Did Banksy inspire a Paramore music video?
While Banksy may well be a divisive figure of the art world, the Bristolian is the arguably most-talked-about living artist, and it’s impossible to deny his wide-spanning influence on popular culture – and one example of Banksy’s reach is the Paramore video for ‘Now’ from 2013.
The identity of the street artist Banksy remains one of the great mysteries of the modern age. Ever since he gained prominence, the public has been speculating about the person behind the work, and there have been countless wild theories regarding the truth behind the artist. However, the identity of Banksy remains uncertain, despite the many rumours.
One popular theory links Banksy to Robert Del Naja, a Bristol musician better known as 3D from Massive Attack. However, Del Naja denied this story in 2016 and told the Daily Mail: “Rumours of my secret identity are greatly exaggerated. It would be a good story but sadly not true. Wishful thinking, I think. He is a mate as well. He’s been to some of the gigs. It’s purely a matter of logistics and coincidence, nothing more than that.” Although he denied the rumour, the link between Del Naja and Banksy has persisted.
Perhaps the most famous artwork by Banksy is his street fighter who throws a bouquet of flowers rather than a Molotov. It’s a striking piece of art which struck a chord with director Daniel Cloud Campos who drew parallels with Banksy’s creation and the Paramore song, ‘New’.
The band’s vocalist, Hayley Williams, explained to Billboard (via SongFacts): “There’s this Banksy image of a man throwing a bouquet instead of a Molotov and we were just like, ‘That totally fits the song so much.’ The song feels like it has a bit of violence to it but it’s not about that at all, it’s about embracing something different and looking forward to something you can’t see yet. When people watch the video I think it comes across clearly that love always wins in the end and that it’s aways better to stop the cycle of bitterness and anger and try something different.”
Significantly, for Paramore, the track marked the start of a brand-new chapter for the group following the exit of the Farro brothers. ‘Now’ marked the band beginning a clean slate, and Campos did an excellent job of visually signifying how they were moving on from the shackles of the past.
From the video alone, the influence of Banksy on Campos’ vision isn’t clearly depicted in the viewer’s eyes, which shows he’s used his inspiration skillfully rather than replicating the original. ‘Now’ is an empowering anthem about overcoming adversity, and the visuals enhance the message Paramore had packed into their high-octane creation.
Watch the video for ‘Now’ below.
