Ellie Goulding and Juice WRLD try to cope with the pain in the video of their latest song, "Hate Me."
For this track, Juice WRLD continues to show his versatility by utilizing punk rock-influenced melodics over an instrumental that mirrors the current pop sound. Goulding complements this with a chorus that projects the feelings created by a toxic relationship.
"Hate me, hate me, still tryna replace me," Goulding sings. "Chase me, chase me, tell me how you hate me/Erase me, 'rase me, wish you never dated me/Lies, tell me lies, baby, tell me how you hate me."
The visuals add to the theme of the song by showing the various ways people deal with heartbreak. The video starts by showing a smartphone deleting pictures of Goulding. That phone then becomes a coping method for dancers featured in the video as they use it to listen to music in hopes to get over their lost lover.
For Juice WRLD's verse, he gives insight to his open battle with addiction. As he's belting out his lyrics, Juice is sitting alone on a stool with a Backwood between his fingers. Although it's not lit, every time he opens his mouth, smoke flows into the air. This shows how abusing an unhealthy coping device can only create a broader cycle. This concept is mirrored by his lyrics.
"Tell me that I'm strung out, wasted on the daily," Juice sings. "Probably 'cause there's no one around me numbing all my pain/Probably 'cause there's no umbrella to shield me from the rain/ Probably 'cause you're the one playing the mind games."
The impact of words is furthered when Goulding reappears on the screen. As she starts to reprise the chorus, she's on top of an over-sized knife which is a metaphor that plays with the phrase "words cut like a knife."
You can watch the Saam Farahmand-directed video above. Fans can also catch Juice WRLD when he performs at ComplexCon in his native Chicago this weekend.
