Calvin Harris is either a huge Black Mirror fan, or he has a wicked obsession with the desolate future we have as a technology-obsessed generation. Whichever the case, I'm really into his new "My Way" music video, which is basically a mini-episode of the dark sci-fi series Black Mirror, now in its third season on Netflix.
The latest electronic track from the Scottish DJ gained popularity mostly because everyone thought the lyrics ("You were the one thing in my way") were all about a certain famous ex (Taylor Swift). When the song was first released in September, Harris denied that the song was about a relationship ending, but rather about being in a career rut. His music video, however, shows otherwise.
The entire premise is that a guy (Harris) goes into a huge virtual reality center to revisit images and moments with an ex. The purposefully glitchy scenes juxtapose the artificial (huge satellites, fast sports cars) with the natural (Westworld-ish landscapes, human emotions).
Take a look below.
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Now that you've been on that trippy, dizzying journey, let's examine the most Black Mirror moments Harris offered us.
This opening scene, showing the bleak, empty building that Harris visits to enter his VR fever-dream.
Next, we meet a brunette woman, who is emotionless and robotic in her outfits and movements. Is this his ex-lover? A random AI robot, à la Westworld's Dolores, that he's lusting over? A woman he's scorned?
The closer the two get, the glitchier the shots become, as if he's not meant to, or allowed to, be in her direct vicinity.
The woman changes outfits, from a white bodysuit to a black one to a polka-dot dress. She rides horses and stands in front of large satellites. As a whole, her randomness in the video makes me kind of uncomfortable (and recalls Black Mirror).
Then, there's this weird robot-ballerina moment.
Then, we see the dinky computer that seems to be generating all the images for Harris' character.
The glitching goes out of control, and then it's over.
Finally, there's an ominous shot as the camera pans out in a puff of gray smog.