Arcade Fire’s “Chemistry” video | still from video
Arcade Fire celebrates the audacity of love in the animated new music video for “Chemistry”
Watching Arcade Fire’s music video for “Chemistry” feels like indulging in Saturday morning cartoons over a bowl of sugary cereal— to enjoy it, you have to revert back to an adolescent mindset. Directed by Ray Tintori and animated by Starburns Industries (the people behind Rick And Morty), this is a vibrant and endearing endeavor.
The story follows a typical underdog-gets-the-girl plotline (literally). An awkward, punkish busboy asks a cat-eyed bride to dance, and Scott Pilgrim-style fight scenes ensue between the protagonist and a gang of sharks in tuxedos. The circumstances grow increasingly ridiculous, escalating in an explosion in outer space, the couple escaping the confines of gravity and, in turn, social expectation. Although aesthetically unbalanced and absurd, the video is ultimately salvaged by the song off the immaculately composed Everything Now, the band’s 2017 record. Infectiously catchy and embodying Arcade Fire’s authentic sound, the song speaks on the irrational nature of attraction on a molecular level, capturing the audacity of love.
Arcade Fire will play Festival Pier on July 19. Tickets and info can be found at the XPN Concert Calendar; check out the video for “Chemistry” below.