Chance The Rapper has begun the rollout for his album Star Line Gallery in earnest with its first single and music video, “Buried Alive.” In the single, Chance contemplates the bumpy road of the last six years, from falling out with his manager to getting a divorce\, comparing the weight of these struggles to the titular condition. However, he also details how he managed to make it out: By using his main talent, which he compared to the escape plan enacted by Uma Thurman’s “Bride” character in Kill Bill.
The video, which takes takes inspiration from that film and the 2010 Ryan Reynolds vehicle Buried — and seemingly some unexpected sources like anime space operas Space Battleship Yamato and Macross and the Indiana Jones films — depicts this struggle visually, as Chance punches his way out of what appears to be a coffin. Once he’s busted out of those confines, though, he quickly discovers he may have just jumped out of the frying pan and into the fire when it turns out the “coffin” was actually a crate in a cargo hold. Dodging security guards, Chance goes to a porthole, where he learns he’s not just lost at sea — he’s in a spaceship, cruising through the blackness of space. The video ends on that cliffhanger, suggesting that there might be more of this narrative in store as he continues the rollout for his new project.
You can watch the video above.
