Watch Like You're Dying! Kris Allen's Video Premieres
American Idol champ Kris Allen has released his first video, for his debut single "Live Like We're Dying," and it is a surprisingly moody affair, not the feelgood romp I expected given the carpe diem song's CW soundtrack/Kaiser Permanente commercial vibe.
Shot amid an operation-desert-storm of sorts, against a windswept landscape dotted with abandoned jalopies, billowing fabric remnants, and flickering pyro, the video brings to mind Snow Patrol's "Run" or the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' "Gold Lion" rather than a typically bubbly Idol video. And the fact that Kris is often shot performing inside an ominously ticking digital clock adds to the unexpected ennui.
The video actually taps into the darker, sometimes overlooked aspects of the song's lyrics, which are not quite as happy-go-lucky as I assumed upon first listen alongside its upbeat melody. While the song's message is ultimately positive, about appreciating one's blessings and making the most of every day and whatnot, in it Kris does sing lines like "How come we don't say 'I love you' enough/Till it's too late," "We're all staring down the barrel of a gun/So if your life flashed before you, what would you wish you would've done," and "If your plane fell out of the skies/Who would you call with your last goodbyes."
That's some deep stuff, especially for an Idol. And all the while in this stylized video, Kris croons such sentiments while those giant digital numbers tick away like a timebomb, drumming his points home.
This is a song that has the word "dying" in its title, after all, so I'm glad that Kris didn't make some fluffy video where he does clichéd stuff like riding carousels, or reflecting on his Idol journey while standing in an empty theater staring up wondrously at a vaulted art deco ceiling, or sitting on an Idols Live Tour bus "Wanted Dead Or Alive"-style while staring pensively out a rain-streaked window. This video has a subtle message--don't worry, it's not a total downer!--and it is a good introduction to Kris Allen, the singer-songwriter.
Watch like you're dying below:
I like that the video is artistic, but not so artsy that it's hard to understand the point of the video. I think this is one of the best videos that has come out of the 19 franchise.
Adam...stupid comment! Love the song, great video. Still
showing that wedding ring...what a guy!
Think with your "other" head next time, mmmkay?