At this stage, I’m sure you’ve heard about Luca Guadagnino’s new film, Queer, inspired by one of William S. Burroughs’ most celebrated books. A few days ago, we told you about the first official trailer ahead of the movie’s release in the United States next November 27. Now, METAL 51 cover star Omar Apollo, who plays a role in Queer, has released the music video of Te maldigo, a song he’s composed with Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross for the feature film. Have a listen!
Luca Guadagnino is on fire this year; back in April, the acclaimed Challengers – starring Zendaya, Josh O’Connor and Mike Faist – hit theatres worldwide and was praised by both the audience and the critics. Now, before the year ends, he’s back with a new project, this time, co-starring Daniel Craig and Drew Starkey, delving into a darker world but still exploring the complexity of human relationships. And now, he surprises us again by directing the music video of Te maldigo, set in a colourful yet subdued bar filled with loners and misfits whose movements are as poetic as they are decadent and sad.
The song is interpreted by Omar Apollo, who fronts one of the covers of our Fall/Winter 2024 print issue — on newsstands now. He composed it with the help of Nine Inch Nail founders Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. But Te maldigo is incredibly emotional and heart-breaking; Apollo’s voice getting under your skin and staying inside you for a long while. The lyrics are a punch straight to the stomach, where he condemns a former lover for not loving him: “Pasé una eternidad / Muy lejos de ti / y mi corazón / Sin ti / no late” (“I spent an eternity / Far away from you / And my heart / doesn’t beat / without you”).
And you might wonder: the Nine Inch Nails members helped co-write and produce it? Well, they’re more than rock musicians. In fact, they’ve worked together in the past to score other films: The Social Network in 2010 (they won the Academy Award for Best Original Score); The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo in 2013 (they won the Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media); and Soul in 2021 (they won both the Academy Award and the Golden Globe). So it isn’t surprising that Luca Guadagnino wanted them in his team. Will this song bring them more awards? We’ll have to wait and see.