Two months ago Loreen released her fierce new single “I’m In It With You” (actually, it was leaked), and followed that up with a powerful performance at Sommarkysset. Many fans interpreted it as a love song. But now that the video is out, Loreen is telling us otherwise — and leaving fans divded in the process.
The video sees Loreen and a group of girls gather at a petrol station. Over the next four and a bit minutes, the multicultural gang does nothing but break the rules. They trespass onto a series of properties, vandalise cars, spraypaint houses (at one point using the very ugly C word) and drink plenty of wine. “Nice” girls aren’t supposed to spit or steal cars or piss in public, but they do all of that in the #IIIWY video. It all ends with a nasty death, suggesting that blind allegiance to a group has some serious reprecussions.
Fans of Loreen love that she’s unconventional, but some say she’s gone a bit too far with this and have described the video as her worst yet. She says she is fighting racism, but many question how she does that by setting things on fire and endorsing criminal activity. Speaking at bon.se, Loreen defended the story behind the video.
Inspired by the movie “Over The Edge”, and recasting it with females, the video is meant to capture today’s changing world.
“There is a new generation sick and tired of the old ones getting messed up all the time,” Loreen said. “This generation does not approve of discrimination and borders….In this gang there is one blond girl, one Portuguese and one Morrocan. They are the future…We should not believe in racism.”
The Eurovision queen also referred to Hela Sverige Skramlar, which raised 40 million kr to help refugees. She went on to explain that “I’m In It With You” is not a song about love, and her goal was to break the stereotypes. Presumably that includes plenty of girl power. After all, these women don’t need to be devoted to a man — they have each other.
What do you think? Do you like Loreen’s new video? Is it too much or just right?
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Photo: Zebastian Hall
I don’t know why but every time I think of this song and this video I think of extreme feminism, and it disgust me… Sorry loreen you are just too conceptual and perhaps some etiquette classes won’t hurt you and your raunchy girlfriends.
@James: Interesting observation, James, especially your description of what happens NEAR the end of the video (Loreen ready to walk away), let alone AT the end. All too often, people overlook the entire body of the video, or any event for that matter, and focus squarely on the mayhem.
‘Ugly C word’ LOL yes I’m
Sure she defiantly does not care if you like her work or not!
I love what she’s trying to do here…..it reminds me of a Larry Clark film…all that’s missing is graphic unsimulated sex. Yeah it’s kind of horrible to watch but it’s a fascinating video all the same.
@ Eugene
Don’t patronise me.
I stand by what I said. I don’t think her songs are SIMILAR. Everyone has been expecting a load of upbeat songs like Euphoria and We Got The Power. Now she is doing some meaningful mid tempo stuff and everyone claims they are all SIMILAR. I except the video is bad, but the songs are great and unique.
@William Adams
Just about your comment about the song in the new music video. I understand you’re not a big fan of the mid tempo, does it matter if you can’t dance to a Loreen song. Lol.
I never really saw this as a love song, the verse lyrics don’t suit that at all, more someone who needs to offer support to someone else, that they are there for them through times of difficulty (I thought prior to the video, perhaps it was referring to drug addiction). I can see where she is getting the racism theme from . I’m unsure exactly how the video itself fights racism. However, I think it is basically showing how disillusioned and fed up young people are with the world, they are committing these acts of violence because they are bored,… Read more »
Maybe these b*tches on the videoclip kidnapped our poor Loreen 😛
Sweden is third largest weapon exporter per capita in the world, after Russia and Israel. Things like this always backfire. Their weapons are indiscriminately destroying societies from Middle East and Africa.
Coincidence or not, a big, steady wave of migrants targets Sweden and messing the order of things there. From what is in this video Sweden no longer is capable to properly integrate migrants. And you have seen the complaints from other Swedes even here on this blog.
I disagree with Eugene. I don’t believe her songs are starting to sound the same. I can see why people think that but Paper Light has such a lighter tone to IMIWY and to me both very different. There are some artists songs that sound identical. I think throwing that charge at her shows you’re listening to her songs properly. Sorry. But that’s what I think.
Yeah…I agree all the way with dear Eugene.. Really disappointing with a cr@p sh*tty video like that.. Loreen dissapointed us big time all of us that we are hardcore big fans of hers.. And she is really big idol 4 many young fans of hers that are minors under 18 or children.. So to see their big role model Loreen being on a really disrespectful trashy videoclip like that that promotes this kind of violence is just f*cked up.. Mostly all of Loreen’s fans are really displeased about her new bad lame videoclip.. She has caused such negative backlash to… Read more »
The song is good i like it but the video is not that awesome as i thought! Now i think she should have never done a music video for this song because i don’t it matches.
I think it’s reverse psychology to make you listen to the song rather than focus on visuals
I’m usually the first to fan w*#? over her material. But it left me a bit cold. I whole hartedly believe in the message of the song and video, but the video hides the message well enough for me not to really understand it until Wiwibloggs’ article. Maybe its in the editing.
Well then, I really don’t get the message of the song… whatever, it’s not like I’m watching a lot of music videos anyway, I’ll stick to the song 🙂
Horrible video for a perfect song.
The song is pure gold, but i was disappointed of the video. It doesn’t show the feeling of the song. The song and the video doesn’t meet..
let’s be honest. the song itself is pure PERFECTION, the video clip is kinda blah.
I know there might be some important message Loreen wanted to convey in the video, but she could better than that.
Erin, I agree with You! A metaphor is a very strong comparison….
This is a wake up call. The clip is an in-your-face bill of indictment against social alienation and urban decay as a result of failed policies on integration and multiculturalism. It’s meant to look post-apocalyptic by challenging the current race, gender and class hierarchies. The clip is certainly not an easy ride as you fall inside the gutter, but it’s audaciously defiant and uninhibited.
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/oct/01/swedens-liberal-reputation-tarnished-as-race-attacks-rise
Bye bye Eurovision stigma! Thanks God! Welcome to a new era…great art must be uncompromising. I love it!
Wow. She managed to destroy a fantastic song with a terrible video.
It’s Loreen, she can do no wrong, really! And the song is absolute perfection.
So she is celebrating multiculturalism and feminism by linking them to criminal activity and violent mayhem? I’m sorry but that doesn’t make a lot of sense…
Gratuitous violence and “empowerment” of women through violence has been overdone in music videos especially those coming from America lately. I don’t think it’s very original for her to emulate Taylor Swift’s “Bad blood” or scores of other videos with similar themes.
While I understand why some fans are disappointed, I also understand the idea behind the video and support Loreen 100%. She took a riskier route and she is convincing. While the song sounds like a Rihanna B-side track, the video takes it somewhere else and lifts it up.