Travis Scott’s ‘Can’t Say’ Is the ‘John Wick’ of Music Videos

Video featuring Don Toliver is full of Saint Laurent suits, dirt bikes, horses and neon crosses. It’s lit!

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February 6, 2019

Travis Scott’s ‘Can’t Say’ Is the ‘John Wick’ of Music Videos

Music videos rarely make sense. In 2019, artist’s visuals usually take what most people like (songs), combine that with what many people on the internet are beginning to loathe (short form storytelling), and target a generation of consumers thoroughly familiar with YouTube’s algorithms. A great song generally transports the listener into a new world of their making, it’s enough for a music video to simply say, “Your world sucks. Here is one that a label paid a lot of money for and a heap of special effects from the year 2000.”

Travis Scott’sÂ “Can’t Say,” featuring Don Toliver, is proof that this doesn’t have to be the case by simply leaning into its excesses. It achieves the rare honor of being theÂ John WickÂ of music videos ”” brolic, epic and nonsensical ”” the visually stunning Nathalie Canguilhem-directed video borders on the incoherent, and doesn’t seek to be anything more.

Scott seems to be the leader of a dirt bike gang, decked in suits from Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello (can you say brand synergy, baby!). His adoring congregation follows him through the street as they all pop wheelies, while Scott triumphantly stands on his moving, two-wheel vehicle. The violet-drenched video then mixes its metaphors ”” a woman is crucified on a neon-lit cross, while horses gallop through the streets and some random dudes ride in go-karts. As long as music videos continue to be made they should all aspire to the heights of “Can’t Say.”

Charles Holmes