Top 10 Things You Missed In The Weeknd's Snowchild Video
Top 10 Moments From The Weeknd’s Snowchild Video
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Music videos come and go, but artistry like this demands a closer look. Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’ll be counting down our picks for the Top 10 Moments From The Weeknd’s Snowchild Video. For this list, we’ll be taking a closer look at this compelling music video, discussing the various layers of meaning and highlighting the many references and throwbacks that make it such a gift to fans. Because this music video is so jam packed with references, there’s no way for us to acknowledge them all. So if we left something out, or you have a theory about the video’s meaning, be sure to share it with us and your fellow fans of The Weeknd in the comments!
#10: A Complicated Artistic Career in 4 Minutes
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There’s a lot to unpack in this music video. But in broad strokes, it traces The Weeknd’s career from his humble roots in Toronto to the massive artist that he is today. More than just animated, musical biography however, the video dives deep into the artist’s psychological journey. The imagery, often metaphorical, gives us insight into the personal struggles he’s had along the way, especially at the transitions between the different phases of his career. The Weeknd, not unlike late, great David Bowie, has adopted a number of different personas and musical identities to accompany each album, and in this visual collage of a video, he effectively ties them all together to create one epic narrative.
#9: A Unique Visual Style From a Groundbreaking Studio
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The Weeknd, as his diehard fans will tell you, is a cinephile. And it shows in his music videos, which often contain various nods to the films that have influenced him. the Safdie Brothers, who wrote and directed “Uncut Gems” have attested to his love of the medium. The Weeknd has also consistently proven to be dedicated to elevating the black community and supporting fellow black artists. And so for “Snowchild” he tapped D'ART Shtajio, the first black-owned anime studio in Japan. Reading the comments about this video, it’s clear that people are absolutely in love with the animation style; some have gone so far as to say that they’d like to see this concept expanded into a feature length film or series. It’s not hard to imagine it working.
#8: The Meaning of “Snowchild”
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The lyrics of “Snowchild”, more so than arguably any other song on “After Hours”, have been the subject of extensive analysis. Just the title has multiple potential meanings. “Snow” could be a reference to cocaine; it’s been suggested that “a snowchild is broken from their previous relationship with a loved one” and use substances self-destructively to numb the pain. As this video reminds us, it can also be taken literally; The Weeknd (real name Abel Tesfaye), is from Toronto, a city known for its cold, snowy winters. Others have pointed out the significance of the video’s release date. July 22nd is the birthday of Selena Gomez, The Weeknd’s ex, with whom he reportedly remains friendly and who hasn’t been shy about her love for the song.
#7: The Beginning: House of Balloons & Trilogy
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The video opens with The Weeknd in his “After Hours” attire walking towards the City of Lights. But to move forward, he must reckon with his past, and so the ground opens up, transporting him back to Toronto. The video becomes black and white, a color scheme used for the artwork of both his first mixtape, “House of Balloons” and the “Trilogy” compilation album. Abel finds himself in the “House of Balloons”, located at 65 Spencer Street in Parkdale, which is now literally filled with balloons. Interspersed with this era defining imagery are various shots of The Weeknd, wearing his early trademark camo, roaming the cold streets. There’s a certain nostalgia, but as the lyrics and visuals suggest, at the time, he was desperate to escape.
#6: The Journey into Kiss Land
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After summarizing his early years with “Trilogy”, The Weeknd released “Kiss Land” in 2013. It was well-received by critics, but it wasn’t the explosive success that many had predicted and, despite being a fan favorite, is often thought of as the album that gets the least love from the artist. As such, many people were thrilled to see “Kiss Land” getting its due in this video. Monochromatic Toronto transforms into a neon-hued Japan; the album was inspired by his rapidly expanding world. The Weeknd has described the album as a symbol of tour life and “a terrifying place”. This section of the video, which recreates a shot from “Belong to the World”, is riddled with temptation and excess.
#5: Finding the Beauty Behind The Madness
The “Kiss Land” portion of the video ends with a woman who, revealing herself as a cyborg, drags Abel into a dark place- or rather, a place of madness. As some fans have suggested, this could be the muse/ prostitute character from that album. Either way, with “Beauty Behind the Madness” he’s achieved the success he sought after and has found his way to Los Angeles. But as the elevator down and horror movie characters suggest, L.A. and hell share much in common. The headless creatures in chains could be his demons, his destructive ambition or even the “suits” of the music industry. Rick Wilder, who played A Devil-type figure in the music videos from “Beauty Behind the Madness,” looms large once again.
#4: The Rise (or Fall) of Starboy
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From dealing with the Devil to wielding crosses, The Weeknd made quite the transition between “Beauty Behind the Madness” and “Starboy”. Not only did he lose his trademark hairstyle for a more clean-cut look, but he pushed even further into pop territory, with bright production and, by his own admission, a more “braggadocious” style. This is the Weeknd owning his place on the top of the charts and playing the part. But taking into account where he’d just come from, and in keeping with the theory that “Beauty Behind the Madness” saw him make a deal with the devil, this neon-hued, exclusive space behind the bookshelf could be the very depths of hell. The crosses, the panthers… these are all emblematic of “Starboy,” and he’s doing battle with them.
#3: As He Moves Forward, the Demons Keep Pace
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This 4 minute and 11 second crash course in the history of the Weeknd really hammers home the fact that he refuses to stand still or stagnate. He is an artist defined -perhaps above all else- by change. But as the visual narrative of the video makes all too clear, Abel is equally a man defined by his demons. As he moves from one phase of his career to the next, he can never seem to shake the darkness - it follows him into each subsequent environment, a constant companion regardless of how thoroughly he reinvents himself. As “Heran Mamo” of Billboard put it, “his neon pink crucifix weapon and headline-making haircut can't solve his past problems”. He’s trapped in the space that Starboy has brought him to and must fight his way out.
#2: My Dear Melancholy
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If that epic anime fight scene is to be believed, The Weeknd does seemingly manage to escape the excesses of Starboy. He once again finds himself alone and in a rather desolate space reminiscent of his days in Toronto. Many critics and fans pointed out “My Dear Melancholy” felt like a throwback to “Trilogy” and “Kiss Land” and the visuals support that theory. It’s once again a sparse environment that Abel is navigating, and the shots of him walking and the trash fire are clear nods to “Call Out My Name”. But did you notice how he got here? The swarm of bats from the aforementioned video. He might’ve escaped his “Starboy” persona, but the darkness stays with him, even through this transitional, retrospective space.
#1: Coming Full Circle with After Hours
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Finally, The Weeknd is transported back to where he began. The canyon is actually reminiscent of the set from “I Feel it Coming”, but the upbeat sounds of Daft Punk are nowhere to be found. He might be wearing the “After Hours” outfit, but he seems exhausted and hesitant to embrace the party to come; Last Vegas isn’t even lit up. We can’t tell whether the character is depressed and in need of a pick me up or overwhelmed with a sense of defeat as he walks towards another inevitable exercise in excess. Either way, upon reaching the city, yet another new version of the Weeknd is born and he’s well and truly blinded by the lights. As this video proves however, The Weeknd is all too aware of the pattern.
