The video for Janelle Monáe’s “Cold War” was released yesterday morning, and is, except for the sanitarium motif, basically the exact opposite of “Tightrope.” It features a close-up on Monáe, who lip-syncs the song in one take after undressing. According to director Wendy Morgan in Pitchfork,
“The ‘Cold War’ music video was filmed in the black box auditorium at the Palace of the Dogs sanitarium. This is the complete first take. This performance is unaltered and unencumbered, as those of us in attendance on that day experienced it.”
It’s also captivating.
In an interview with Colorado Springs Independent, Monáe says,
“We had a lot of conceptual stuff that we wanted to get in, but that one take was just so powerful. We were all crying, and it was a very special moment. That song is very dear to me.”