New Music Video Release
The Darkness have shared the music video for their latest single “I Hate Myself,” in which they explore gender roles and “self-hatred.” See below.
The song was released last month as a second preview of Justin Hawkins and company’s eighth album, Dreams On Toast, due March 28 via Cooking Vinyl. Pre-order/save here.
Exploring Self-Loathing
Speaking previously about the energetic, punk-inspired tune, Hawkins explained: “Finally, a joyful, rowdy celebration of self-loathing. I believe that without regret, we can learn less from our experiences: to deny them and compartmentalize them is to deprive ourselves of the opportunity to grow.
“So, it is time for us to sing this uplifting ode to repentance in the hope that we will not repeat the same mistakes again and history will not repeat itself.”
In the lyrics, the frontman recalls his struggles following a breakup, although he does so with a tongue-in-cheek, self-deprecating approach.
He sings: “Here comes the girl I was incredibly cruel to / I thought she was in my way / The girl I adore / She doesn’t want to know me anymore / I hate myself, I hate myself, yeah / I hate myself, that’s why you don’t tell me will have to“
Now, The Darkness have unveiled a simple yet effective official video for the track. Directed by Simon Emmett (Welcome to the Darkness), close-up images were shot in one take and remained unedited.
In the intimate clip, Hawkins portrays the chain-smoking diva with full makeup and long flowing hair as she stares into the camera lens, delving deeper into the single’s “self-loathing” theme, featuring a video that reflects the singer’s alter ego.
“I love working with Simon Emmett. Everything we’ve collaborated on so far has turned out great. This is no exception,” Hawkins explained in a statement.
“The concept relates to self-hatred, which the song itself lyrically explores. And I feel like the visuals took this song to the next level and it was already my favorite Darkness song.”
He added: “I can’t wait for everyone to see it – it means a lot to me… and I’m here to talk. I love you all. I just hate myself.” “This was already my favorite Darkness song, it means a lot to me… and I’m here to talk.”
Upcoming Performances and Collaborations
Hawkins premiered the video for “I Hate Myself” live on his YouTube channel, Justin Hawkins Rides Again, last night (January 6). Here he delved into the creation of the video with director and photographer Emmett.
“We were probably going to shoot Sinead O’Connor’s ‘Nothing Compares 2 U’ video,” the frontman explained. “This is one of the (indicative points). In some respects, this is quite a high concept.
“One of the things that I like to highlight about modern videos on this channel is when you have just one idea and then you just uncompromisingly bring it to life.”
Emmett, who photographed the Oasis reunion for press last year, said he “wanted to do something unique” with the visuals for The Darkness’ “I Hate Myself.”
“We wanted to make another statement, didn’t we?” he continued. “I think what we did was quite brave and honest in some ways. I think this is far from what you expect. And I think that says a lot more about modern culture and social media. I think it’s a bit of a commentary on our culture.”
You can watch the full broadcast here:
The Darkness are set to embark on a UK tour in March, including a performance at the OVO Arena Wembley in London (remaining tickets can be found here). They will also appear at Download Festival 2025 this summer.
Last September, the band announced their upcoming album, Dreams On Toast, featuring the track “The Longest Kiss.”
Meanwhile, Hawkins defended Liam Payne’s criticism on his YouTube channel and explained why he had no plans to remove the post in light of the singer’s death last October.
“What happened to him is very sad, but it won’t change my view of his behavior,” he told his viewers.
In other news, Hawkins is set to appear on The Stylistics’ first new album in nearly two decades. He contributed to the upcoming album’s opening and title track, “Falling In Love With My Girl.”
https://www.nme.com/news/music/watch-the-darkness-explore-gender-roles-and-self-loathing-in-reflective-video-for-i-hate-myself-3826799?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=watch-the-darkness-explore-gender-roles-and-self-loathing-in-reflective-video-for-i-hate-myself