As the title suggests, J. Rose’s “Livin Lavish” tells a story of success. The music video is replete with images of luxury, right down to the details: bottles of champagne and swirling cigar smoke, Cartier glasses, and cash strewn on the ground. Yet these superficial images are undergirded by the story told in the lyrics: “I put in work, I paid the cost.” Not only does the artist express that his newfound riches are hard-won, but he also presents each luxury as a symbol of his success. The video’s visual motifs evoke the novelty of wealth and the opportunities that money can provide: “Takin’ trips around the world, that’s how I’m livin’.” J. Rose’s body language in each scene suggests certain ease and confidence in his possessions—his pride for what he has earned shines through with each glance at the camera. His direct gaze at the audience, however, is punctuated by shots of his back. In one such shot, he looks out at a hazy sunset while smoking a cigar. The darkening sky is out of focus, while the details of J. Rose’s yellow hoodie are sharply defined. While brief and immediately followed by a different scene, the snapshot encapsulates the artist’s newfound power; he appears to preside over his very surroundings. The ability to “liv[e] lavish” has opened up a world of opportunity, and J. Rose is more than ready to take it on. 

Shots of the sunset appear again later in the video, most notably as he raps the line, “I’ve been sendin’, I’ve been sendin’ / Hope God feel my soul.” We see him point to the pink sky during this line. Another reference to God stands out when he says “Let God be my witness,” during which we again see J. Rose motioning towards the sky. These references add depth to a song that otherwise focuses largely on material wealth; the artist alludes to faith in connection to his success. As J. Rose sings of life’s now-limitless possibilities, it’s hard not to be inspired along with him.

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