Format Digital download Genre Indie popelectropop Label DowntownAtlantic | Recorded 2015 Length 3:32 | |
Released December 3, 2015 (2015-12-03) | ||
"Genghis Khan" is a song by the Swedish indie pop band Miike Snow. It is the second single from their third studio album, iii (2016), released on Downtown Records and Atlantic Records. The song utilizes the Dorian mode diatonic scale as the basis for the melody.
Music video
The music video for "Genghis Khan" was initially released on January 12, 2016 exclusively through BuzzFeed. The concept of the video follows a James Bond-esque theme in which a villain struggles to kill his captive due to personal conflicts. Instead of completing his task, the villain ultimately chooses to release his captive, who then makes an attempt to escape. However, in a last minute change of heart, he voluntarily returns to his captor. The two characters then unite through a joint dance sequence, while the villain is seemingly happy for the first time in the video. The video heavily explores themes of homosexuality, as seen by the protagonist of the story leaving his wife to start a new life with his male former captive. The story ends with the protagonist's ex-wife vengefully spying on him and his male partner, seemingly plotting her revenge.
The cast are Adam Jones (as the villain), Edward Hayes Neary (as the captive spy), and Caroline O'Hara (as the villain's spurned wife).