Seeing as how Ibiza was due for a bit of a music video cleanse after Katy Perry came along and infiltrated the island with “Lifetimes,” SG Lewis and Shygirl’s collaboration, “Sugar,” is a welcome arrival. And not a moment too soon, for, apart from Zara Larsson’s latest (also awash in the sound of 00s Eurodance), nothing says “summer”—and more to the point, this summer—like the musical stylings of these two. Thus, putting them together creates an even more amplified, dance-floor ready energy. Nay, Ibiza-ready energy.
For those who might roll their eyes at another dance track that aligns itself with the notorious island, let them be reminded that, no matter how “oversaturated” (read: overplayed) Ibiza becomes as an emblem of EDM, it will always be the beacon of (and haven for) this genre. Which is exactly why Lewis and Shygirl filmed the “Sugar” video there.
And it all starts with touching down at Ibiza Airport, site of many a hungover person lying on the ground and/or barely making their flight after a long night of partying. It’s there that a driver awaits, holding a sign with the word “Sugar” on it. Except that it turns out to be SG Lewis who does all the driving in this video directed by brother duo Vision Originals. Starting with his pickup of Shygirl at the place she’s staying, with the latter hopping into his car like Dionne into Cher’s.
From there, the dreamy opening lyrics (which complement a dreamy backing track that’s co-produced by Lewis and Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs [who also worked with Lewis on his joint EP with Tove Lo, Heat]) commence, with Shygirl confessing, “Never needed much but I know now/What I finally love is so wow/Sugar on my lips like the rain again.”
As Lewis and Shygirl drive through the island (reminding viewers that you’re not liable to get around that easily in Ibiza without a car), they embody the carefree spirit—complete with the sunroof open and Shygirl parading a cigarette in hand—that the island imbues within its visitors every time.
After their drive, the two end up poolside at Wi-Ki-Woo Hotel (famed for its overarchingly pink color palette) in Sant Antoni de Portmany, the part of Ibiza best known for its British enclave, thereby naturally attracting a pair of Brits like Lewis and Shygirl. Alternating between the same scenes at the hotel in an aesthetic that looks decidedly “VHS” and one that looks “HD modern,” it’s the VHS-y moments that remind one of another well-known poolside video that was shot in Ibiza: Wham!’s 1983 single, “Club Tropicana.” Filmed, specifically, at Pikes Hotel (now known as Pikes Ibiza), also located in Sant Antoni.
Except that Wi-Ki-Woo could probably never earn the same reputation for hedonism that Pikes has cultivated over the decades (see: Freddie Mercury’s forty-first birthday party). Even so, Lewis and Shygirl do what they can to convey the sybaritic pleasures of the island. Which are also manifest in an ecstasy-alluding lyric like, “Shadow of your touch got me feeling/Pulse for your love.” Well, any kind of pulse is better than no pulse at all. Or so they say…
From Wi-Ki-Woo, the two get back in their car so that they can hop onto a boat (because no one ever said that luxurious experiences were “eco-friendly”)—a seemingly favorite activity of Shygirl’s lately—and really feel the wind whip against their faces. Energized by the surrounding Balearic Sea (though the Mediterranean Sea is also just a stone’s throw), Lewis jumps into the water while still wearing his suit getup (an almost ironic sartorial choice for a milieu like this).
Once their jaunt in the sea is over, the two then indulge in some pre-club cocktails, with the red hue of the drinks making a seamless transition into the red hue of Pacha’s signature cherry logo. This signaling that night has officially descended upon the island. Making way for such drug-fueled sentiments as, “I think all the little things you do are all about me/I know you want me, I want you too/Or so it seems/I think, I think I get along with you/We only had a moment/Let’s make it last a while/Forever (sugar on my lips)/Forever/I will rise as if you are the sun/Please don’t give up on me, you’re the only one.”
Or at least said person is the only one for an unforgettably forgettable night in Ibiza. Courtesy, in part, of SG Lewis’ DJ set (as shown during the final scene), with Shygirl having already ostensibly slipped away from the crowd. Either with someone or to go home alone to pass out because she suddenly remembered she’s a staunch Taurus, therefore an equally as staunch homebody.
Whatever the case, she just helped reinvigorate the island by making a visual love letter to it perhaps not seen since the “Club Tropicana” video—which offered far less of a comprehensive tour of the island.
