NYC-based indie pop band Francis and the Lights has teamed up with Kanye West and Bon Iver on a new single, "Friends," which was released today alongside a music video directed by Jake Schreier, a frequent Francis and the Lights collaborator and the director of major motion picture Paper Towns. The song features production from Cashmere Cat, Benny Blanco and Ariel Rechtshaid as well as songwriting assists from former Vampire Weekend member Rostam Batmanglij, Bon Iver collaborator BJ Burton, and Francis and the Lights member Aaron Lammer. Francis and the Lights have previously collaborated with hip-hop artists, including Drake (on Thank Me Later's "Karaoke") and with Chance the Rapper (Coloring Book's "Summer Friends").
The video, which was shot in one take, begins in an all white room before panning backward to frame Kanye West, who nods and leans to the early part of the song's minimal beat. Panning away from Kanye, the camera takes on Francis Farewell Starlite, the leader of Francis and the Lights, as he dances and walks into a spotlight in a stark black room connected to the set. Towards the end of the song, Bon Iver's Justin Vernon joins in on the choreographed dance and Kanye gets back into the frame. The video ends with all three artists turning, putting one hand up and freezing.
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