Kanye West isn't one to do anything by half, and that's certainly the case with the video — make that the three videos — for "Flashing Lights."
After the first two videos for the song — which he had rejected — hit the 'Net this week, the MC wrote a post on his blog Thursday explaining his reasoning for rejecting the clips, lambasting the leakers and, er, some other stuff.
"I shot 3 vids for 'Flashing Lights' cuz I ain't like the first 2," he wrote. "I loved the 3rd one that I released with Spike [Jonze] and hit the world with that. I actually had Sam Speigal, Spike's brother and co-orchestrater of THE TOUR MUSIC, do a remix 2 the scary one 2 make the music fit. I planned 2 put it on a DVD later this year. No rants here just an explanation of why y'all getting those other vids rt now that I ain't approve and why I ain't finna post neither on my blog. So I hope whoever leaked them got the shine they was looking 4 cause that's all they'll get now. And I know that's incorrect english but that's how I talk when I want 2. Oh and I've just been 2 busy 2 get at the New York Times for all that his Ego BLAH BLAH BLAH bullsh-- so stay tuned. For fun, I want yall 2 read this whole post in the Grandma's Boy JP robot voice LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Here's a look at all three videos.
Video #1
While it's not entirely clear what's going on in this clip, it seems that Kanye is invited to a dinner party at a spooky, European-looking house — and apparently the house is haunted and the MC finds himself in the middle of a murder mystery.
Video #2
The premise of this video is a bit clearer: A young woman gets wrapped up in the luxury, nightlife and flashing lights of New York City, but she is assaulted while staggering home from a night on the town and is left to fend for herself on the subway. The video cuts to Kanye looking on ominously, enshrouded in mist.
Final Version
This video, co-directed by 'Ye and Spike Jonze, has famously gone over a lot of people's heads. In it, we see a sexy temptress in the desert pull over her car, drop her fur coat to the ground and set it on fire. She walks back to her vehicle (wearing very little clothing), pops the trunk — and inside we see a bound-and-gagged Kanye. She then caresses West's face, reaches for a shovel and, out of view, begins to violently pummel the boastful rapper. The video abruptly cuts to black with only the words "Flashing Lights" written across the screen.
As video vixen Rita G, who plays the temptress, told MTV News: "It's whatever you want it to be."
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