James Blake – Can't Believe the Way We Flow
2019 · Directed by Frank Lebon
32K Likes
Best comments
1.“The fact they took that long to flush that toilet stressed me out, lmao.”
More comments
- 2.“Can't believe the way we flush.”
- 3.“Weird to think how great life would be with the right companion.”
The story
Thirty real couples, all living in London, got cast as themselves for this one. Director and editor Frank Lebon follows them through the unglamorous parts of love – arguing over breakfast, cleaning the toilet, falling into bed – then stitches their faces into one long, near slow-motion kiss that passes from couple to couple.
And then there are the birds. The video opens with James Blake on a city bench with a coffee and a notebook, and a bird poops on him. He is not the last. Around the halfway mark the whole thing turns into a strange little study of droppings falling from the sky. Life lands on you. You keep kissing anyway.
The song comes from Assume Form, Blake's 2019 album, and he has called it the turning point that pushed him toward making a happier record. It's built on a sample of The Manhattans' It Feels So Good to Be Loved So Bad, which co-producer Dominic Maker brought into the session. AllMusic heard awestruck bliss in it, and Lebon's cut earned a Best Editing nomination at the 2020 MTV Video Music Awards.
