A Clown Dreams Of In-N-Out Burgers In Friday's "Dear God" Video

Nicole Daddona has always been chameleonic. From her maximalist clothing line Magic Society, to her famed sexy Furbys, to her surrealist South by Southwest film The Mundanes, to her fever dream glam rock songs under the name FRIDAY, Daddona is a mastermind of the playful and uncanny.

In her latest work, a music video for her single “Dear God,” which premieres on NYLON today, Daddona dons a new costume: a green-haired, cigarette-ripping clown who takes over an empty arcade.

In the video, we see Daddona carrying Mylar balloons, ostensibly to perform as a clown. Only, when she gets inside the neon-lit, strip mall arcade, there’s nobody there — except her and a video camera. She adjusts her wig and sings her heart out into an orange foam mic, because what else is there to do?

“Dear God/ Sorry I hurt her/ Help me find an In-N-Out burger,” Daddona sings in a drone over grunge-pop, Nirvana-lite guitars, as we see her fall amidst giant inflatables. “My friends all say there’s something wrong with me/ Did what I had to do to end my misery.”

“‘Dear God’ delves into the themes of self-sabotage and sacrifice,” Daddona tells NYLON. “It explores the concept of willingly setting oneself up for disaster, even if it causes pain, in order to protect yourself or someone else. The song acknowledges the difficulty of doing the right thing, which often requires walking away from someone or something you love and trusting the unknown. Sometimes, making a mess and looking like a fool is necessary to move forward.”

Despite the bleak setting, the song isn’t bleak; it’s a punk reclamation of emotions. Daddona stamps out her balloons in giant clown shoes and smokes cigarettes under a single spotlight next to statues of jungle animals — dreaming of ways to end the misery, even if it’s just with a really good burger.

“The lyrics read like a personal diary entry, expressing the sadness and emotional aftermath of a tough decision,” Daddona says. “My hope is that the song provides a cathartic outlet for those moments when you need to release some pent-up anger or sadness — ideally over In-N-Out Burger.”

Watch “Dear God” by Friday below: