Adele started off her 2022 with a bang by releasing the music video for “Oh My God,” which is rife with symbolism and metaphors.
The most obvious reference is to the Garden of Eden with the video’s inclusion of apples, a snake and ring lights styled like halos. The clip starts with an apple positioned on an empty chair, symbolizing a temptation that haunts Adele throughout the song until she finally indulges herself with it.
In the song, the Grammy winner chants, “I know that it’s wrong, but I want to have fun,” giving a deeper meaning to the apple as it remains a constant theme while Adele keeps herself distracted by other activities. However, as people dance, jump and even sit on a horse — the singer does not participate and just continues to sing.
There are also moments that show multiple Adeles, which appear to symbolize her talking with herself and debating what action to take.
Adele only moves after she decides to bite into the apple, which happens at the end of the song, revealing how paralyzing that decision was for her to make. She then finally stands and walks off screen, with the apple in hand, after chewing contemplatively.
The video was directed by Sam Brown, who also helmed the 2011 “Rolling in the Deep” music video. Adele said working with Sam “was nostalgic to say the least,” adding, “We filmed this one on the day ‘Easy On Me’ dropped, there were a million things going on all at once.”
She also shouted out the “huge python” that starred in the video, saying she “skidaddled my ar** straight out of there” the moment she could make a break for it.
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