If there’s any message to take away from the new Dear Evan Hansen film, it’s that everyone — regardless of race, gender, and general attitude — goes through mental health issues. People you wouldn’t suspect, people who laugh and smile and seem to take charge of their life, still struggle with managing their emotions. And in SZA’s new video for “The Anonymous Ones,” directed by Colin Tilley, she reveals how passersby may be dealing with the same issues as you.
In the musical movie, this song is sung by Amandla Sternberg and placed in the context of a high school: even the leader of the student body and top athletes, they show, struggle with depression and anxiety. In this video, however, these issues are placed on a city bus and a busy street, showing how these issues also affect adult life. SZA, clad in a bold plaid hat and black-and-orange jacket, refuses to be anonymous: she takes the mic in the center of a park, calling the beige-dressed strangers to stand out and stand up for themselves.
The most powerful part of this video, though, is when SZA carries the mic out of the park, nearly defeated by a lack of attention. Despite how confident one may appear, they can still feel insecure. And more importantly, despite how confident we may feel in one moment, we can feel equally worried in the next moment, and it is normal for these feelings to ebb and flow: it is no reason to remain hidden, whether you’re in high school or walking the streets.
Photo credit: Sharon Alagna
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