Hailee Steinfeld's 'Wrong Direction' video is an intimately honest take on intentions and heartbreak: Review
Hailee Steinfeld has released the music video for her hit single 'Wrong Direction' and it portrays as an intimate confrontation with vulnerability and introspection as its weapons. The video was released on January 8.
Steinfeld had released the single on January 1 and many have been left speculating that the song could indeed be a diss track against ex Niall Horan of One Direction. Although many would believe it so, the video teamed with the music and lyrics could beg one to differ.
Steinfeld appears heart-broken and emotional. The video, directed by Alexandre Moors, is filmed with minimal shot changes and a primary focus on a close-up of the singer. Steinfeld pours out the lyrics in evident anguish and stares into a dream slowly fading with few confident glimpses at the camera towards the end.
The American actress, singer, and songwriter proves her sheer acting ability as her facial expressions alter to her pain and ponderings and the opening lyrics reveal something a little more bittersweet than a "diss": "I don't hate you. No, I couldn't if I wanted to. I just hate all the hurt that you put me through. And that I blame myself for letting you."
One has to consider that a diss track would commonly reveal a lover enjoying their new-found "freedom" with a sense of pride and justification, yet Steinfeld seems to embrace her vulnerability and self-reflective thoughts as an ingenious tool to get the ex-lover she is addressing to do the same.
Steinfeld delivers, "Loved me with your worst intentions. Didn't even stop to question." Following a beautiful piano balladic intro, the music musters intensity and a push to look deeper than the shallow end; a combination of darker waters of one's painful thoughts with shimmers of light seeping through.
It has to be said that the breakthrough pop songstress carries her vocals with utmost grace and beauty, with quick changes between mid and high vocal ranges harmonized with the lower ranges, delivered with artistic subtlety and melancholy.
It results in vocals that are pleasing to the ears, sweeter in tone, and powerful in depth. The song plays around the field of honesty and intimacy with the music video solely relying on Steinfeld's facial expressions... possibly an urge to pay closer attention to the lyrics.
Steinfeld is quickly turning heads with her talent and presence in both the music and film industries and we look forward to more work from this beautiful artist. You can watch the official music video of 'Wrong Direction' here.