Diplo recently made the announcement that he was making a foray into the world of country music as Thomas Wesley. With that reveal came a record tailor-made for square-dancing in “So Long,” featuring the strong vocals of country singer Cam. Listening to its lucidity brings to mind images of the sun casting orange over the horizon in the morning and plain fields of rolling green.
Fans wondered how Diplo could translate this rural atmosphere through the visual arts — as of Tuesday (May 7), that question has officially been answered. He’s released a rollicking visual for the banjo-adjacent anthem, and with its bevy of surprise cameos, it’s an epic clash of the simple life and the one of a star.
Yeehaw! Diplo’s cowboy hat is low and his orange shades cover his fierce eyes. He steps out fresh from the bed into the morning sun and crushes a beer’s aluminum can top, watching as the spilling liquid rushes to the ground. He steps away from the quiet life of the cowboy into the madness of the Stagecoach Festival, where seas of cowboy hats and Daisy Dukes party underneath a ferris wheel and open plane. Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus take pictures with the producer before he steps onto the stage.
While Diplo showcases his past set at last month’s festival, Cam sings the song’s soft message with a smile on her face, first riding the ferris wheel, then getting on stage herself. Her sincerity will melt your heart, and the video itself is elevated by matching the song’s simplicity. It’s not so much about being a fan of country music. It’s more about what being a fan of it looks like.
Diplo’s been hard at work, in the realm of country and outside of it. Last month, his group, LSD, comprised of himself, Sia, and Labrinth, released its debut studio LP Labrinth, Sia & Diplo Present…LSD. He also appeared in the video for the album’s single “No New Friends,” a kind of Dr. Seussian calamity that’ll give you a cavity.
Take a look at “So Long” — and its Guy Fieri cameo — up above.
