The groovy, funky beats of the song “Back On 74,” created by the dance/electronic band Jungle, created a widespread of dance all over social media platforms. “Back On 74” did an impressive feat of striking 15 million on Youtube, reaching 69 million streams on Spotify, and most importantly, reigniting the public’s interest in the art of dance and dancers. The music video, set in what seems like a movie set, directed by J Lloyd and Charlie Di Placido and choreographed by Shay Latukolan, presents an effortless, atmospheric one-shot of various top-notch dancers, the most prominent being Will West and Mette Linturi(Youtube).
What’s so unique about this video is that it provides an intriguing window to a story just through dance. Jungle has now released a music video for all the songs on the album Volcano, which are all part of a larger sequence in the telling of a grand love story. All the videos are part of a visual album; a telling of West’s character wanting to be with Linturi’s after being broken up with(LA Times). This is especially prominent in the viral section of “Back on 74,” when West reaches out towards the dismissive Linturi with a trail of dancers behind him.
On December 6, 2023, Jungle released a motion picture of all the music videos to the tracks from Volcano, providing a conclusion to the grand visual story. The comments were flooded with adoration and applause. Jungle provided a spotlight for just dancers; individuals who have past been overlooked as simply backup in support of the main star were given a platform to truly shine in their element. Instead of becoming the focus of the video, they take a small part in what seems like a production control room at the beginning of every video. The dancers were each embodying characters themselves; they were crucial components in Jungle’s story. This motion picture was an authentic manifestation of all areas of art. Choreography, lighting, costume design, set design, videography, the music itself—they all played equal parts in constituting this sensational sequence.
Exposure to the Jungle and their music videos have reached students here at YLHS, like Lauren Urquico (11), who says, “I thought the music video was really unique when I first came upon the clip on TikTok. I think it’s really different from what artists traditionally have done and hope to see more of it soon.” Currently, Jungle and the talented dancers in the videos are reaping the well-deserved successes behind their hard work.
