What a Music Video Feels Like: Elijah’s “The Answers” and the Art of Visual Presence
There’s always someone who asks, what’s a music video really for?
The answer isn’t about promotion or virality. It’s about feeling. When done right, a music video doesn’t just accompany a track—it becomes an extension of it. A visual memory. A mood you can live in.
With Elijah’s new song The Answers, that mood took the form of a retro car wash tucked away in modern-day Canton, Ohio.
A Scene Set in Time
The car wash is something out of another era. It’s not themed that way—it just is. Real signage, real texture, and a typeface on the building that looks pulled straight from the 1960s. It has a hippie sensibility that gives the space character, and shooting there felt like stepping into a forgotten corner of a city that’s moved on.
That clash of old and new was intentional. The Answers is built on nostalgic samples that carry the warmth of something remembered. And this location did the same. It let the song live in a space that felt both timeless and unexpected.
A Color Palette That Found Us
When Zenen was crafting the visual treatment, he imagined pinks and blues—tones that would evoke memory without feeling manufactured. What he didn’t expect was to find a Nissan Skyline GT-R R32 in a rare pink-and-blue iridescent finish that matched the exact palette he had envisioned.
That car, framed against the car wash’s sun-faded tiles and painted bays, made the entire piece feel like it was meant to exist. Not just staged. Discovered.
Direction with Intention
Zenen directed the project, with Matt as Director of Photography and Gabe contributing select shots. The crew was minimal by design. The creative process wasn’t about overproduction. It was about finding frames that made you feel something. That meant holding on shots. Letting light do its work. Allowing stillness where most would add motion.
This wasn’t a performance video in the traditional sense. It was a presence piece. Elijah isn’t putting on a show. He’s existing in the space—reacting, reflecting, being. That restraint gave the video emotional weight, turning every frame into something felt, not just seen.
When Two Mediums Meet
The best music videos are born from alignment. Between artist and director. Between location and tone. Between camera and story.
This one came from instinct. Zenen had the idea months before. The car wash sat in his head until the moment was right. And when it came time to execute, the creative pieces all showed up. Some planned. Some discovered. All of it, felt.
The Answers doesn’t shout. It resonates. It’s a reminder that sometimes, the best visuals come from matching a song’s soul with a setting that speaks the same language.
