New Video: Kanye West, 'Coldest Winter'

Kanye West may be currently working on his new album, Good Ass Job, in Hawaii, but his newest video finds him in a Nordic state of mind. "Coldest Winter," which is just the latest in the seemingly endless stream of vids ("Paranoid," "Amazing," etc.) taken from Yeezy's 808's & Heartbreak, is a rich and atmospheric, high-end production.

With everything that's happened to West over the course of last two years—from the death of his mother, the end of his long-term relationship with fiancée Alexis Phifer and several public meltdowns—it wouldn't be hard to imagine that "Coldest Winter" clip is some sort of reflection West's inner-self.

Armchair psychology aside, director Nabil Eldkerkin said he didn't want to get too,"literal" with the video, instead relying on steady stream of slow-motion imagery, namely what appears to be a princess in peril, running through a forest while being chased by some ominous, Druid-looking dudes.

Some critics, like LA Times blogger August Brown, have noted the similarity between "Coldest Winter" and Royksopp's "What Else Is There" clip. I would add that there seems to be a bit of Fever Ray influence at work, as well.

Tags Fever Ray, Kanye West, Royksopp, video