Glass Animals is a collective known for their swirling sounds and psychedelic visuals. Selling out shows in 37 seconds, racking up millions of streams and pushing the boundaries of genres, Glass Animals continue to opt for bold music above all else. Denzel Curry is a Floridian rapper recognized for his strong lyrics and impressive flow. Famous music videos, millions of followers and becoming Genius’ “Lyricist of the Year,” make Denzel Curry one of the most influential rappers rising. Together Glass Animals and Denzel Curry have paired up to create a music video to their song “Tokyo Drifting.”
“Tokyo Drifting” opens with a singers vocalizing over silence, flashing lights and wandering actors. Spinning cameras begin to feature members of Glass Animals and Curry with dynamic drawings doodling around them. A smokey and modified voice is introduced, “Two things ’bout the gears, you better listen up/Chrome spokes with the spinners on his tire hubs/Suck smoke in his ’40, windows up/He rolls, like he really doesn’t give a/Drug lust and two packets in your pocket/Clear score, dust hits your nose like a rocket.”
As these lyrics continue, “Scoot-scoot, boy, racer to the super-club/Let rip, like you drank all of the tequila/Get loose, streetfighter, tear it up/Fresh footwear drippin’ out of you onto the rug/Ooh, now you’re lettin’ go,” the actors from the introductory scene are shown training and moving with videogame-like statistics flashing in front of them. Reminiscent of his hit “RICKY” music video, Denzel stands in a boxing ring. His game stats flash in front of him, every category answering with “UNKNOWN.” He is facing off with the lead vocalist of Glass Animals, Dave Bayley. Dave, described as “Wavey Davey” in the video pulls a visor (knight helmet) over his head as his statistics flash, listing him at “7+ feet” tall and “300lbs.” “Wavey Davey” tears his shirt open as the lyrics fade and it fades to darkness.
The video then features each actor, with “READY” flickering on screen. The trap beats that have been steadily in the background of the entire song stop, and the chorus begins, “Heart beatin’ faster, feet pushin’ on the floor/ Ain’t nothin’ better/Ooh, now you’re lettin’ go/Heart beatin’ faster, feet pushin’ on the floor/Ain’t nothin’ better/ Wavey Davey’s on fire/Oh, you still got it, you still got it alright, yeah…”
Lights, cuts to fight scenes, moving lines of light streams around Denzel and Davey create a fight sequence. The video ends with the visor cast aside, “Wavey Davey” on the ground and Denzel standing victorious. The camera slowly zooms into Dave’s eye, cuts out to a comic book with pages flipping and concludes. This fighting exemplifies the combative nature expressed through the song’s lyrics, while also including the playfulness of it.
“Tokyo Drifting” is intense. The song pairs perfectly with the video, as the video expresses the depicts the story 0f piece and includes references to the lyrics, such as “Wavey Davey.” It sounds as though it should be playing during the battle scene of a movie when all of the tension is coming to fruition. “Tokyo Drifting”’s music video perfectly expresses this fighting, as the storyline, lighting and music all work in tandem to illustrate the song completely. It marks the return of Glass Animals, as they return after a year long hiatus due to drummer Joe Seaward experienced a bike crash. “Tokyo Drifting” is a way of coming back swinging. Glass Animals and Denzel Curry have recorded and filmed pure lightning.
You can watch the song here.
