Kenshi Yonezu 'Lemon' by Tomokazu Yamada
Lassamie Prasimay - 7th Mar 2018
Japanese artist Kenshi Yonezu immediately struck a chord amongst many of his listeners with his melancholic song Lemon, about the loss of a loved one. The music video for the song is equally as powerful in feeling, graded in solemn cold tones within the walls of desolate church.
The two opening shots contrast vastly, the square frame first being filled by a small crowd fronted by the singer, then cutting to a single woman, small against the negative space and shadows surrounding her. There is a looming sense of foreboding throughout the video, perhaps felt through the circle of unnamed characters, the lonely woman's whimsical dancing filmed in reverse, or the stilettos worn by the singer that were last seen on the dancer.
Putting the mysterious narrative aside, perhaps the most striking visual feature is the use of lighting: cold yet heavenly, sinister yet soft. It's especially significant during the bridge of the song, as the singer and the dancer finally come face to face. The camera slowly pans between both characters, and at each new turn, the pair distances, as one becomes engulfed in darkness. The music is still somehow uplifting in it's sadness, as Yonezu finally accepts her departure from the world as he knew it.
Lassamie Prasimay - 7th Mar 2018
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Credits
Production/Creative
- Director
- Tomokazu Yamada
- Producer
- Koji Takayama
- Production Company
- TETRAPOT FILMS
Camera
- Director of Photography
- Keisuke Imamura
Lassamie Prasimay - 7th Mar 2018