Holiday Sidewinder - Kokomo

What this video is

Released in September 2019 as part of Holiday Sidewinder's debut album cycle 'Forever or Whatever,' this cover of the Beach Boys' 1988 classic 'Kokomo' slots squarely into the late-2010s wave of ironic, affectionate 80s retrofuturism. The artist, an Australian-born singer-songwriter who relocated to England for her solo career, channels a tongue-in-cheek glam-pop sensibility that recasts the original's breezy…

Why it matters

Represents the 'yacht-pop' or 'beach pop' micro-genre revival of the late 2010s, wherein indie artists reappropriated soft-rock and sun-soaked pop signifiers from the 1980s with ironic distance. The video's VHS-aesthetic direction exemplifies the broader lo-fi retro-video trend that emerged as a…

The director

Victoria Mortarti (also credited as Victoria Mortati) is an Australian freelance editor and filmmaker. Her career spans art installations, travel television, and editorial work, including a tenure as lead editor at Vogue. She is also noted for work with a…