Synopsis
Nina Persson wanders through London in a pale blonde wig, appearing increasingly detached from the people and world around her. The Cardigans perform in between fragments of her solitary routine, while ordinary locations take on an uneasy, dreamlike quality. As her behavior grows stranger, the video shifts from stylish urban portrait to psychological unease, echoing the fractured perspective of Roman Polanski's 1965 film "Repulsion." Persson's controlled, nearly expressionless performance keeps the story ambiguous, leaving the viewer unsure where observation ends and hallucination begins.
Factoids & Trivia
- The video was conceived as a remake or visual homage to "Repulsion," with Persson taking the equivalent central role of Carol.
- The production was filmed in London. Magnus Sveningsson later recalled that the band regarded "Hanging Around" as their third major video from the "Gran Turismo" era and praised Persson's performance.
- "Hanging Around" was released as the third single from "Gran Turismo" on July 12, 1999. It reached No. 17 on the UK Singles Chart.
- The song was written by guitarist Peter Svensson and vocalist Nina Persson. It is the sixth track on "Gran Turismo," an album that marked a darker, more electronic turn for the band.
- Sveningsson described the melody as originating from an old Cardigans demo, giving the track a link to the band's earlier, more vintage-pop sound despite the album's colder production.
- A CD-ROM version of the video was included on the UK maxi-single, reflecting the transitional period when music videos were beginning to be distributed as computer-playable extras.