Synopsis
Sisyphus turns "Booty Call" into a deliberately outrageous party vignette. Serengeti, Son Lux, and Sufjan Stevens occupy a cramped room as flirtation, dancing, kissing, and playful sexual bravado unfold around them. The fisheye camerawork exaggerates the performers' movements and gives the whole scene a warped, late-night feel. Serengeti leads the performance while Stevens embraces an unexpectedly flashy persona, posing and dancing in hip-hop-inspired clothes. The video plays less like a conventional narrative than a knowingly exaggerated rap-video fantasy.
Factoids & Trivia
- "Booty Call" appeared on Sisyphus' self-titled debut album, released March 18, 2014. The video arrived on March 26, 2014.
- Sisyphus was the collaborative project of rapper Serengeti, electronic musician Son Lux, and singer-songwriter Sufjan Stevens. "Booty Call" is generally treated as a Serengeti-led track.
- The official video upload credits Jeremy Liesen as producer.
- The exaggerated visual style was especially notable because of Sufjan Stevens' participation. Coverage at the time drew attention to his Detroit Tigers cap, oversized "BOSS" medallion, and animal-print shirt - a playful contrast to his traditionally more reserved public image.
- Fisheye-lens photography gives the room a distorted, comic-book quality, making the performers appear larger-than-life and reinforcing the song's intentionally over-the-top attitude.
- The video was one of several visual pieces connected with the Sisyphus album. The project itself originated through a commission involving the Walker Art Center and the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra's Liquid Music series, connected to an exhibition of artist Jim Hodges' work.