Synopsis
This official lyric video for GUTS' soulful collaboration with Lorine Chia uses a playful, performance-driven presentation rather than a conventional storyline. A diverse cast appears in a series of expressive close-ups, gestures and stylized scenes, while the song's lyrics are integrated into the visual design. The words encourage resilience, self-belief and refusing to give in, giving the clip an uplifting tone. Its relaxed, human-scale imagery matches the track's warm blend of hip-hop, soul and reggae influences.
Factoids & Trivia
- The video is officially presented as a lyric video, with the words forming an important part of the visual experience instead of simply accompanying a standard narrative.
- The track was the first preview of GUTS' album "Hip Hop After All," which followed in September 2014 after roughly two years of work on the project.
- According to Heavenly Sweetness, "Open Wide" was recorded in New York on the day Nelson Mandela died, December 5, 2013. The song's lyrics also reference Mandela and frame perseverance as a personal struggle.
- The accompanying "Open Wide" EP was issued as a limited collector's 12-inch, with only 1,000 copies produced. It contained six tracks, including instrumentals and two songs that were not planned for the album.
- The production features a sizable cast, including Stephanie, Aurore, Egle, Flanders, Mous, Jerome, Mourad, Nicolas, Brooxs and Grow.
- Lorine Chia, originally from Cameroon and raised in Cleveland from the age of six, brought a vocal style that the label described as equally comfortable with soul and reggae. Her collaboration with GUTS continued on the later album track "Come Alive."