Kanye West’s music video for “Fade,” which premiered at the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards, is a visually striking piece that blends aesthetics, metaphor, and narrative in a way that’s open to various interpretations.
The video primarily features Teyana Taylor in a gym setting, delivering an intense, highly physical dance performance. Her routine is reminiscent of the famous 1983 movie “Flashdance,” mixing elements of breakdancing, voguing, and gym workouts. The setting and her attire (a crop top and thong) evoke a raw, almost primal energy, highlighting the power, beauty, and sensuality of the human body. This can be seen as a celebration of physical strength and sexual empowerment, or a commentary on the objectification of the female body in popular media.
As the video progresses, the scene shifts to a more surreal and symbolic one, where Teyana transforms into a cat-like creature and is joined by her husband, NBA player Iman Shumpert, and their baby. This scene is set in a shower, with sheep in the background. The transformation and the inclusion of her family could symbolize domesticity, fertility, and the transformative power of love and family life. The sheep, often used as symbols of conformity and innocence, might represent purity or the idea of following the herd, contrasting with the raw individuality displayed earlier.
Finally, the video’s ending, where Teyana and her family are surrounded by sheep, leaves room for multiple interpretations. It could represent a return to innocence or purity, a commentary on the balance between our primal instincts and domestic lives, or the idea of being watched or judged by society (the sheep acting as silent observers).
