Posted by FKA twigs director Andrew Thomas Huang has commented on the similarities between their video for ‘Cellophane’ and Lil Nas X’s new single ‘Montero (Call Me By Your Name)’.
The rodeo king returns with his explosive single, and a video that features Lil Nas X descending to Hell before twerking on Satan.
Commentators online contrasted the clip with FKA twigs’ ‘Cellophane’, which features similar – albeit not strictly identical – visual tropes.
Director Andrew Thomas Huang has spoken online about this, posting clips of the parallel elements side by side on TikTok, adding: “@lilnasx take me off your mood board or hire me…”
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
— (@lostwig) March 27, 2021
While much of Huang’s commentary is tongue in cheek, he also makes a number of key points about creators operating within the major label system.
Elaborating, he commented that Lil Nas X’s label, Columbia Records, had previously reached out to him; the conversation ended abruptly, before the label hired Kelly Yvonne – the same choreographer who worked on ‘Cellophane’.
Huang tagged Lil Nas X, Columbia Records and ‘Montero’ co-director Tanu Muino, before adding: “Consider the power you wield and the artists you harm when you capitalize on our blood sweat tears and emotional labor…”
Expanding on this, he writes: “I’m a fan of @LilNasX. ‘Old Town Road’ is iconic. Sharing collaborators is common. Seeing the ‘Cellophane’ choreographer collab with Lil Nas X is awesome (love a Satan dance). Sharing aesthetics and paying homage is part of the creative process. Collective consciousness exists.”
Watch both video below.
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