Ben Galster directs a rousing meditation on body positivity and queer culture, in this dazzling promo for MNEK. 

The video for MUSCLE MARYS.. draws viewers into a series of stylised vignettes, representing the shared, intimate settings we inhabit and our tendency to compare ourselves with others. All as MNEK delivers a state of mind in the lyrics that spins between lust, longing. self-consciousness and self-acceptance. 

Unflinching in its depiction of bodies and attraction, through lingering close-ups and eventual catharsis on the dancefloor - and touches of humour - it's an impressive piece of work with a beautiful message. Well worth the watch.

It was fantastic to work with MNEK on something that allowed us to show a more vulnerable side of him.

"MUSCLE MARYS.. is a very personal song for MNEK, dealing openly with body dysmorphia, desire and the complicated relationship we can have with our own bodies," says Ben Galster. "It was fantastic to work with him on something that allowed us to show a more vulnerable side of him.

"We wanted to explore those ideas through the world of queer gym culture, starting quite observationally in the locker room and gym – watching people train, compare themselves and each other, and navigate attraction and self-consciousness. As the film develops, that world becomes increasingly extroverted, eventually breaking out into a euphoric club environment where everyone seems able to completely let go.

"But I also liked the idea of questioning that liberation. At the end we return to the locker room as MNEK sings, 'or maybe I’m just like them', leaving it open whether that sense of freedom really happened or whether he’s still caught in the same cycle of comparison and vanity.

"Despite dealing with something quite vulnerable, it was important that the film still felt sexy, playful and celebratory."