HAIM sheds their tops in this Paul Thomas Anderson-directed video for "Summer Girl"
As Paul Thomas Anderson continues to bat around ideas with Tiffany Haddish and preserve the next generation of cinephiles, the beloved filmmaker’s been busy palling around with his famous friends. Last month he premiered ANIMA, a short film tied to the release of Thom Yorke’s new solo album, and now he’s returned with a video for “Summer Girl,” the new single from his frequent collaborators in HAIM. Previously, Anderson directed clips for “Night So Long,” “Little of Your Love,” “Right Now” and the short film Valentine.
“Summer Girl,” a sultry, saxophone-heavy track that trades the band’s fizzy exuberance for a subtle, sustained mood, is the first new piece of music from the Haim sisters since 2017's Something To Tell You. In an Instagram post, singer Danielle says the song came about after she learned her partner was diagnosed with cancer, from which he’s since been cured. “We were touring on and off at this time and every time we were on the phone with each other or when I would come home in between shows, I wanted to be this light that shined on him when he was feeling very dark,” she wrote. “I wanted to be his hope when he was feeling hopeless.” She also discusses working with ex-Vampire Weekender Rostam Batmanglij, who wrote the saxophone line and is also credited as a producer. Don’t expect an album anytime soon, though; she notes that the band plans on “releasing new music as we’re working on it—kinda like we did before our first album.”
Anderson’s video finds the sisters yanking off layers upon layers of different tops as they stroll the streets of L.A., lounge in a sunny diner, and work the ticket booth at the city’s beloved New Beverly movie theater.
Watch it above.