The Artist Explains: Jakk Fynn - 'Fire'
Jakk Fynn talks to us about his music video for electro pop banger, ‘Fire’, which uses bleak, post-apocalyptic setting to explore how society rigidly imposes gender constructs and sexual identities, while leaving the visuals open to be relatable to other experiences and narratives.
Where was the video for 'Fire' filmed?
As mundane as it sounds, we filmed in two different locations in downtown Los Angeles. I’m starting off strong here.
How does the video connect with the song?
The song and video are loosely related. The song touches on the fact that love and attraction happen involuntarily. At a biological level our nerves just “fire”. Oftentimes for queer individuals, love and attraction are one-sided, so there’s also an element of unrequited love. That said, when I teamed up with directors Maddy Talias and Meghan luck, the video’s aim was to critique social constructs surrounding gender and sexuality. Despite having little control over who we our, how we feel, or where we come from, society still tries to dictate our identities.
Do you have any behind the scenes stories you could share with us?
Well first off, we filmed 3 videos in 4 consecutive days, in multiple locations, with 6 weeks of planning…so we were definitely flying by the seat of our pants. One hurdle we had was the shoot date for the group scene kept switching…so we thought it would impact headcount. We bought 30 suits thinking 10-15 extras would show up, but by the 11th hour every suit was accounted for. It was a good problem to have, but we could only get one take haha.
Can you tell us about the ideas/ themes/ imagery used?
Meg and Maddy’s vision was that of a dystopian, post-apocalyptic world with an unknown force mechanically assigning identities in an assembly line. These visuals, paired with desaturated colours, really drives the message that when we collectively (and individually) restrain our differences, the net result is a very bleak and colourless world.
Is there a message the video is trying to convey?
We left the symbols agnostic so different people could extract meaning, but on a personal level, the video is definitely related to my queer and trans experience. As a marginalised individual, it can be challenging to live authentically and stay hopeful. Despite how difficult living your truth may be, if we all employ daily acts of rebellion (much like the inhabitants of ‘Fire’), then we can continue to shape a better tomorrow. So, wherever you are, whoever you are, keep pushing those boundaries, questioning systems, while celebrating yourself along the way.
Interview by Karla Harris