wheel, the Saturn 6 ride, the Astroland rocket, and the Henderson Music Hall.

• The video has also become a record of an older Coney Island. Following redevelopment, some of the businesses, signs, and attractions visible in the clip disappeared or were substantially altered.

• The song's premise grew from Swaby's observations of teenagers trying to get into clubs while he was working as a DJ. He described the track as a criticism of young people being pushed to grow up too quickly.

• "Sixteen" was shaped by Screamin' Jay Hawkins' "I Put a Spell on You." Although often described as a sample, The Heavy explained that they replayed the musical parts themselves rather than sampling the original recording.

• Shingai Shoniwa of the Noisettes provides guest vocals on the song, adding to its combination of 1960s girl-group sounds, blues, and carnival-style drama.

• The track was released as a single from The House That Dirt Built in July 2009, with the official video appearing online that summer.