Despite being released in the midst of the festive season, Wet Leg’s new ‘pokemon’ music video perfectly encapsulates the breezy, sun-kissed energy of the track. Directed by Elliot Arndt (Faux Real, The Last Dinner Party) and starring fellow musician Alice Longyu Gao, the video follows Gao’s devotion to her Pokémon egg, as she tenderly nurtures it until a slimy Rheasdale emerges.
The colour palette of the video complements the tone of the song – a light-hearted love ballad that centres around devotion and companionship to one’s partner. Lyrics such as “You taste so sweet, like grenadine // You are my favourite human being” and “You just gotta choose me, baby, yeah, I’ll be your Pokémon” invoke an earnest sense of attachment in an all-consuming love. The soft, pastel hues of the videos help to subtly evoke this sense of playful innocence that is demonstrated with the themes of the song, and echoes the tender bond of a relationship, like one between a Pokémon and its owner.
In an interview with Variety, Rheasdales commented on writing about her non-binary partner on moisturizer and in writing queer love songs, “there are no rules”. She further implied how the experience of writing a song for a non-male partner gave her a sense of empowerment that she had never felt previously. This newfound sense of control seems to have allowed Teasdale to fully surrender to love and enabled her to embrace her vulnerability and softer side. This is precisely demonstrated in her depiction of herself as an “egg” for half of the music video, as she eventually opens up after being tended to by Gao.
The closing shot of the video is a nod to the ending of Thelma and Louise, an iconic feminist film that, although it is not explicitly queer, has been interpreted by many as a movie that represents two women emancipating themselves from their heteronormative relationships. It reinforces this idea of feeling liberated by a new love, a feeling that Teasdale expertly weaves into both the track and the video.
Overall, the use of a somewhat child-like allegory for love in ‘pokemon’ is cemented with the colourful and unconventional music video and serves as a fun yet vulnerable celebration of queer-love.
Words by Hollie Panrucker
Support The Indiependent
We’re trying to raise £200 a month to help cover our operational costs. This includes our ‘Writer of the Month’ awards, where we recognise the amazing work produced by our contributor team. If you’ve enjoyed reading our site, we’d really appreciate it if you could donate to The Indiependent. Whether you can give £1 or £10, you’d be making a huge difference to our small team.