Matt & Kim, Soulja Boy, and Andrew W.K. Get Bloody for Converse
Some things are so crazily conceived, they just have to work. Such is the case with Converse’s unlikely, perverse, motley triangulation of Matt & Kim, Soulja Boy, and Andrew W.K. on a new track, “I’m A Goner,” for their ongoing Three Artists, One Song campaign. Other recent collaborations for the initiative have included Hot Chip, Bernard Sumner, and Hot City, as well as the exclusive UK merging of Graham Coxon, Paloma Faith, and Bill Ryder-Jones. But none were as as zany a pairing as this.
Before your inner pop cynic presumes the worst, download the track here for free to discover that it’s perfectly pleasant: a breezy mid-tempo summer track combining the trifecta of rock, pop, and hip-hop elements that define its creators. The video, however, belies the song’s innocent vibe. Yesterday, MTV2 world premiered the clip, which isn’t for the squeamish or recently fed. The song’s title hints at what you need to know: it’s literally a party in a morgue — guts, grotesque fluids, skins hanging by a grisly thread, the whole gory affair. From the looks of it, Andrew W.K., famously not bloodshy, enjoyed himself.
“We just wanted to make something catchy, that would make the people want to sing to and party to, to bring all the different musical genres together, and create a dope visual too,” Soulja Boy tells Rolling Stone of the partnership. “I’m big fans of Matt and Kim and Andrew W.K., and I was surprised to hear they were fans of mine as well, so it was like a super party in the studio. There was just a powerful energy when we all got together, and everyone just brought their own creativity to the table.”
Though the video’s unified fashion statement starts with and stops with viscera-drenched clothes and blood-splattered Converse, Matt Johnson of Matt & Kim tells Rolling Stone the band throughly enjoyed the sullying process: “Kim and I have worn Converse for years. We love any shoes that look even better the dirtier they get!”
Meanwhile, Soulja Boy is usually a bit more high maintenace.”My style is very different. It’s retro, it’s anime, it’s manga, it’s art.” he says. “It’s very out of the box, almost out of space — like I came from a different planet. I don’t follow the trends, I set them. I like to be completely different from everyone else, and of course swagged out from top to bottom.”
And his choice of Converse treads? “Strictly Chuck Taylors! Preferably red and green!”
Watch the I’m a Goner” Video:
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