Watch Dua Lipa and Silk City's Steamy Video for "Electricity"
Silk City and Dua Lipa's "Electricity" may be about connecting with a new love interest, but its new video takes the title more literally. It opens with clips from the 2003 Northeast blackout, which brought much of the region, including the Manhattan skyline, into darkness due to a software bug. The video then pans a darkened apartment to land on Lipa, clad in only a white t-shirt and hot pants amidst the powerful humidity takes a swig out of a water jug before starting to sing and dance. This removal of literal electricity allows movement and connection to shine in the moments that follow.
The choreography, by Theresa “Toogie” Barcelo, hits on Mark Ronson and Diplo's thumping beats, starting with nonchalant contemporary on Lipa, a site-specific number featuring turns about the space and weight-sharing with kitchen appliances. As the dance gets more intense, lights begin to flash and flicker, and dancers trickle in and mingle until it's a full-fledged party. It's a stark contrast from the whereabouts of Ronson and Diplo: they're trapped in an elevator that stopped in the blackout.
Aesthetically, the Bradley and Pablo-directed video bridges minimalism and maximalism, intimacy and emptiness. The lack of literal electricity creates a warehouse vibe reminiscent of a no-frills club in Brooklyn, and while Lipa's look is believable for surviving an August evening sans air conditioning, the red, high-waisted bottoms also look club-ready, and layered necklaces complete her outfit. The flashing lights and connecting people fill a space that would otherwise feel empty, and Ronson and Diplo's powerful instrumentals carry into the elevator, making them alternate between hope and longing during their wait for an escape.
While everyone mourned the end of summer with Labor Day, this week has still been sweltering in New York and beyond, so "Electricity" provides as much relatability as nostalgia. It finishes out a long, hot summer with a reminder that even as life gets busier and days grow shorter, human connection is more powerful than any light.
