Music Video Breakdown: ‘Still Got Time’ by Zayn Malik

Perhaps there is some attempt at irony or a deeper message about hedonism in the new music video for Zayn Malik’s song “Still Got Time” featuring PartyNextDoor, but for the most part this music video is just a three-minute demonstration of what goes on at a party.

Shot in Malik’s home in April, the video was filmed by director Calmatic during an actual “rager” thrown by the singer. It opens with Malik smoking a suspicious-looking cigarette and drinking a glass of beer as hordes of people invade his expensive-looking home. He wanders around in a haze observing the people around him doing shocking things that one would never do at a party such as kiss, dance, smoke, and drink. Perhaps the hazy and grainy footage is supposed to give the viewer the impression that they are attending, but for the most part the shaky, faded film looks like the at-home footage of an early ’90s vintage that my parents have on our DVR.

Occasionally, Malik’s meanders are interrupted by shots of scantily clad girls dancing around a pole while Malik conveniently gets tattoos and haircuts within the comforts of his own home. Some of his guests tastefully trash his home by skateboarding down his stairs, considerately vomiting into his toilet or simply passing out on his floor while smoking joints. From time to time, he will serenade them with his lyrics: “You still have time”—maybe to remind us that this party is actually about the human condition. He eventually ends up sprawled in a teepee in his yard with other guests getting stoned. At this point, the footage changes to technicolored videos of people flying over tables of the party, zooms in on footage of bodies engaging in sexual acts or else rewinds footage of people smoking.

The video culminates with many people finally crashing and taking a well-deserved break from their debauchery. The next morning Malik emerges from the building out of his ridiculously pristine white curtains to observe the damage while coughing profusely after a night of excessive smoking. To counteract this, he lights up once again, surveying his lawn strewn with rubbish. Out of nowhere, a capuchin monkey crawls across his shoulders as a blowup crocodile randomly turns into a CGI reptile that crosses his lawn. The video ends with Malik smiling knowingly at the monkey.

While its attempts at being provocative and glamorous are duly noted, this video is pretty standard and unexceptional. It seems as if Malik is trying too hard to maintain the “cool” status amongst his ex-bandmates in One Direction. Watch this video if bored or if you like watching videos of smoke. Ultimately, you are better off reading the Youtube comments below, because reading comments from One Direction fans calling out Zayn for defecting is so much more entertaining.

—Staff writer Aline G. Damas can be reached at aline.damas@thecrimson.com.