Synopsis

Set on a circular platform resembling a vinyl record, the video turns the song's musical structure into a choreographed tableau. Robots march around the outer edge, tall athletes climb stairs, disco girls move on a second staircase, skeletons dance at the center, and mummies pulse to the beat. Rather than following a narrative, the clip presents a precise visual system in which every group moves according to a different element of the arrangement.

Factoids & Trivia

• The five groups represent different parts of the track: the robots stand for the vocals, the athletes for the ascending and descending bass line, the disco girls for the high keyboard sounds, the skeletons for the guitar, and the mummies for the drum machine.

• The song's only lyric, "around the world," is repeated 144 times in the album version. The video's repetitive choreography mirrors that deliberately minimalist structure.

• The choreography was developed with Blanca Li. The project was an early attempt to make dance the central subject of a music video rather than something added between performance shots.

• The costumes were designed by Florence Fontaine, who was the mother of Michel Gondry's son. Gondry's brother Olivier "Twist" Gondry handled the flashing lights, making the production something of a family collaboration.

• The dancers' movements were filmed in a deliberately controlled, almost mechanical style. The finished clip was sped up in post-production, helping create its distinctive jerky rhythm.

• Original storyboards and behind-the-scenes material were released publicly in 2022, offering a rare look at how the video's visual system was planned.

• The video's platform-and-dancers concept has been referenced and imitated in later music videos, including LCD Soundsystem's "Daft Punk Is Playing at My House."