From “Autumn in New York” to “New York, New York” to “Empire State of Mind,” pop musicians have always loved to sing about New York City (often as a metaphor for love or loss or any number of other subjects). St. Vincent made her addition to the canon earlier this summer with the release of her single, simply titled “New York”; now there’s a video, and it’s a beaut.
Directed by Alex Da Corte, the clip is a series of snazzy, brightly saturated tableaux, in which Da Corte’s prowling camera slyly captures the singer/songwriter living a stylized version of her city life while pining for her lost love, insisting, “New York isn’t New York without you, love,” and announcing, “You’re the only motherfucker in the city who can handle me.” Check it out:
Her self-titled fourth and most recent album came out all the way back in 2014, but there have been no indications that “New York” is the lead-off single for a new record; her only plans for the months to come are a series of fall shows in the U.S. and Europe, beginning in L.A. on October 7 and wrapping up in Brooklyn on December 3. So for now, “New York” is just a lovely stand-alone single – and, now, video.