Paul McCartney Digitally De-Aged for New Music Video Featuring Beck
Paul McCartney has the license to do almost whatever he wants artistically at this point, and if [...]
Paul McCartney has the license to do almost whatever he wants artistically at this point, and if that includes de-aging himself for his latest music video, no one is going to stand in his way. McCartney, 79, looked like his much younger self in a whimsical new music video for Beck's remix of "Find My Way." The original track appeared on last year's McCartney III, while the new take on the song appears on McCartney III Imagined.
The "Find My Way" video was co-produced by Hyperreal Digital, which is known for creating eerily realistic digital avatars. For this project, they turned a dancer into a Beatles-era McCartney, complete with mop top. "The technology to de-age talent and have them perform in creative environments like this is now fully realized, even with one of the most recognized faces in the world," Hyperreal CEO Remington Scott said in a statement.
The 2021 version of McCartney also makes a brief appearance in the video, as does Beck. The video was directed by Andrew Donoho, who has worked with The Strokes and Janelle Monae, and choreographed by Phil Tayag, who worked with Bruno Mars and Jabbawockeez. It was shown first on MTV networks and the ViacomCBS Times Square billboard in New York City on Thursday.
Since its release, the "Find My Way" video has racked up over 1.4 million views on YouTube. The response to the video was mostly positive, although some found the technology a little strange in motion. "This is both terrifying and so awesome at the same time, it's like seeing an alternative universe where Paul is a young pop star in 2021," one fan wrote. "The real Paul running behind... So this is an opening to the Paul McCartney multiverse?" another joked.
McCartney III Imagined was first released on streaming platforms on April 16, with physical editions out on Friday. The album features several new artists either reinterpreting songs from the original McCartney III or remixing the tracks. St. Vincent, Phoebe Bridgers, Anderson .Paak, Josh Homme, and Blood Orange are among the contributors. Actor and DJ Idris Elba remixed the track "Long Tailed Winter Bird," which is only available on physical editions.
This was not the only major project McCartney released this month. Back on July 16, Hulu released McCartney 3, 2, 1, a documentary series featuring McCartney discussing his classic songs with producer Rick Rubin. Six episodes were produced, with McCartney discussing his time with The Beatles, his relationship with John Lennon, and his work with his 1970s band Wings.