Portishead Get Political With New Video For "SOS"
A dark interpretation of the original ABBA track
A dark interpretation of the original ABBA track
Text: William Defebaugh
British band Portishead recently released their first song in seven years: a cover of ABBA's "SOS." The track was used in last year's film High-Rise—an adaptation of J.G. Ballard's novel from the 1970s—starring Tom Hiddleston, Jeremy Irons, Sienna Miller, and Elizabeth Moss. Today, the band has just released a new music video for the cover. Shot entirely in black and white, the piece offers a dark (and very Portishead) interpretation of the original song. The ending pays tribute to the recently killed British MP Jo Cox with a single quote that adds a political layer to the song by highlighting "SOS" as a more literal cry for help: “We have far more in common than which divides us.”
Watch the video for yourself below.