Synopsis

St. Vincent inhabits a brightly colored, tightly controlled world where every gesture appears choreographed and every space feels engineered. Moving with robotic precision, she passes through geometric outdoor settings, sparse interiors, and regimented groups of people, all presented with an eerily artificial calm. Her exaggerated hair, angular clothing, and blank expression reinforce the video's portrait of conformity. The surreal imagery mirrors the song's unease about social media, surveillance, and the desire to have every moment observed, approved, and digitally validated.

Factoids & Trivia

• The video was shot on the outskirts of Madrid, using newly built council housing and a water treatment plant as locations.

• Four weeks of post-production were used to remove windows, trees, cars, pedestrians, and other unwanted details from the locations, helping create the video's unusually empty, constructed reality.

• The visual concept was inspired by several contrasting sources, including the Soviet science-fiction novel "We," the paintings of Neo Rauch, photography by Josef Schulz and Elad Lassry, Playmobil toys, and comic books.

• The production was completed in only four working days.

• The clean lines, flat colors, geometric spaces, and stiff movement turn the song's criticism of social media into a broader image of dystopian conformity.

• The video premiered on January 31, 2014, shortly after "Digital Witness" was released as the second single from St. Vincent's self-titled album.

• Rolling Stone ranked it No. 10 on its list of the best music videos of 2014.

• The single was also issued on a limited-edition gold vinyl triangle, with only 1,000 copies made.