When a pop star releases a new video, you might expect another famous musician, or even an actor, to comment on it — not an Oscar-winning director. But that’s what happened to Selena Gomez, for her new video with Benny Blanco, “Sunset Blvd.”
In the video, Benny appears as a tiny figure next to a much bigger, glamorous Selena. It seems that concept was directly inspired by a scene in Francis Ford Coppola‘s 1982 romance One from the Heart, in which Nastassja Kinski sings to a tiny Frederic Forrest.
On Instagram, the legendary director of The Godfather films wrote, “Thank you, dear @SelenaGomez for including an influence from an old grandpa’s work in your new music video ‘Sunset Blvd.’ It’s wonderful to see an homage from ONE FROM THE HEART live again in your beautiful and capable talent.”
Selena replied, “Thank YOU for being an inspiration to us all!”
The song “Sunset Blvd” was inspired by Benny and Selena’s first date, which took place in a restaurant on the LA street in question. In a behind-the-scenes video, Benny says, “We were driving in a convertible; I felt like a teenager again … I didn’t even know we were on a date. I thought we were just hanging out as friends, and she thought it was a date.”
“I’m happy I didn’t think it was a date, I would have been much more nervous,” he adds.
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