Synopsis

Boyzone perform against the atmospheric interior of London's Roundhouse as a mysterious traveler prepares to leave in a hot-air balloon. The departing man is watched by the group and several other figures, including a shirtless guitarist and a woman in a white top. As the balloon rises, the video takes on a dreamlike, symbolic quality rather than following a conventional romantic storyline. Its closing image, in which the traveler drops a small golden crucifix, connects the pop single to its origins in the musical "Whistle Down the Wind."

Factoids & Trivia

• The video was filmed at the Roundhouse in London, a former railway-engine repair shed that had become an important arts and music venue.

• The hot-air balloon sequence gives the video a theatrical, almost allegorical feel, matching the song's origins in the stage musical "Whistle Down the Wind."

• The dropped golden crucifix is a visual reference to the musical's Christian themes. In the original stage context, "No Matter What" is performed by children expressing their belief in a fugitive they mistake for Jesus.

• The song was originally written by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Jim Steinman for "Whistle Down the Wind," before Boyzone's version was adapted into a romantic pop single.

• An alternate video was later released to promote the song's inclusion on the US soundtrack edition of "Notting Hill." It combines different footage from the Boyzone shoot with clips from the film.

• "No Matter What" became Boyzone's longest-running UK number one, remaining at the top of the chart for three weeks in 1998.