Bow down, everyone. Jay Z's new music video for "Holy Grail" featuring Justin Timberlake is finally here, and good news: It really doesn't disappoint. Then again, there really aren't a lot of ways that a Jay Z/Justin Timberlake collaboration can disappoint, so it's not all that surprising that this video is a must-see. The video itself is amazing, but before we get into that, let's consider how revolutionary this release is first: According to Complex, Jay Z is the first major artist to release a music video exclusively on Facebook for 24 hours, before it trickles elsewhere. Pretty big deal!
Now, video: In a word, it's absolutely stunning. When it starts off, it features Jay Z watching a clip of Buster Douglas knocking out Mike Tyson, before Justin Timberlake steps in and starts tearing it up in his verse. There's also a lot of old sculptures, too — aging TV sets, mirrors, fire, and a whole lot of champagne.
Keeping in line with the literature theme and subtle religious influences, the video has a bit of of religious imagery as well: A subtle halo effect around JT's head toward the beginning of the video, a chalice knocked to its side with red liquid spilling out of it (meant to signify a holy grail, or the holy chalice, perhaps), and a ton of Last Supper imagery.
In other words, it's intricate and beautiful — one of the best videos in years.
You can check it out below.
