Lights Takes Us Behind the Scenes of Her Video for ‘Same Sea': Exclusive
Lights is known for getting creative with her music videos, and her latest visual for "Same Sea" is certainly no different.
Taking us into the future, Lights plays a voyeuristic cyborg who watches herself playing out different roles, from a karaoke queen to a dance teacher. The video feels very much like the film Ex-Machina — sans the apocalyptic freakiness. And while we get to enjoy the final cut with all the special effects, Lights admits that she had more fun making all of that happen.
"I really liked the challenge of trying to imagine the setting half the time since most of the shots were green screen," she tells PopCrush. "I had no idea how it was going to turn out, so I was picturing some pretty cool things around me."
Although the visual does take a very sci-fi approach, the song is actually about something completely different.
"I wrote it about long distance relationships and being the music industry," she explains in the behind-the-scenes clip. "I thought about it in a really cool way when I thought about the title, 'Same Sea.' If you're in the ocean and your partner or whoever you're talking about is also in the ocean or on the other side of the world, we're all connected. And it's still the same water."
While Lights is no stranger to eccentric videos, she did take on something she's never done before: choreography. Sure, she's danced around in videos like "Up We Go." However, this is the first time the synth-pop artist actually performed a dance routine, which she learned in less than 24 hours (!) and did a pretty good job.
But dancing wasn't even the hardest part of making this video. So what was? "Putting on and taking off a full face of makeup four different times!" she admitted. "Especially the Observer look and the Cyborg look. The makeup was really heavy. The next day, my face felt horrible."
Aside from all the behind-the-scenes action, we also get a few mother-daughter moments from Lights and her daughter, Rocket. Be prepared to squeal at those chubby cheeks and that sweet smile.
Lights' latest album, Little Machines, is out now via Warner Bros. Records. After touring the U.S. and Canada this past Spring, she will be playing several Canadian festivals this summer including Canada Day Celebration 2015, as well as heading back to the U.S. to perform more shows in the fall.