Chris Ryan
August 8, 2013
Dance, See 
“They don’t like us,” says the little girl to older sister, after walking through the Amish-looking town full of leering eyes in Avicii’s new music video “Wake Me Up.”
Perhaps some of us can relate to the feeling of being unfairly out-casted by an institution, group, or even family.
The video takes place is an Amish-looking town, and the fashion of the townsfolk is reminiscent of “Little House on the Prairie.”
The plot showcases a girl’s brave decision to step forth to find: “somewhere we belong.” She journeys away from the countryside to Los Angeles, and of course, finds herself at a “rave.” She comes back for her little sister and the two hit the road towards the city for good.
The song is folky with bluegrass-inspired beats and vocals, which build into a full-on dance song. It’s unique and lovely at the same time. This is an uplifting track, and the video adds a layer of depth to the song that may not have existed without the audio/visual pairing.
The video aims to tell a story, and it accomplished it brilliantly.
SOUNDS: Like a country-inspired version of Chris Brown’s “Don’t Wake Me Up.”
LOOKS: Amish countryside meets Hunger Games (minus the cray). Also, like The Walking Dead episode #1 where protagonist Rick approaches the empty city on horseback.
TASTES: Like a home-cooked meal after a long and tiring trip abroad.
