Ray Liotta Plays Washed-Up, Hair-Metal Star in Ed Sheeran’s ‘Bloodstream’ Video
Ed Sheeran‘s music videos for “Thinking Out Loud” and “Sing” have chalked up 335 million and 107 million views on YouTube, respectively, so it’s no wonder the British singer was among the 50 artists honored with a 2015 YouTube Music Award. To celebrate the win, Sheeran has unleashed his and Rudimental’s “Bloodstream,” another music video off X that’s bolstered by a madcap performance by Goodfellas actor Ray Liotta.
Liotta portrays the washed-up, wealthy frontman of fictional hair-metal group Black Glove. The singer’s post-stardom life consists of sulking around his opulent mansion, drinking heavily and cavorting with prostitutes in an attempt to relive his days of sex, drugs and rock & roll. Eventually, the memories of his past successes compacted with the loneliness of his life, as evidenced by his gigantic but empty home, lead Liotta’s character to destroy his memorabilia in a guitar-smashing, indoor-horse-riding, fiery rage.
While “Bloodstream” is considered the fourth single off Sheeran’s Grammy-nominated X, this more aggressive, drum-and-bass version presented in the video is actually a remix by British group Rudimental, who also co-wrote the Rick Rubin-produced track alongside Sheeran and Snow Patrol’s Johnny McDaid and Gary Lightbody. Rudimental get equal billing on this “Bloodstream,” which will be released as a single on March 29th along with non-X track “I Will Take You Home.”
The actor will hopefully be at the Beacon Theatre when the Goodfellas cast and crew reunite to celebrate the Martin Scorsese mob classic’s 25th anniversary April 25th at Tribeca Film Festival.
YouTube premiered numerous videos on Monday to celebrate the YouTube Music Awards, including Action Bronson’s Coming to America spoof “Baby Blue,” FKA Twigs’ voguing master class “Glass & Patron” and Charli XCX’s nightmarish clip for “Famous,” directed by Tim & Eric’s Eric Wareheim.
Check out a behind-the-scenes look at the “Bloodstream” video: