It’s hard not to smile while watching the Scissor Sisters’ new music video for the track “Shady Love” (which features Krystal Pepsy, a.k.a. rising hip-hop artist Azealia Banks), even though none of the characters on-screen appear to be enjoying themselves all that much. Indeed, there’s something very anti-“Glee” about the new clip, which centers on a rather unconventional elementary-school play whose audience is made up of a collection of unfailingly-glum family members who seem completely immune to the charms of the inventive performance taking place in front of them.
Sisters frontman Jake Shears and the rest of the group are MIA for the duration of the video, which instead has a couple of the expressionless (Valium-popping?) kids on stage lip-syncing to the lyrics as they and their classmates perform a series of interpretive dance numbers – including one that has several of the kids dressed in blue spandex suits and wearing two-sided Obama/Madonna masks. What a presidential ticket that would make, eh?
This is truly an inspired clip from the band, who have never made much of a splash in the States (though they did open for Lady Gaga on several of her tour dates last year) but continue to do well across the pond. At this point they’ll probably never become big stars in this country, but based on this new clip it’s clear they haven’t lost their creative juices.
“Shady Love” is the first single from the band’s upcoming fourth studio album.
My grade for the video: “A+”. After watching it below, rate it for yourself at top left!