When Bon Iver released their previous album, 22, A Million, in 2016, the group didn’t share any videos in support of the record (aside from lyric videos). The same had been true for the group’s latest effort, i,i, until now, as Bon Iver have shared a clip for “Naeem,” their first official music video since 2012. In the surreal video, people from a small town come across a mystical floating rock in the middle of the road. The rock, it turns out, is a sort of microecosystem, teeming with moss, flowing water, and other signs of natural life.
Director AG Rojas says of the video, “‘Naeem’ is concerned with the potential for intergenerational healing, and how we choose to engage with that potential. All my admiration and love to Cynthia Rodriguez and her child Azul who brought this idea to life, and to Bon Iver for amplifying it.”
Justin Vernon previously said of the song, “It just seemed very anthemic, and a very important part of whatever this record was going to be. It feels really nice to have a little bit more straightforward — not always bombastic, not always sonically trying to flip your lid or something.”
Watch the video for “Naeem” above, and read our review of i,i here.
