Maad Sup’m! High Fashion Goes Dancehall in Spike Jonze’s Kenzo Ad

Words by Martei Korley

It is not every day that dancehall is featured up front and undiluted in the commercial space. However, boss deejay Assassin‘s voice dominates so much in this Spike Jonze-directed fashion movie for Kenzo’s new Kenzo World fragrance, that it almost feels like a music video.

Actress and model Margaret Qualley (you may know her from the HBO series, The Leftovers) dances her way through “Mutant Brain”, Assassin’s collaboration with producers Ape Drums and Sam Spiegel, in a very lovely green dress. The only dialogue in this short is a muted speech in a banquet hall. Could be a family gathering, could be corporate — impersonal in any case. Assassin’s lyrics account for the rest, and Qualley goes through an elaborate interpretive modern dance routine directly linked to his cadence. She spins on grand theatre stages, scares a man half to death and shoots bullets out of her fingertips.

Kudos to Kenzo and Spike Jonze: Not your usual fashion house perfume commercial… Assassin! LargeUp, family….