Exclusive Video Premiere: ‘Not My Girl,’ Tokyo Police Club

A breakup is hardly new territory for a band to explore, but rarely has the end of a relationship taken on quite as surreal or extraterrestrial a twist as it does in the below video for Tokyo Police Club’s song “Not My Girl.” The song comes from the band’s recently released EP Melon Collie and the Infinite Radness (Part 1), with which they’re currently touring North America.

In the video, produced by MuchFACT, viewers watch the crumbling relationship of a couple wearing bright blue alien masks, complete with gaping black eyes and a baleen-like mouth. While the pair attempts to move on from one another, everyone else in the otherwise-normal urban setting acts as if nothing’s different, making us wonder if the masks serve more of a symbolic purpose.

“The original idea was basically, ‘What if two of the aliens from the Mos Eisley Cantina broke up and were sad about it?'” guitarist and keyboardist Graham Wright says. “I had this vision in my head of a ’70s-style masked alien. I wanted to paint in broad emotional strokes that everyone would feel instinctively, rather than getting specific with facial expressions.”

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Combined with the infectiously upbeat song (despite the storyline) the alien-protagonists in their scary masks manage to feel compelling—heartrending, even.

“I think the secret to a lot of good rock music—or ours at least—is that underneath the bouncy exterior there’s a warm beating heart. It’s what allows a song to go from just being fun to becoming the soundtrack to somebody’s first kiss or best summer ever,” Wright continues. “Putting a fast tune with the slower pace of the story gives voice to the emotion that’s hiding just beneath the surface. Also, everything is better with aliens.”

FOR MORE ON TOKYO POLICE CLUB, VISIT THE BAND’S WEBSITE.