Travis Scott’s ‘Can’t Say’ Is the ‘John Wick’ of Music Videos

Music videos rarely make sense. A great song can transport the listener into a new world, but it’s generally enough for a music video to simply say: “Your world sucks. Here is one that a label paid a lot of money for, with a generous helping of special effects from the year 2000.”

Travis Scott’s “Can’t Say,” featuring Don Toliver, is proof that this doesn’t have to be the case — something that’s achieved by leaning into its excesses. It achieves the rare honor of being the John Wick of music videos — brolic, epic and nonsensical — the Nathalie Canguilhem-directed video surges into the incoherent, and doesn’t seek to be anything more.

Scott seems to be the leader of a dirt bike gang, decked in suits from Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello (can you say brand synergy, baby!). His adoring congregation follows him through the street as they all pop wheelies, while Scott triumphantly stands on his two-wheel vehicle. The violet-drenched video then mixes its metaphors — a woman is crucified on a neon-lit cross, while horses gallop through the streets and some random dudes ride in go-karts. As long as music videos continue to be made they should all aspire to these heights.