Talking Heads - Psycho Killer

What this video is

Released June 5, 2025, on the exact 50th anniversary of Talking Heads' debut performance at CBGB — where they opened for the Ramones — this video fills a canonical gap: 'Psycho Killer' (1977) predated MTV and never received an official visual during its original release cycle. The video arrives amid a broader wave of legacy-act archival completionism driven by streaming platforms and anniversary marketing, and…

Why it matters

As Talking Heads' signature debut single and first charting track, 'Psycho Killer' is a foundational document of American new wave and art-punk. The belated video recontextualizes the song's psychological interiority for a contemporary audience, shifting its coded serial-killer narrative toward a…

The director

Mike Mills is an Oscar-nominated American filmmaker and visual artist. He directed the feature films Thumbsucker (2005), Beginners (2010), 20th Century Women (2016), and C'mon C'mon (2021). He earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay…