Roxette - Anyone

What this video is

Released in May 1999 during Roxette's continental European comeback with Have a Nice Day, 'Anyone' represents the tension between mainstream pop accessibility and provocative artistic ambition that defined late-1990s music video culture. Åkerlund's decision to end the video with imagery depicting suicide reflected the boundary-pushing ethos of the era's prestige directors, who operated with significant creative…

Why it matters

Represents the apex of orchestral Scandinavian pop balladry in the late 1990s. Åkerlund's cinematic approach elevated the format beyond conventional performance clips into short-form dramatic filmmaking. The controversy surrounding the video's content and subsequent broadcast ban is a landmark…

The director

Born 10 November 1965 in Bromma, Stockholm, Sweden. Former drummer for Swedish black metal band Bathory (1983–1984). Debuted as a music video director with Candlemass's 'Bewitched.' Became Roxette's primary video director in the early 1990s. Rose to global…