There comes a time in every consciously evolving man’s life where he faces a fork in the road which questions him about his past and where he means to go, ultimately confronting him about his destiny and his contentment. Staring into the eyes of regrets and past hurts while still forced to wonder what will become of the unknown that is the future, both the mind and a decision have to be made. Grammy-winning rapper and Oscar-honoured actor Will Smith’s latest single, “Beautiful Scars”, alongside Detroit hip-hop star Big Sean is an earnest attempt at answering this conundrum, and their Matrix-inspired visuals dovetail with soul-searching-cum-triumphant lyrical content of the song.
Under the direction of Adil El Arbi and Bilal Fallah, the storyline of “Beautiful Scars” is cast into the mould of the cyberpunk classic film The Matrix, with the beginning of the visuals depicting Smith being televised on an old TV, expressing how him turning down the role of Neo when he was tapped for the movie was one of his greatest regrets in his career. Cosplaying Neo, Smith sits opposite Sean, who acts as a makeshift Morpheus, the both of them recreating the now-iconic blue pill-red pill scene from the film.
Big Sean and Will Smith | SUPPLIED
After informing Will what each pill did and that he only had one choice between the two, an initially tentative Smith tells Sean that he liked his life despite being torn over being given the possibility of going back in time to star in the movie role that got away: The Matrix. He eventually broke protocol and took both of the pills, an unthinkable yet humorous decision which sets off a chain of events extrapolated from the movie itself.
The visuals for “Beautiful Scars” are a non-linear sequence of vignettes sampled from some of the most remarkable scenes of the 1999 blockbuster and modified to plant Sean and Smith into the shots. Such scenes include that of Neo’s training at the dojo and the famous rooftop encounter between Neo and one of the agents which gave birth to the bullet-dodging scene. Drawing inspiration from the celebrated sci-fi franchise, the music video is an ocular metaphor of Smith’s will and ability to create his own reality.
Will Smith in the making of the visuals | SUPPLIED
What’s most interesting about the creative vision behind the music video are the incongruous lyrics which somehow align with Will’s decision to down both the pills right at the beginning. One half of the song, as represented by the visuals which can be carved open and interpreted with the naked eye, is the manifest consequence of ingesting the red pill, while the lyrics – represented by the blue pill – affirm Will’s position as a man who wasn’t merely happy with his life but outright proud of his achievements as heard in his prodigious boasts of money and fame and status. Blending the two elements juxtaposes the opposing themes of wishing for change and being proud of who one is enough to continue being that rather than yearning to change past events.
The visuals of “Beautiful Scars” are not a mere what-if of Will Smith’s illustrious life and career – indeed one could even say that the man has made far more good and positive life choices if the worst thing he has done in a while is slap Chris Rock at the Academy Awards show. This music video illustrates that it is possible for one to continue striving to be the best version of who they already are while still holding space for grief over the loss of things from the past. In “Beautiful Scars” is the reality that longing and contentment can co-exist despite being feelings that tug at the heart in different directions.
Watch “Beautiful Scars”:
