Blur - The Universal

What this video is

Released 13 November 1995 as the second single from Blur's fourth album The Great Escape (Food Records/Parlophone), 'The Universal' arrived at the apex of the Britpop wars, months after the heavily publicised chart battle between Blur's 'Country House' and Oasis's 'Roll With It.' Where much Britpop was brash and combative, 'The Universal' offered a grandiose, orchestral meditation on consumerism, surveillance, and…

Why it matters

A defining artefact of Britpop's cinematic aspirations, 'The Universal' demonstrated that British guitar-pop could sustain serious auteur music video direction. Jonathan Glazer's work here is a key precursor to his celebrated feature film career, and the video remains one of the most formally…

The director

Jonathan Glazer (b. 26 March 1965, London) is an English filmmaker who began his career in theatre before directing music videos and commercials in the 1990s. He directed videos for Blur, Massive Attack, Radiohead, and Jamiroquai, and received MTV VMA…