Synopsis
Pretty Lights and Talib Kweli bring a relaxed, summery energy to Brooklyn in this fast-moving portrait of music, movement, and everyday city life. The video combines footage of Pretty Lights working in the studio with scenes of Talib Kweli performing, musicians playing, friends gathering, and people enjoying the streets. Bright colors, layered images, and beat-synced visual effects give the clip a playful, collage-like feel that matches the track's message about slowing down and appreciating life's best moments.
Factoids & Trivia
- The video was shot in and around the Brooklyn studio where Pretty Lights worked during the creation of "A Color Map of the Sun."
- Footage of the recording process is woven into the clip, connecting the finished song with the musicians and studio work behind it.
- The Brooklyn setting reflects both the song's atmosphere and Talib Kweli's connection to the city.
- The video uses visual effects that bounce and shudder in time with the bass and percussion, giving the images a tactile, musical quality.
- "Around The Block" was released as the first single from "A Color Map of the Sun," which arrived on July 2, 2013.
- Pretty Lights described the album as a return to creating original musical sources with live musicians, rather than relying solely on pre-existing samples. The video emphasizes that hands-on recording process.
- The single was initially offered as a free download, consistent with Pretty Lights' independent approach to releasing music.