The new Smashing Pumpkins music video “Solara” is a cavalcade of strangeness that is obviously symbolic, but appealing in its bizarreness.
It begins with Billy Corgan sitting on a bed in a scene of dreamlike melancholy. We then meet Corgan’s three caretakers, women with tan sweatsuits and extremely heavy makeup. They hook a chain to Corgan’s silver collar and lead him to a chair with an IV next to it with a bag labeled TRAUMA. It gets stranger from there…
His caretakers are momentarily distracted by an impromptu chess match and Corgan unhooks the chain from his collar, seeing his chance for escape. Ever stranger…
He then makes his way to a room where two mimes holding guns are guarding a woman wearing heaving black and white facepaint and giving birth…to an invisible baby. Corgan looks understandably perplexed.
Eventually, Corgan ascends a staircase and makes it outside in what appears to be a normal suburban neighborhood— until he sees a man in an executioner’s hood drive by. He continues to walk past more oddities in—a huge man in full clown makeup sitting in a wading pool; another man with cat makeup “walking” three boys on leashes; a handsome, fit man lounging outside while an army of ants traverse his naked torso; and more people staring in in black and white face paint as Corgan stares back in bemused confusion. He finally reaches his dream home where he opens the door… and is greeted by his three caretakers, back where he started.
In July, The Smashing Pumpkins will embark on the Shiny And Oh So Bright North American arena tour. It is the first in nearly 20 years to feature founding members Corgan, Jimmy Chamberlin, and James Iha. Longtime Smashing Pumpkins guitarist Jeff Schroeder, bassist Jack Bates, and keyboardist Katie Cole will also take part. Tickets for the band’s upcoming live dates are available at www.smashingpumpkins.com, LiveNation.com, and via the Live Nation App.
Check out the video for Solara below.
Photo credit: Raymond Flotat
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