FKA twigs has thanked Lil Nas X for “acknowledging” his video for “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” was inspired by her work “Cellophane”.
Shortly after “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” took the world by storm, many pointed out the close similarities between the video and FKA twigs‘ 2019 release, “Cellophane”, which sees the singer ascend a giant pole into the heavens.
Andrew Thomas Huang, who directed “Cellophane” and was nominated for a Grammy for the work, suggested on Instagram that Lil Nas X’s label had even contacted him to direct the video before hiring somebody else.
“Consider the power you wield and the artist who you harm when you capitalise on our blood, sweat, tears and emotional labour,” Huang wrote.
it’s disappointing how artists like andrew huang (dir. of cellophane) and twigs conceptualize original visuals only to get copied frame by frame and even go as far as to contact the same choreographer that worked on the mv you plagiarized from :/ pic.twitter.com/R91qHbyRPK
— ✩ cₕᵣᵢₛₜᵢₐₙ ∗. (@lostwig) March 27, 2021
On Tuesday (30 March), FKA twigs shared on Instagram that she and Lil Nas X has spoken about the similarities between the videos.
She thanked the rapper for “our gentle honest conversations” and for “acknowledging the inspiration ‘Cellophane’ gave you and your creative team in creating your iconic video”.
“I think what you have done is amazing, and I fully support your expression and bravery in pushing culture forward for the queer community,” twigs wrote. “Legend status.”
She also thanked Huang, as well as the “sex workers and strippers for providing the physical language” that made both “Cellophane” and “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” possible.
Lil Nas X also addressed the accusations that he had copied FKA twigs and Huang’s work. He wrote on Instagram that he “was not aware” that the visuals for “Cellophane” would “serve as inspiration for those who worked on the effects of my video”.
The rapper wrote: “I want to say thank u to twigs for calling me and informing me about the similarities between the two videos as I was not aware they were so close.”
Lil Nas X said he was “only excited” for the “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” video to come out. He continued: “I understand how hard you worked to bring this visual to life. You deserve so much more love and praise.”
In a series of posts on Twitter, Huang said he is a “fan of Lil Nas X” and acknowledged that “sharing aesthetics and paying homage is part of the creative process”.
He explained that “Cellophane” was a “confession in the most vulnerable sense”, and the “repurposing” of the images in the video”‘displaced” the “efforts of the artists who did the original leg work”.
“Intentional or not, copying other artists’ work happens,” Huang said. “Making music videos is a labour of love. The demand for content pushed by major labels renders our work disposable and pits artists against each other.”
He concluded the thread by urging the musical community and specifically Columbia Record to “do better”. Huang wrote: “I urge the music community, particularly major record labels like [Columbia Records] to respect directors, uphold artistic accountability and honour the ingenuity of artists dedicating their blood sweat and tears to imagine better futures amidst a broken industry.” PinkNews contacted Columbia Records for comment.
Images are also expensive to make. Years of work went into the creation of “Cellophane,” from physical training to the emotional labor of unpacking Twigs’ life to construct images told her story of trauma and recovery. “Cellophane” was a confession in the most vulnerable sense.
— Andrew Thomas Huang (@Andrew_T_Huang) March 28, 2021
Intentional or not, copying other artists’ work happens. Making music videos is a labor of love. The demand for content pushed by major labels renders our work disposable and pits artists against each other.
— Andrew Thomas Huang (@Andrew_T_Huang) March 28, 2021