Synopsis
Lenny Kravitz delivers an intense, stripped-down performance of "Be" in a stark visual setting. The video relies on close-ups, dramatic lighting, and expressive body language rather than a conventional storyline, keeping attention on Kravitz's searching vocal and the song's spiritual unease. As the performance develops, the austere imagery reinforces the track's central idea: confronting confusion, identity, and personal truth before finding a more grounded sense of self.
Factoids & Trivia
- "Be" comes from Kravitz's debut album, "Let Love Rule," released in 1989.
- Kravitz wrote, produced, and performed the song. The recording also features piano and a small string ensemble, giving the track a more reflective, soul-inflected character than a straightforward rock performance.
- The video is one of the earliest entries in Kravitz's official videography and helped establish the stark, stylized visual language associated with the "Let Love Rule" era.
- A longer video version was included on the 1991 Virgin release "Here's a Heart."
- "Be" was also included in "Video Retrospective," Kravitz's 1991 video compilation covering material from his first two albums.
- The song's repeated appeal to be "real with yourself" provides the clip's strongest interpretive key. Its sparse presentation avoids spectacle and keeps the focus on self-examination rather than celebrity image.