fun. is known for infusing their anthemic songs with a sense of passion and urgency, Nate Ruess’s voice often exploding into fist clenching dramatic breaks. Their latest single “Why Am I The One,” follows their patented method, fusing raw emotional lyrics about loneliness and abandonment with hopeful, powerful vocals. Too bad their music video didn’t get the memo.
It opens with the three members of the band in an airport looking unconvincingly frustrated with the fact that their luggage has apparently been lost. The rest of the video follows the boring travels of the strangely humanoid bag, all the while flashing to what are presumably supposed to be scenes of the trio feeling distraught and forlorn about their missing baggage (even taking to drinking their baggage-related sorrows away). What is theoretically meant to express sadness and emotional depth actually ends up accomplishing the opposite- showcasing the band as stoic almost lobotomized versions of their usually energetic selves. But I mean, what exactly is the appropriate level of grief for an old suitcase? Perhaps they were trying to utilize the bag as a representation of some bigger theme- maybe it was supposed to be relationship baggage? If so, it doesn’t really come across. The last scene attempts to sprinkle some Mary Poppins-esque magic into the video, but this too is a miss, appearing altogether trite and contrived. When it comes to “Why Am I The One,” it’s better to just listen to the music and imagine your own better version. Trust me, it won’t be hard.
By: Darianne Dobbie
