Alphabeat - Boyfriend

MAR 05 2007 · 12:00

Alphabeat - Boyfriend (2007) Director: Daniel Eskils Era: Mid-2000s Nordic Indie-Pop Breakthrough (2007) - Danish new wave pop exploding into European markets, riding a resurgence of bright, uptempo guitar-pop and synth-disco aesthetics rooted in Scandinavian dance-pop. A strong archival specimen of mid-2000s Scandinavian indie-pop video production, notable for its director's graphic-design-informed visual identity and the dual-version release strategy that documented different aesthetic registers for different national markets. The Danish version directed by Eskils is the more artistically distinctive of the two, making it the preferred version for preservation research into illustrated set-design techniques within the pop video format. Context: Released in December 2007 as part of Alphabeat's Danish debut album (originally titled Alphabeat, later retitled This Is Alphabeat for the 2008 European release), 'Boyfriend' emerged during a fertile period for Scandinavian pop breaking into UK and European markets. The song reached number 11 in Denmark and number 15 in the UK. Alphabeat, a six-piece from Silkeborg, Denmark, were part of a broader mid-2000s wave of bright, danceable indie-pop acts from Northern Europe, their aesthetic straddling new wave nostalgia and contemporary electro-pop energy. The track's lyrical theme, described by frontman Anders SG as being about not caring what others think about who you love, gave it an understated but meaningful cultural resonance for younger audiences. Director notes: The Danish version of the 'Boyfriend' video, directed by Daniel Eskils, premiered on December 8, 2007 (per IMVDb). Per Wikipedia, this version features the band performing with instruments drawn on the wall, a hallmark of Eskils' design-forward, illustrated set-piece approach. A separate UK version also exists (Version 2 on IMVDb), which features a different concept involving tape recorders. The quantitative metadata (115 scene changes, 1.55s avg shot length) is consistent with Eskils' kinetically edited, graphic-pop visual language documented across his other music video work.