Model Behaviour: Suki Waterhouse Strikes a Pose And A Milkshake In New Music Video

“Cut! Ok, Suki, sweetie, you’re doing it again. Doing that face, the ‘uh, I’m a model from London, uh Fashion Week”, calls out the director, instantly transporting us to a bustling film set. Is it a movie, a music video, or perhaps a cereal commercial? The ambiguity sets the tone for Suki Waterhouse’s new video for her track ‘Model, Actress, Whatever’.

True to the song’s title, Waterhouse is both a model and an actress, but also a singer-songwriter from London. 

The lyrics of the song reveal a candid journey from starry-eyed dreams to the stark realities of success, capturing the bittersweet essence of Hollywood's allure. With poignant lines like "The bigger the ocean, the deeper the blue", Waterhouse delves into the emotional depths that accompany her rise. The recurring motif of a love interest adds a layer of complexity, pointing to the enduring impact of relationships amidst the chaos. This song is a compelling reflection on the price of dreams and the resilience required to navigate them.

In the video, Suki stands in front of a green screen, clad in armour that looks like an armadillo costume from a high-budget school play, paired with fur knee-high boots. Her co-star, dressed as a medieval warrior reminiscent of a ‘Lord of the Rings’ character, begins an epic battle, seamlessly transitioning between raw footage and dazzling visual effects.

Suddenly, the scene shifts to a green forest where Suki now sports a fantastical ensemble—a mix of ‘Star Wars’’ Princess Leia's dancing girl outfit, Snow White, and Daenerys Targaryen of ‘Game of Thrones’ fame. A love interest enters the frame, but Waterhouse breaks character, merging her on-screen persona with her real-life roles as a model, actress, and whatever else she embodies. Rain begins to pour on set. Suki sings the lyrics with a raw sensuality, her mascara running down her face in slow motion, creating a striking visual of vulnerability and defiance. In a rebellious twist, she throws a milkshake at the director and dashes off with her assistant.

“Babe, I need you to be really honest with me right now. Did my make-up look okay in that last shot?” she asks, breaking the tension with an endearing yet self-aware touch of vanity before demanding her “butchy” (kombucha). This line seems like a satirical jab at the stereotypical model-actress persona, suggesting that Suki is either playfully mocking herself or highlighting how people judge her without truly knowing her.

All-in-all, the video captures the chaotic, multifaceted nature of Waterhouse’s life, blurring the lines between her on-screen roles and real-life persona.

Evelina Lungu

Image: 'Memoir Of A Sparklemuffin' Official Album Cover