Sophie Muller, best known for rich and elaborate color schemes in videos like No Doubt’s “Don’t Speak,” Beyoncé’s “Déjà Vu” and, recently, Marina’s “Handmade Heaven,” takes an antithetical approach to her usual style in Selena Gomez’s video for “Lose You To Love Me.” As Apple wants you to know, it was shot entirely on an iPhone 11 Pro (which, of course, will further incentivize people to make their own subpar “projects”), and yes, the black and white film choice seems overtly conscientious when taking into account the confessional nature of the song.
And, in fact, the Catholic-inspired confessional look of the box-like space Gomez is sitting in throughout the entire video is well-tailored to her making a slew of reactionary faces to her own lyrics. Ostensibly stalked by the invisible spirit of her ex as she peers cautiously behind her for several moments before continuing to sing.
In the spirit of Ariana Grande’s declaration, “thank u, next,” “Lose You To Love Me,” too, comes across as yet another celebration of and advocacy for sologamy. And the associated lack of long-lasting trauma that comes with it. For its most wonderful benefit of all, it appears, would be not having to worry about pleasing/the opinions of a garden variety arsehole–in this case, Justin Bieber–constantly trying to mold you into something you’re not and then ultimately discarding you anyway after you succumb (hence, the Gomez lyric, “In two months, you replaced us/Like it was easy/Made me think I deserved it”). Barring the dissection of the track being a direct reference to Bieber and his all too quick marriage to Hailey Baldwin shortly after Gomez’s final breakup with him months before (also offering fodder for The Weeknd to create some sonic responses during this stint of the Gomez/Bieber reunion), the song is most assuredly resonant to the masses.
With co-songwriting credits from Julia Michaels, Justin Tranter and producers Mattman & Robin (with additional production from none other than Billie Eilish’s brother, Finneas), there is a layered sonic motif to Gomez’s seemingly stripped down vocals. Ones that pair perfectly with the simplicity of the video, often times uncomfortable to watch in the same way that Gwen Stefani’s “Used to Love You” is.
Yet with Gomez forcing us to stare into her soul, we, too, are forced to reconcile that maybe sologamy is the healthiest route in the modern world. One in which trust is harder and harder to implement in a culture that promotes disposability, most especially of women. Thus, she concludes the video by putting a black veil over her head, as though mourning the loss of a time when monogamy was viable. So next time you realize you’ve got “rose-colored glasses all distorted” about someone, maybe you ought to cut and run before you get too attached. Unless, of course, your aim is to convey earnest emotion in an iPhone video.
