Director: Genevieve Andrews.
Director of Photography: Dan Debrey.
Producer: Ilias Kyriakides.
Photography by Lucy Andrews
Text by Mariana González.
D’Arcy pairs reverb-soaked alternative rock with raw visual storytelling in “XTC,” exploring the fragile boundary where late-night attraction turns into danger. Behind its dream-pop atmospheric textures lies a music video that builds a world of physical attraction only to shatter it with a jarring, blood-stained final act.
The night can be a time to let go and lose control. In the music video for “XTC,” D’Arcy moves between these possibilities through a story in which attraction, desire, and danger eventually come together. Directed by Genevieve Andrews, the video follows two women through intimate encounters, party scenes, and moments of tension that lead to an unexpected, even more unsettling ending.
“XTC” blends alternative music, indie rock, and contemporary dream pop with carefully crafted atmospheric textures that create an intimate, immersive feeling. The instrumentation combines the melancholy and power of reverb-drenched electric guitars, a deep bass that drives the pulse, and a precise yet subtle drumbeat. D’Arcy’s vocals feel close and expressive, surrounded by vocal layers that create an immersive and slightly nostalgic atmosphere.
Through its cinematography and interplay of light and shadow, the music video emphasizes close-ups and moments of emotional tension and intimacy between the characters. The overall atmosphere is raw, relying on suggestive visual storytelling and shifting between cool and warm tones depending on the scene, perfectly complementing the song’s vulnerability.
The story unfolds primarily in two settings. On one side, a warmly lit room where the intimacy between the protagonists develops away from the noise outside. On the other hand, there is a dark, smoke-filled party where the camera moves among bodies that dance, come together, and disappear into the crowd. This contrast establishes two ways of experiencing attraction, one more private and the other shaped by the intensity of the nightlife.
In the lyrics, D’Arcy sings about coming alive after dark, feeling the rhythm take over her body, and giving in to an experience that feels like a fever dream. As the music video progresses, the music and visuals create an atmosphere in which desire seems to take over everything.
The final act takes a sharp turn by introducing blood, abruptly breaking the seductive atmosphere established up to that point. This sudden shift forces viewers to reconsider everything they have seen so far. Without fully explaining the characters’ motivations, the ending introduces a darker dimension to a story that, until then, seemed dominated by physical attraction and the pursuit of pleasure.
<center><iframe width=”560″ height=”315″ src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/Jas6l8hJ9DY?si=6AKtbO5PYlvxF2Nn” title=”YouTube video player” frameborder=”0″ allow=”accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share” referrerpolicy=”strict-origin-when-cross-origin” allowfullscreen></iframe></center>
Produced by Ilias Kyriakides, “XTC” uses visual storytelling to expand on the ideas expressed in its lyrics. The song is about surrendering to the intensity of the night, while the music video shows how that same experience can take on a different meaning when fear and violence emerge. D’Arcy leaves viewers with a story open to different interpretations, with an ending that is difficult to separate from everything that came before it.