In Erykay Badu's "controversial" new video for her single "Window Seat," the singer walks through Dallas' Dealey Plaza — the site of President John F. Kennedy's 1963 assassination — gradually shedding her clothing and getting "shot" in the head. Irked Dallas police say Badu's "guerrilla" film crew failed to get permits and, while some commentators suggest the video is a "sensationalistic exploitation of a national tragedy" (albeit good "marketing"), others see metaphorical depth in the clip. By "shedding her skin...," speculates San Francisco Chronicle's Zennie Abraham," Badu is apparently commenting on society's tendency to "destroy anyone who would seek to be who they are outside the cultural bounds assembled for them." Badu herself says she hoped to inspire "groupthink." Watch the video (nudity is blurred) to find out:
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Music reviews: Chance the Rapper, Cass McCombs, and Molly TuttleFeature "Star Line," "Interior Live Oak," and "So Long Little Miss Sunshine"
-
Film reviews: Eden and Honey Don't!Feature Seekers of a new utopia spiral into savagery and a queer private eye prowls a high-desert town
-
Critics' choice: Three chefs fulfilling their ambitionsFeature Kwame Onwuachi's grand second act, Travis Lett makes a comeback, and Jeff Watson's new Korean restaurant
