Fans flocked to their respective streaming services to listen to Kendrick Lamar's highly anticipated fifth studio album, Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers. It was raw, vulnerable and at times very uncomfortable. One of the most polarizing tracks was "We Cry Together," detailing an intense argument between Lamar and actress Taylour Paige.
The expletive-laden track clocks in at almost six minutes with almost non-stop arguing between the pair who play combative lovers. The two trade fighting words and insults, eventually ending in sex and the telling "Stop tap dancing around the conversation?" It's an uncomfortable listen that exposes the personal flaws Lamar lays out throughout the album and how well he's been able to dodge serious discussions. Now, there's a visual component to match.
Directed by Jake Schreier, Dave Free and Kendrick Lamar, the short film features cinematography by Adam Newport-Berra and was shot in a single take with live vocals in March 2020. The intensity of the performance comes to life even more on-screen as they go through their home screaming at one another. The Zola actress shines in the passionate role, struggling to reconcile feelings of hurt with the undeniable love and lust she has for her partner.
This is the third visual for Mr. Morale, with the first being "The Heart Part 5" that featured Lamar's face being deepfaked into controversial figures such as O.J. Simpson, Kanye West, Jussie Smollett and Will Smith. He also released a video for album standout "N95."
Below, watch the video for "We Cry Together."
Photo courtesy of pgLang