Sydney-based rapper The Tongue has just released his fourth studio album Hard Feelings, leg by singles You Got Me ft. Mataya and Never Going Down ft. Ngaiire. Today marks the release of the video accompaniment to Never Going Down, and it’s incredible in many ways.
The video was shot in 360 degrees – marking the first time an Australian artist has ever tackled this incredible technological feat. This unique filming technique allows the viewer a kind of ‘choose-your-own-adventure’ experience, as you can click, hold down and scroll the video across to new scenes at your own pace. Before you watch, make sure you have the most up to date version of Chrome, Firefox, Opera or Internet Explorer, or YouTube on your mobile. I seriously love this kind of stuff – virtual reality, 360˚ compatibility, user-navigated visuals. It is the future, and it is here.
The video features multiple versions of The Tongue rapping to the camera, each one differentiated by varying outfits and backgrounds. As you click and scroll across, the backdrop and angle changes, featuring different artworks behind each version of the rapper. The trick is to follow the story: a mysterious masked character soon appears, either murdering the rapper where he stands, or forcefully dragging him away. Eventually there’s only a couple left, and they walk away as Ngaiire’s gorgeous guest vocals come in.
The Tongue eventually gets his comeuppance, but I’ll let you watch the clip and see it for yourself.
The Tongue is heading out on tour in 2016! Dates below: