When we think of the intersection that is horror and music there tend to be a few bands that come to mind. Horror in music videos is something we’ve talked about and celebrated (see FANGORIA issue #16 subscriber cover) and get very excited about. Whether that’s one of the heavy hitters at the forefront of our collective minds when we think about “horror bands” or a more indie band with a cool folk horror music video, we love it just the same.
This week, a special intersection of personal passions collides for me as Paramore released a music video rife with horror imagery for their new single “The News.” The lyrics deal with the real-life horrors of our daily information intake, the accompanying music video features nightmarish motifs that illustrate the soul-sucking anxieties that can come with that.
As Paramore front-woman Hayley Williams sits in front of a glowing television set, her eyes are fogged over, lifeless, like two mini pools of Poltergeist television static. As she tries to shut those milky Fulci-esque eyes against the on-screen horrors, they unwillingly flutter back open to absorb another round of ghastliness. There’s also a lot of hard spotlight action in an otherwise black box of a room, juxtaposed with ’70s style EVERYTHING IS BATHED IN RED moments, bloody teeth, and a spectral smearing/smudging/melting Hayley.
No, there are no overt full-on recreations of iconic horror scenes or special FX makeup at play here, but the video puts imagery to a building internal anxiety in a way that feels pretty accurate for 2022. Enjoy a peek at some of the Brandon Cronenberg and David Lynch energy below. You can watch the full video right here.
