Women taking control of their naked bodies. Women not only questioning the male gaze but all together challenging it. Strong women in power.All this happening due to the exquisite work of director C. Prinz in one of the most notable music videos of 2022.
Part of Vimeo’s Best of the Year selection, the promo is an absolute must watch and Maria Dicieanu’s January pick for her MarVids series.
Maria: “The promo is quite literally exploding right off the bat. At my first viewing (because yes, it’s one of those videos you just have to watch multiple times both to process it, but also as a sort of double check you saw what you think you saw) I was shocked how a-sexualised all those beautiful female bodies were looking. And then again, shocked about how automatic it was for me to immediately connect a female naked body with the idea of sexuality. I thus think the director does a fantastic job helping women reclaim the narrative of their bodies and, in the same time, making viewers understand that a woman’s naked body can tell a totally different story than we might expect.
The promo reminded me of Childish Gambino’s This is America (a past MarVid as well) and I think it makes an interesting experience to watch them both and reflect on wrongs each promo is trying to make right. Interestingly to note however that YouTube banned Crazy from trending, as well as age-restricting it (unlike This is America).
According to a Rolling Stone article, the visual’s director described the clip as a visual metaphor for “the hardships women go through in their ascension to power,” while asking viewers “to see the female form not in moments of sexuality but instead for what we all go through, what we survive through, and what we transcend.”
“It’s a piece that challenges the viewer to look at stigmatized imagery and asks them to see beyond their first impression to see the female form not in moments of sexuality but instead in moments of truth, intensity and power,” wrote C. Prinz. “To see a woman wielding a gun; to see a woman express vivid, honest emotions.”
Bold, but in no way ‘Crazy’ goals which both C. Prinz’s visuals and Doechii’s track manage to wonderfully execute!”
Music videos are still very much alive and kicking as a genre where cutting edge creativity happens. And this is exactly why with this series, curated by Maria Dicieanu, we’re focusing on the absolute must sees artistic gems of music video origins.
Whether linear, VR or interactive, The Marvids (short for Maria’s Marvelous Videos) aim to show-case why promos are still holders of unique aesthetic with their own particular beauty and artistry.