The National‘s new video for “Hey Rosey” is a continuation of the band’s short film, I Am Easy to Find, which also shares a name with their 2019 album. Swedish actress Amanda Vikander stars in the film (and appears on the album cover), and, according to film and music video director Mike Mills, “Hey Rosey” gives us a glimpse into Vikander’s character’s unconscious.
The track features lead vocalist Matt Berninger dueting with Gail Ann Dorsey, one of David Bowie’s long-time collaborators; the video stars dancer-choreographer Sharon Eyal performing a teetering dance backstage at one of The National’s shows. Eyal also appeared in another I Am Easy to Find clip, “Hairpin Turns.”
“I had always loved the work of Sharon Eyal, especially her improvisation,” Mills said in a statement. “Luckily she was also a fan of The National and we began talking about her doing some dance work around the new record. For ‘Hey Rosey,’ we asked her to be a continuation of Alicia Vikander’s character in I Am Easy To Find — a side of that character we didn’t see in that film, the unconscious of that character, but really left that for Sharon to interpret. I think in subtle, strange, but really powerful ways she found movements and gestures that echo the feelings and themes in ‘Hey Rosey.’”