As I was reviewing some of the top music videos of 2016, I came across Miike Snow’s video for Genghis Khan. The video is masterclass film making on some many levels that should be studied carefully. For those already familiar with the video, you probably think I must have lived the past year in solitary confinement. Nonetheless, the video became an instant viral hit for Miike Snow with nearly 15 million views on Youtube to date.
Miike Snow
Miike Snow is actually a trio, made up of one American, Andrew Wyatt, and two Swedes, Christian Karlsson and Pontus Winnberg. They’ve been together as Miike Snow since 2007. Apparently Miike Snow is the name of a friend. However, separately and together, they have written and produced for some of the biggest names in pop music. Their impressive music pairings include Britney, Kylie, Madonna, Bruno Mars and Mark Ronson. Probably their most noted collaboration was writing Toxic for Britney Spears.
Dschinghis Khan (also known as Genghis Khan) was a German pop band originally formed in Munich in 1979 to compete in the Eurovision Song Contest with their song “Dschinghis Khan.” The song finished 4th in the competition. And the group had a brief but successful career until the group broke up in the mid-eighties. Until last year that was the most famous song about Genghis Khan.
Ruler Genghis Khan
Genghis Khan was extremely possessive, and it is widely known that he engaged with multiple partners. Apparently thousands of wives (lesser status wives) and potentially over 1200 children. But none of the children from these wives were eligible for the line of succession. He felt these wives were his and only his. And he punished severely whoever tried to have a relationship with any of his wives. So the verse in the song, “I get a little bit Genghis Khan, I don’t want you to get it on with nobody else but me” refers to how very jealous and paranoid he [Genghis Khan] gets and wants to keep the other person for himself and only for himself. For more information check out this site.
The Song
Snows’ Genghis Khan has a slow pop groove almost reminesant of the blue-eyed soul of Hall and Oats’ hit One on One. The song is so catchy that it will be hard to get it out of your head. And it’s easy to see how this could easily have been recorded by Bruno Mars. This song is all about the falsetto vocals. And the synthy beats are simple to allow lead singer Andrew Wyatt’s vocals to shine. By the end of the song you have forgotten that this dark, moody song is about Genghis Khan.
The Video
Yet its the video and its actors that are the real stars. Produced by Pulse Films, the video is a parody of the 1970’s/80s James Bond films. Beautifully shot on 35mm film, the director brings forth the feel and color of those period films. But the video does not take itself too seriously as you see it kiss the line of being more like Austin Powers from time to time. I don’t want to spoil its delicious plot twist. But it’s a story about gender role playing, a villain finding true love while aiming a death laser weapon at our hero’s crotch. Oh did I mention it’s also beautifully choreographed musical numbers?