The first music video shot on Snap Spectacles 3 is a rumination on love
Bosco's "4th of July" makes the moments of a relationship look like magic.
Over the years, we've seen music videos and movies shot on iPhones, GoPros, and even in a few disappointing cases, Google Glass. Long story short, if a gadget has a camera, people will use it to make art, and that streak continues today with a new music video from R&B artist Bosco that was shot entirely on Snap’s Spectacles 3.
As you might expect, the video -- made to accompany Bosco's single "4th of July" -- is packed to the gills with Snapchat's augmented reality lenses. For about four minutes, the artist's face sits locked on the left side of the screen, clad in a series of Snapchat's face-altering lens effects. (At times, up to four lenses are stacked on top of each other.) While that human-but-not avatar emotes at the viewer, the right side of the screen is filled with first-person footage of love in full bloom -- think tender moments in bed, frenzied card games, and afternoons in the park.
What normally would have looked like fairly typical, vlog-style video of a couple exploring the contours of their relationship is transformed by -- again -- Snapchat's augmented reality effects. A huge simulacrum of Saturn hangs low in the sky as real-life couple MELO-X and Corey Wash hang out on a rooftop. And shortly before they hold hands in a car, a luminescent blue-and-pink falcon hovers into view just beyond the windshield. All told, Bosco and the video team used 16 of the Spectacle 3's more environmental effects for this more personal part of the shoot, and it's surprisingly effective at making life with a loved one look as magical as it can feel.
"This is going to be a reminder of what love feels like, what love looks like, and how it relates to technology," Bosco said in a behind-the-scenes video. "To see an example of love in this capacity right now, I think is so healing."
The video's poignancy also feels somewhat reflective of where Bosco is in her life right now, balancing the demands of life as a mother with her creative career as a musician and founder of Slug, a record label and consultancy meant to support artists of color. “Coming into this new journey of my life where it’s like, mastering motherhood and taking care of life, am I scared," she asks in that same behind-the-scenes clip. "Yeah. Am I anxious? Yeah! Am I excited? Yeah. Do I know everything? Hell no. I’m willing to learn? Of course.”
Of course, "4th of July" isn't just a learning experience, or thoughtful rumination on what love can look like -- it's also a notable feather in Snapchat's cap. While earlier versions of its Spectacles inspired long lines in front of cutesy vending machines, its more recent wearables have focused more on their value as style-forward accessories, albeit ones with sophisticated HD cameras and AR tech. (Remember: The Spectacles 3 made a splashy debut in one of Vogue's vaunted September issues.) With "4th of July," the Spectacles have capably proven they're a lot more than just pretty, gimmicky eyewear -- they have an artistic streak, too.
