Anyone who’s ever been in love can tell you that it’s not the big, splashy moments that make a relationship work. The real love is found in those quiet moments with one another where it feels like the rest of the world ceases to exist. That seems to be the concept that Kendrick Lamar and SZA aim for in the video for their chart-topping duet “luther,” taken from K. Dot’s latest album GNX.
The clip, skillfully directed by Karena Evans, expands upon the love story of the song with beautifully shot visuals that alternate between color and black and white. Throughout, we’re shown Kendrick and SZA as they get close to their respective lovers. The choice to not have the stars play each other’s love interest is already pretty novel for this type of video. But the video’s concept is pushed even further by the video interspersing scenes punctuated by either silence or extensions of the song’s source sample, the Luther Vandross and Cheryl Lynn duet “If This World Were Mine.”
What’s also interesting is that Kendrick and SZA rarely interact with each other on screen. In fact, only two setups feature the pair in the same space. One shows them sitting on blue pews with quite a bit of distance between them. Another has SZA standing outside puffing on a cigarette while Kendrick rolls up in a black Buick Grand National.
Perhaps they’re saving that chemistry for later this month, when they kick off their highly anticipated Grand National Tour, which starts in Minneapolis on Saturday, April 19th.
Either way, the video for “luther” is quite stunning and more proof that Kendrick Lamar and SZA and are an artistic and musical match that will always get our attention. Peep the visual when you press play.
