Kendrick Lamar’s latest album, Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers, feels like a piece of art made for an off-Broadway production. So it’s only fitting that one of its more controversial tracks gets a music video treatment that brings BIG drama. That visual is for “We Cry Together,” the polarizing song (featuring Zola actress Taylour Paige) that depicts a lovers' quarrel of the most toxic variety.
Billed as a “short film,” the music video features K-Dot and Paige in a live performance of the record (captured in March 2020, according to the video's YouTube description). The one-shot, six-minute clip is directed by Jake Schreier, Dave Free, and Lamar, and features cinematography by Adam Newport-Berra. You’ve gotta see this thing for yourself (and take heed to that well-earned "uncensored" tag; this is very much NSFW, which is probably not a thing for folks working from home. Is it time to rebrand NSFW? I suppose remote workers might want to be conscious of kids in the vicinity. NSFKITV? I digress. Just watch it):
The video, which was released today, is as intense as you may expect. Big Baby Boy vibes, here. It’s sure to raise some eyebrows. It sure did raise mine. And after a few viewings, I have some thoughts.
Who is Dante S.?
In the video, Lamar depicts a blue-collar employee wearing a work shirt with a name tag that says “Dante S.” It’s unlike Lamar to have such a prominent piece of his wardrobe mean nothing. How could this be a useless prop? Dante is even seen wearing a pgLang Dodgers hat, repping Kendrick’s new frontier. Who exactly is Dante S., and why didn’t they just call baby boy “Jody S.” since this song is so much like the movie? Hold up, could this be Jody’s kid, perpetuating a cycle of unhealthy relationships?
Taylour Paige is a star
It’s not easy to hop on a record and outperform Pulitzer Kenny. Paige, however, made this song her own. On wax, this was pretty evident, but watching her work in this short film, it’s glaringly obvious. It’s her show, and Lamar is just a guest. This is one of the best acting performances you’ll see all year—peep her voice control and the range of emotions she gives us in a few minutes. Magnificent.
Wait… I know this ain’t a single…
It’s a shame that a beat this good (Alchemist, what up!) was used on a song this crazy. You can’t really drive down the block with your windows down listening to this. Well, you technically can, but you shouldn’t. I hope Kendrick does not plan on making this an official single, with the label giving this out to disc jockeys to play on the radio or, even worse, to try and play in the club. I really hope not.
Is this video good enough to win an Oscar?
This song probably got a video treatment because it sparked something inside Lamar creatively, and he decided the storytelling element, one-take cinematography, and Paige’s incredible performance might be good enough to earn him an Academy Award. It’s already been deemed eligible, so that’s half the battle. I’m actually not all that sure this would win, even though it’s excellent. I will never be shocked at the Academy voting for something a little more traditional, White, or both.
Why have an “uncensored version?”
The music in the regular and uncensored versions is, as far as I can tell, completely unchanged. The only real difference is toward the end, when Paige and Lamar’s characters have sex. A quick shot of Paige’s nipples, which are already mostly concealed, and a shot of her butt in a thong are blurred. Booty in a thong for a few seconds doesn’t seem all that vulgar, and there has to be a way you can get nipples out of a shot if you don’t want them. Or you can just release only one version with blurs. Not sure what’s going on here.
Did we really need to see Kendrick giving Taylour Paige backshots?
Since we’re already talking about the sex scene, was it necessary? Was it necessary in the song? For Kendrick to say what he wanted to say, maybe, but it made me uncomfortable—which was probably his intent.
Does Taylour ever make it to work?
Gonna go ahead and assume she's calling out sick.
What would it take to end this cycle of toxic relationships?
It appears this song is a commentary on toxic relationships. How do we get this cycle to end? I’m not sure. Maybe we can listen more than waiting for our time to talk. Maybe we can hear the other person instead of trying to win an argument. Nobody wins when the family feuds. I’ve listened to Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers, though. Kendrick’s answer is probably, go to therapy. And stop tap dancing around the conversation.
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