Recent Lifetime Achievement Grammy-winner Iggy Pop is back with a brand new music video for “We Are the People”. The song, from his 2019 album Free, is a take on Lou Reed’s 1970 poem of the same name — and The Stooges singer pays tribute to the late singer by honoring his iconic seriousness in the clip.
Most of us are used to seeing Iggy Pop get reckless and wild with every chance he gets. Even now, at age 72, the singer has been letting loose in Cage the Elephant collaborations, letting lizard people bring his songs to life, highlighting his weirdest moments in The Stooges box sets, and fondly remembering getting high by smoking spider webs. But in “We Are the People”, he takes a moment for serious reflection.
In the video, directed by Simon Taylor, Iggy Pop can be seen front and center as he stands in the dark. With a stark, undefeated gaze, he stares directly into the camera — and, in turn, you — while he recites the lyrics with meaningful concentration. It’s a pretty affecting clip, not to mention hard to break eye contact with. Watch it below.
To celebrate the release, Iggy Pop will sell test pressings of Free on March 7th at New York City gallery Perrotin. They’re limited to 340 copies, and they also come with a special 7-inch featuring previously unreleased tracks “Brahms Lullaby” and “Epistle to Tromba”.
If you’re dying to hear Iggy Pop’s new material live, then you’re in luck. The icon has several tour dates coming up, including performances at All Points East, Primavera Sound, and All Together Now Festival. Grab tickets to all of his upcoming concerts here.
Iggy Pop Challenges You to a Staring Contest in “We Are the People” Video: Watch
Nina Corcoran
