Kwesi Arthur's look in 'Animal' video
Animal’s video combines vivid storytelling, music and dance to warn leaders whose actions cage the dreams of the young.
The song by Kwesi Arthur and Dayonthetrack is soothing, danceable and loaded. The message the artistes convey in the song stands out in
the track’s riveting music video.
Unlike the soft tunes of the song, armed men grab a corrupt Prime Minister in the first scene of the video. This sets an interesting pace for
the video and promises lots of suspense.
As the captain of the rebels, Dayonthetrack leads the armed men to steal loads of cash in the trunk of the Prime Minister’s car. The politician
was then sent to Kwesi Arthur, who is seen as the leader of the rebels.
After the capture, the rebels danced while holding arms to show the joy of securing the bag.
The movement of the rebels from a shanty residence to a plush settlement where the politician was waylaid show the frustration of the
growing populations in slums.
The cinematography blends the setting, lighting, movements and energy of the characters to perfectly depict the message of the song.
Director David Duncan uses rapid editing techniques to increase the pace of the video while moving back and forth from the storytelling to the
euphoric armed men. The shots in the video shows the length these armed men are willing to go to set themselves free.
The music sends a calm but fierce warning about what could happen if the problems of young people in the country are continually neglected.
Overall, ‘Animal’ is a very important piece that speaks to the condition of young people who yearn to live their dreams but are prevented from
doing so because of the constraints the society put on them.
