David Bowie Radiates Intensity in ‘Valentine’s Day’
After a string of previous videos found David Bowie wandering alone through old haunts, confronting a version of his younger self with Tilda Swinton and pissing off the Catholic League opposite Gary Oldman and Marion Cotillard, the singer keeps things simple in the new clip for “Valentine’s Day.” Bowie mostly just sits on a stool and strums a guitar amid skeletal concrete pillars in what looks like a half-finished building.
Directed by Indrani and Markus Klinko, the perspective of the video occasionally brushes past Bowie, pulls back for a long shot or shows a series of quick movements with strobe effects that give them a jerky, stuttering feel (and, if you look closely, offers a quick glimpse of the singer carrying an assault rifle). All the while, the look on Bowie’s face becomes increasingly intense as the song progresses.
“Valentine’s Day” is from Bowie’s latest album, The Next Day. The project, released in March, was something of a surprise return for the 66-year-old singer and songwriter, who had scaled back his activities following a 2004 heart attack. Bowie announced The Next Day on his birthday in January with the video for “Where Are We Now?” He has since released clips for “The Stars (Are Out Tonight)” and “The Next Day.”