‘Lonely In The Future’ has, since its release, become one of the standout tracks on The Strokes’ latest album, the uneven ‘Reality Awaits’. It achieved this not only through its memorable melody but also through lyrics in which Julian Casablancas takes digs at The Weeknd, Harry Styles, or music critic Anthony Fantano. The video, a cascade of puppet cameos, is the perfect complement.
Inspired by Genesis’ ‘Land Of Confusion’ video, which itself drew on the puppets from the satirical program ‘Spitting Image’, the New York band transforms various figures from music and politics into puppets. Lou Reed is the first to appear, followed by American comedian Lee Camp, businessman Rupert Murdoch, and Stanley Kubrick. By the way, the puppets are the handiwork of the creators of ‘Spitting Image’, not a cheap imitation.
The first big surprise is Harry Styles’ appearance, right as the line from ‘As It Was’ plays. The video then goes even further, grotesquely depicting Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, and Mark Zuckerberg: ‘The billionaires celebrate the end of the world,’ reads a news broadcast. In addition to appearances by Rick Rubin and Greta Thunberg, the most talked-about moment has been Anthony Fantano criticizing Bach: ‘He just released the Aria from Suite No. 3 and IT IS NOT GOOD!’, reads.
