Synopsis

Inside a dim, liquid-filled womb, a developing fetus floats in near darkness as it mouths Liz Fraser's vocal line. The camera drifts around the unborn figure, alternating intimate close-ups with views of the surrounding membrane, suspended particles, and a faint, shifting light beyond. The serene, dreamlike imagery gradually becomes more uncanny, with the fetus appearing to acknowledge the viewer before the womb darkens and the video closes on an unsettling note.

Factoids & Trivia

• The fetus was created as a life-size animatronic puppet rather than entirely through computer-generated imagery. Practical effects, water, floating debris, and changing light give the clip its unusually tactile appearance.

• The production was made for "Teardrop," released as the second single from Massive Attack's 1998 album *Mezzanine*.

• The video won Best Video at the 1998 MTV Europe Music Awards and became one of the most recognizable music videos of the late 1990s.

• The latex puppet was not built to last indefinitely. The band later described the surviving prop as a deteriorating museum-like object, with the material gradually breaking down.

• The video's influence extended to *House*, which used "Teardrop" as its opening theme. Massive Attack later recalled receiving a message from Bryan Singer saying the show's concept had been based on the song and video.