North West Sparks a New Set of Concerns After Music Video
North West has been drawing interest from Kim Kardashian fans since the day she was born. The eldest child of Kardashian and Kanye West has always had a big personality, and the former flames have never shied away from featuring their children in their public personas. Still, North has been the only one to lean into it thus far. That hasn’t always generated good commentary, though. In recent years, fans and foes have commented on the now-teenaged North’s public persona and the more mature content and choices she has made. A new music release, and its accompanying video, has stirred up controversy once again. This is what is going on.
North West causes concern with new music
Everyone is talking about North West’s latest music video, released not long after her planned tour dates were canceled. The song “Aishite” is all about despair and disappointment, and the music video, directed by Ty Akimoto, opens with chimes and black-and-white shots of an abandoned school as North wanders its empty halls and classrooms under flickering lights. She’s shown with Facial and hand piercings, black-painted teeth, and icy blue lips designed with a skull-and-crossbones motif. The visuals lean heavily into a horror-anime aesthetic, one in which North has shown interest. Additional disturbing imagery includes dripping blood and moments where her face drifts in and out of focus, and is featured in the lengthy video. Critics argue that the horror-themed video is too mature for a 13-year-old.
The song’s lyrics are a bit troubling, too, speaking on themes that skew older and troubled. In the song, North sings lines like “Ain’t nobody finna save me,” “Just love me, everyone betrays me,” and “I’m seein’ blood daily… can’t escape ’cause they chase me.” The song is heavy on emotional pain and feelings of betrayal, leaving fans wondering if the young teen is doing okay, or if her emotional needs are being met at home.
The timing has fueled further concern
The video’s release date, coupled with its lyrics and a canceled tour, is fueling most of the speculation. North, who has been trying to launch a music career for a while now, had been scheduled to launch a 14-date co-headlining tour alongside rapper Molly Santana on August 5. The tour was scrapped just days before its planned opening.
No further details about the cancellation have been shared publicly, leaving fans to speculate about everything from scheduling issues to ticket sales to more personal reasons behind the decision. North only briefly addressed the cancellation on her Instagram, simply writing that it was not happening anymore.
Neither Kim Kardashian nor Kanye West has addressed the canceled tour or any of the debate around it and North’s music. Kim Kardashian has been supportive of her daughter’s creative ambitions, previously saying North takes after her father’s confidence and, like him, doesn’t pay much mind to critics. Kanye has been similarly supportive of the teen pursuing music, though he and Kardashian have butted heads about the direction of her career in recent history. Whether they speak on the issue remains unknown.
