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Johnny Flynn Ponders Fake News, Global Panic And The End Of Everything

It's hard to know what's real in the latest video from English musician and actor Johnny Flynn. The short film, for his song "In The Deepest," opens with Flynn casually strolling down the street on a sunny day while shooting a selfie. "The thing about Glasgow is you don't know what you're gonna get," he says, staring into the camera. Just then he notices a brilliant light streaking across the sky behind him. It seems a massive meteor is headed straight for earth.

Or is it? While the ball of fire has caught the attention of at least one other man — a cab driver who flies off in a state of panic — no one else seems to notice or care. It's a powerful statement on public perceptions and groupthink in the age of fake news. "Johnny has imbued 'In The Deepest' with a sense of ominous dread which I've tried to visualize," says director Simon Ryninks in an email. "The video's concept grew out of that and a general feeling of anxiety. [It's] about finding hope in other people who share your world view and see things the way you do."

"In The Deepest" is from Johnny Flynn's latest album, Sillion. The new video is one of several collaborations between Flynn, director Ryninks and photographer Hanna-Katrina Jedrosz. They previously released videos for "Raising The Dead" and "Wandering Aengus," with more on the way.

Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Robin Hilton is a producer and co-host of the popular NPR Music show All Songs Considered.