In a union conceived by powers most holy and good, Kristen Stewart teamed up with the band CHVRCHES to direct their latest music video. It’s a live performance of “Down Side Of Me,” which appears on their most recent album, Every Open Eye. This version serves as a contribution to 7-inches for Planned Parenthood, a 7″ series launched to raise money for the organization.
As Flavorwire reports, this is Stewart’s third directing project, and the aesthetic seems to coincide with her other artistic and performative decisions. It’s sensual but minimalistic and aloof. I would go as far as to say the video is a love letter to CHVRCHES frontwoman Lauren Mayberry, though it never captures her full body in the frame. The camera follows her delicate hands, peers into her eyes, and lingers close to her bright pink lips.
Here are just a few gorgeous shots.
I now patiently await confirmation of my new theory—that Kristen has wooed Lauren with this music video, and that a beautiful romance will blossom as a direct result.
Although CHVRCHES did not write “Down Side Of Me” 7-inches for Planned Parenthood in mind, Mayberry says that its message is relevant to the fight for reproductive freedom:
“Down Side Of Me” was not written specifically for this project, but I really like how the lyrics can be interpreted in a way that supports of the goal of the project as a whole. We should all be able to have faith that our governments are working in our best interests—and if they aren’t then, they should be challenged and held to account. ‘I’ll believe that you’re all that you said you would be.’”
The 7-inches for Planned Parenthood project incorporates work from a wide array of artists, writers, and actors, including Björk, Mary J. Blige, John Legend, Margaret Atwood, Jenny Slate, Sleater-Kinney, St. Vincent, Margaret Cho, Bon Iver, and more.
Watch CHVRCHES’s and Stewart’s contribution below: