In a 2014 interview with Larry King, Tyler the Creator said that for the future, “[when] people mention my name, I’m next to Wes Anderson or Quentin Tarantino” — some of the world’s greatest film directors. Tyler made his directing debut with his music video for “Yonkers” in 2011, amassing over 150 million views, and since then he has continued to direct for the past 13 years. Knowing this, it was beyond thrilling watching Tyler drop music videos for his new album, “Chromakopia.” Last Friday, he released the music video for his new song “NOID” based on the fear and paranoia he has experienced that ensued with his rising popularity, crazy fan encounters and stalking paparazzi, and how these feelings have led to distrust and a constant anxiety when around the public. Using horror movie tactics, the emotional themes in “NOID” work not only to comment on the lack of boundaries between celebrities and the world, but also to instill the same anxiety in viewers.
“NOID” asks us to feel paranoid. The opening scene, in which Tyler walks against an angry and disgusted crowd, delivers the audience a palpable sense of isolation. It’s no secret that celebrities can be susceptible to criticism, but for Tyler it appears truly inescapable, surrounding him from every side — it’s as claustrophobic as trying to walk through an angry mob. Ayo Edebiri — whose performances I loved in Bottoms and The Bear — plays a hysterical fan who runs at the camera to ask Tyler for a selfie. Her phone changes into a gun, then back to a phone, then back to a gun — she playfully waves it around, proving that there is danger only to those in range of her. She faces no consequences, and as she shows no fear towards what she’s holding, the selfishness and lack of self-awareness truly shows. The phone-as-gun may refer not only to this “do-it-or-else” feeling that Tyler has in some fan encounters, but also an extreme fear. He is powerless when a fan comes up to him — if they decide that they want a selfie, what really can Tyler do? Get backlash for walking away? Do it, but still face backlash for not smiling enough?
The next scene sees Tyler driving a sports car through an open highway. He checks his side mirrors for anyone following or stalking him. The viewers pick up on this paranoia, and to our horror, a car ends up following behind him; however, this is no sports car like his, but a much older car. He’s expected to drive these elitist cars and have expensive things to meet expectations. However, since these things put a spotlight directly on him, he can never escape. Privacy doesn’t exist in his world because he is either put under a microscope in public or forced by brands and contracts to be a living advertisement that consistently has eyes on it. It’s evident he expects this kind of behavior by the way there isn’t a single minute of relaxation in his face throughout this entire scene — instead, we watch as he anxiously waits for a car to appear behind him.
In another scene, Tyler moves around while the sun casts his shadow on the ground. As he continues to walk around, we see that his shadow does not follow his movements but instead acts as its own entity. Tyler’s mind has escaped his body, his soul finding refuge in his shadow’s darkness, leaving the body and shadow no longer in sync. His body is kept under Hollywood standards but his shadow craves to be free. This idea of battle inside Tyler’s own mind is perfectly portrayed here;there is this feeling that although he feels like he’s being held hostage by his own fans, anything he does will have lasting consequences on his career. He is incapable of fighting back. No matter how you might interpret the shadow’s movements, it still leaves the eerie feeling that Tyler is no longer in control of his own life, but instead has sold his soul to the world.
Tyler does a fantastic job making the music video interesting to watch but also accurately portraying his own paranoia that he deals with in light of his fame. It reminds me of Jordan Peele, especially Get Out. The idea of making a horror film as a comment on a societal norm that is overly accepted feels like such an effective way to create awareness around the issue since the movie is produced to make the viewers feel the fear alongside the main character. It’s exciting to see an artist fight back against the world’s publicity expectations. Forcing a celebrity to take a selfie with you is weird. Constantly following your idol around a city to get a signature is weird. Let Tyler live.
Ashleyrose Saffie is a junior in the College of Arts and Sciences. She can be reached at [email protected].