Synopsis

YACHT's "Shangri-La" presents Los Angeles as a sunlit utopia assembled from ordinary pleasures. Claire L. Evans and Jona Bechtolt appear among friends, fans, and collaborators enjoying backyard fruit, Tai Chi in Elysian Park, tattoos, beach gatherings, fireworks, and other whimsical moments. Rather than following a conventional storyline, the video moves as a loose communal daydream, blending candid-looking activity with magical-realist touches. The city becomes a shared paradise, shaped less by geography than by the people gathered there and the joy they create together.

Factoids & Trivia

• The video was released in February 2012 as the title track's visual companion for YACHT's 2011 album *Shangri-La*.

• Its central idea is summed up by the wordplay that "Shangri-La" contains "L.A.": the video treats Los Angeles itself as the promised paradise.

• The cast includes dozens of people from the wider YACHT community, including fans, friends, and collaborators rather than only the two principal members.

• The imagery deliberately mixes recognizable Los Angeles locations and lifestyle details with magical realism. Backyard oranges, park Tai Chi, beach bonfires, and fireworks turn familiar local experiences into a collective fantasy.

• The video's production credits list All Cut Up Films, with Colin Mika handling cinematography and color work and Brandon Vedder editing.

• The song's optimistic view of Los Angeles stood out in contemporary coverage because pop songs about the city more often presented it as artificial, threatening, or disappointing.