Sophia Michaels
Kendrick Lamar gets deep in his feelings with the one and only Helen Mirren in the new music video for “Count Me Out.” Lamar directed clip with his frequent collaborator Dave Free.
Mirren plays Lamar’s therapist in the latest Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers visual, which opens in the middle of a session. After Lamar shares an anecdote about swooping in and stealing a woman’s parking spot, he cops to a late-night text to his analyst — “I feel like I’m fallen” — and then proceeds to unload his feeling.
As Lamar runs through “Count Me Out,” an accompanying montage rolls, mixing both scenes from everyday life with more abstract considerations of fame, power, and messianic burdens and doubt. The clip ends with Lamar turning his back on Mirren as an angel rests a hand on his shoulder.
Lamar released Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers back in May, marking his first proper studio effort since 2017’s Damn. The LP recently landed at Number 11 on Rolling Stone’s 100 best albums of the year, and Number Seven on our list of the 25 best hip-hop records of 2022.
The album also helped Lamar pick up eight Grammy nominations, including nods in all the major categories: Album of the Year, and Record and Song of the Year for “The Heart Part 5.” He’s also up for Best Rap Album, Best Rap Performance and Song (“The Heart Part Five”), and Best Melodic Rap Performance (“Die Hard”).
