Director and cinematographer Chris Wu’s music video Lost All Care presents the powerful voice and presence of rising R&B/soul artist Emde and her message on mental well-being. Although the lyrics and music are very fitting for a young woman in crisis, Wu allows the mind to dig deeper into her despair through fluid camera movements and smooth editing. Wu provides a flow of imagery resonating with Emde’s emotions. She is part of a functioning world around her with a splash of glitter and gloss, but she’s alone and crying out in the crowd—isolated among people.
Lost All Care comes from deep within Emde, and it shows. She is familiar with the battle of being submerged in a mental crisis, which the beat of a mix of hip-hop and blues delivers along with the slides of Wu’s imagery and connection. It’s memorable and interesting, especially in the short but dramatic dance clips, which Emde does well in capturing her song’s vibe and message.
“…she’s alone and crying out in the crowd—isolated among people.”
Emde tells a story in Lost All Care, but Wu’s imagery makes Emde’s message feel important and realized. The setting is dark and moody. Emde is sitting and trying to speak on a landline telephone, clearly a sign of not being heard or present in 2024. There are portraits and a bed filled with little inanimate objects, bringing questions and confusion as she looks up in despair. The tiny but deliberate actions that Wu presents in Lost All Care deliver meaning and purpose.
Repeating imagery of self-awareness through mirrors and finally leaving with a suitcase in tow on a dark, lonely, and deep wooded dirt road feels sad. With exceptional lighting, dramatic imagery, angles, and editing, the depiction of emotion resounds from the lyrics and voice of Emde, which are even more present through Wu’s direction.
"…The tiny but deliberate actions that Wu presents in Lost All Care deliver meaning and purpose."
