Kofi - “On Me”

AllMusic Release

Nov 11

"With its use of color, organic sound effects, and natural elements, the music video for Kofi’s “On Me” blends perfectly with the track itself. It opens with sounds of thunder and the strong background beat before Komi enters and begins to sing: “Ain’t no two ways around it / You’re someone that I used to know.” A flashing strobe casts bright light followed by darkness over the figures that emerge. The video features two main characters, Kofi and the woman that he sings to in the song’s second-person lyrics. She stands with downcast eyes, a bouquet of flowers in her grip, as Kofi circles her. Both are bathed in a red light that later alternates with a deep blue. Kofi’s eye contact with the camera juxtaposes her initial lack of eye contact, just as his singing contrasts her silence. Even as he possesses the power of voice in the narrative—we hear his side of the story alone—she is the one exuding power. The lyrics capture desperation and helplessness on his part: “I don’t know what else I can do / So I wrote a song just to tell you I miss you.” The singer is imploring as he explains their situation; both parties in the relationship have changed and, in the process, lost each other. He blames himself: “I watched you change up and I put that on me.” There’s a romance to the lyrics and the visuals, but with that romance there comes a profound sadness.

One particularly impactful shot shows flowers scattering the hood of a car. Earlier in the video, both characters are seen circling and leaning against the car, but in this close-up, the shiny black finish of the hood resembles a coffin. Flowers are strewn on the ‘coffin’ where their relationship rests, dead. Rain and snow alternately fall on them throughout the video, but in this scene, the elements stop and the characters appear calm and almost resigned. The flower patterns on both of their clothing tie them together, and at one point we watch the woman rest her head on Kofi’s shoulder. There’s a pause in the singing as the background instrumentals take over. The tempo slows as we take in the aftermath of their love affair. With both his singing and expressions, Kofi skillfully captures the simultaneous feelings of affection and desperation after a breakup. There is still a residual love between them, but he seems to recognize that they aren’t able to repair what’s been broken. Both touching and authentic, “On Me” is well worth both a listen and a watch.

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