“Magnets” comes off Disclosure’s second album, Caracal, and acts as a showcase for Lorde’s dark-pop vocals. The music video, released on Tuesday, is no different. Here, Lorde is the star of the show, playing lead role in a plot of lying, cheating, and revenge.
Much of the reason this video is so enticing is its glamorous scenery. All within the confines of a luxurious, expensive-looking mansion, Lorde begins her tale. Initially appearing amid large, visible planets in the night sky and resembling Princess Leia, Lorde then enters into a lively party scene. At said party, a seemingly-unattached male becomes the object of Lorde’s affection and the two begin having an affair. Sure enough, another woman emerges as the mystery man’s significant other, and so begins our tale of lying and cheating. As the song’s refrain goes, the plot has gone “past the point of no return.”
Your opinion on Lorde will determine if the video’s climactic moment shines or falls flat—Lorde has a dance scene here that, though clearly showing she’s a better singer than a dancer, acts as an impetus for the real drama of the video. It is after this uncomfortable sequence that Lorde takes her revenge, tying the cheating man to a chair and throwing him into a pool. Then, in a form of heightened drama that could only suit this video, the pool is lit on fire. Why not?
Is “Magnets” theatrical? Absolutely. Different from the hundreds of other pop music videos being produced lately? Certainly. Disclosure used Lorde to elevate “Magnets” from its typical hip-hop beat and basic, repetitive lyrics to become an entire production worthy of attention. This video shows just that.
Featured Image Courtesy of Island Records
