Billy Brown and Layla in Buffalo ‘66 (1998). Clarence and Alabama in True Romance (1993). Lula and Sailor in Wild at Heart (1990). Mickey and Malory Knox in Natural Born Killers (1994). Wade and Allison in Cry-Baby (1990). Pop culture has long had a love affair with the chaotic yet stylish couple – usually comprised of a ‘good girl’ and a ‘bad boy’ who just can’t stop embarrassing her with his crimes but whom she loves despite this. Enter: Sabrina Carpenter’s new video for “Please Please Please”, the latest addition to the canon, in which the popstar plays a sort-of mob girlfriend to her sexy delinquent boyfriend (played by real-life boyfriend and actor Barry Keogan). It's cheeky, it's evocative and it contains the immortal line: “Heartbreak is one thing, my ego’s another / I beg you don’t embarrass me, motherfucker.”
The first thing you'll notice are the looks. The matching cross necklaces. Keogan in an unbuttoned black polo and Carpenter in a shimmering sequin dress. The stockings and watches, the chains and muscle tees. The flamingo-coloured Alexandre Vauthier Couture fur coat. If you need outfit inspiration, then “Please Please Please” is a moodboard of sorts (you can thank Carpenter and her stylist, Ron Hartleben, for that).
But what of the video itself? We caught up with director Bardia Zeinali (who's also made music videos for the likes of Kacey Musgraves, Troye Sivan and Ariana Grande) about how he made the music video which is already being dissected the world over.
GQ: Can you tell me a bit about how you came up with the concept?
Bardia Zeinali: The concept was pretty collaborative. I had a brief from [Sabrina's team] – they wanted it to pick up from where “Espresso” left off and they wanted it to be about this person that Sabrina's [character] keeps falling for, that has this chaotic behaviour. So I just elaborated on that and started to think a bit more about specifically what happens. I liked this idea of there being a role reversal and an exchange of power towards the end. And things that were recurring, like her picking him up in the same place, same location, different day, different time.
Polish off those bluetooth speakers, baby, because we’re going to the park
Who's idea was it to get Barry involved?
Hers. I would never suggest that. I felt like it was overstepping. It just feels like a personal decision and I wanted the choice to be her own. But obviously I hoped for it all along. It feels like the most obvious thing because he's one of the greatest actors of this generation and the chemistry's there.
What was Barry like to direct?
He's amazing. Super receptive, super open, takes direction really well. I think because it's his girlfriend, and it's her video he was very conscious of that and wanted to make sure that he wasn't taking energy or attention away from her. It was really sweet – he wanted to nail it, give it all and do his best, but also totally always trying to stay out of the way. You could tell he was trying to be really respectful and let this be her moment. He had a specific way of how he wanted to play this, too. He knew exactly the character, what his mannerisms were, even the wardrobe – he knew very specifically what he wanted to wear.
Following the release of her latest track “Fast Times”, 22-year old Sabrina Carpenter opens up to GQ about what inspired the song, what we can expect from her new sound, and what has been most difficult growing up in the limelight.
I love the open polo and the matching crosses. Have you got any funny behind-the-scenes anecdotes?
The day I got the track, I wasn't sure if I was going to take it on because it was a busy time for me, and I was feeling a bit overwhelmed. But it just so happened that on the same day I saw [this person] wearing a Sabrina Carpenter t-shirt right there in front of me. So it felt like fate.
Pop culture loves the good-girl bad-boy couple. Were there any pop cultural references or cinematic inspirations that you drew from?
Yeah, Pam and Tommy. Madonna and Dennis Rodman. Tarantino was a big reference point. Natural Born Killers. Bonnie and Clyde, obviously. Even Thelma and Louise. We were really looking at film references more than anything else and pop culture references in terms of what we wanted the spirit of this moment to be. Even J Lo and Ben Affleck – not to reference, but to capture that spirit. It's similar in the sense that they're this really exciting young couple, both having big moments in their respective careers, coming together and making a piece of art. But this is very much not real life – it's a story.
At the end of “Espresso”, Sabrina gets arrested. Was this part of a wider universe, are they connected? Or is it its own thing?
I think it's fun when there's a throughline; I think she feels that way. I don't think we ever saw this as a direct continuation. It's a different film, a different art direction, almost a different era. But “Espresso” does end with a snippet of “Please Please Please” playing on the police car radio, and we also have “Espresso” playing in the opening scene of this film. So there are easter eggs and a thread, but it's not a Part Two. I think it just shows that she's very cohesive as an artist. It's considered, but it's not a continuation.
It kind of reminds me of Rihanna’s “Bitch Better Have My Money”?
That was life-changing for me, that music video. I remember exactly where I was when I watched it. That was very much a video that had [an] impact. It was so badass, so unafraid to take a risk, that fierceness…
Sabrina Carpenter's Short ‘n’ Sweet is out 23 August.
