"Yellow Flicker Beat" Music Video Is Super Boring

It looks like I'm going to have to be the one to say it and, to be honest, I really don't want to be. However, I just can't deny the fact that I was just not impressed by Lorde's "Yellow Flicker Beat" music video. I couldn't even pretend to be. I watched it several times to make sure, but after the fifth rewatch I had to admit defeat. This comes as a particularly crushing blow to me because I love the song. When Lorde's "Yellow Flicker Beat" single first came out, I was practically foaming at the mouth with excitement that our first real Mockingjay single was so good. The music video, however, added absolutely nothing to that feeling of epicness. It added nothing to the song, nothing to the film, and did nothing for Lorde except give her an excuse to show off her usual intensity in a variety of different outfits.

The video opens on Lorde alone in a bedroom, dressed in an androgynous style with her hair cut short and styled upward in an almost Danny Zuko-esque manner. It then flashes through her singing in numerous dimly lit areas in numerous elaborate and mostly androgynous outfits. The only real nod to the movie was a old time-y party that might be a reference to a Capitol party if you tilt your head and squint, but other than that the music video was only of interest if you really love watching Lorde sing for four minutes. Which, don't get me wrong, I do. But not when this is a soundtrack song. I expect a lot from a soundtrack song, especially one that goes with a film franchise like The Hunger Games.

There was just so much more that Lorde could have done with this music video to give both Mockingjay and "Yellow Flicker Beat" a story that complimented both. This was an opportunity to produce a music video that was practically a film in and of itself, one of those over-the-top music videos that are almost more interesting to watch than the song is to listen to. This was her opportunity to do something spectacular, because Mockingjay will be spectacular and "Yellow Flicker Beat" is spectacular. Instead, we got a fairly forgettable video that will be overshadowed by the other two things and is already overshadowed by Lorde's other videos.

But maybe that's just me. Check out "Yellow Flicker Beat" below and judge for yourself.

Image: Vevo