The Cure - The 13th

What this video is

Released April 1996 as the lead single from Wild Mood Swings — The Cure's 10th studio album — 'The 13th' represented a deliberate stylistic pivot toward latin-inflected, horn-driven pop at a moment when the band's gothic post-punk origins were being consciously subverted. The song's incorporation of Mariachi and Salsa elements was widely noted as 'tacky' and 'tongue-in-cheek' by band members themselves, signaling…

Why it matters

Represents a critical transitional moment in The Cure's catalog — a post-goth alternative rock band embracing latin pop hybridity. The video's theatrical performance style, directed by Grammy-winning Sophie Muller, reflects mid-90s MTV's appetite for high-concept, artist-driven visual identities…

The director

Sophie Luise Elisabeth Muller (born 31 January 1962, London) is an English music video director with over 300 videos to her credit. Trained at Central St Martins and the Royal College of Art. Long-term collaborator with Annie Lennox, Sade, No Doubt, Gwen…