7 Things About Pet Shop Boys "Twenty-something" Video

The Pet Shop Boys video for their latest single "Twenty something" tackles a controversial subject--and the "Super" stars went straight to the source for an authentic vision--Cholo goth singer Leafar Seyer from Prayers and his video director Gavin Filipiak.

1.

Gavin Filipiak/Leafar Seyer / Via youtu.be

The video for the Pet Shop Boys new single “Twenty-something” was conceived by Prayers’ frontman Leafar Seyer, who comes up with the concepts for Prayers’ videos, which are then directed by San Diego-based filmmaker Gavin Filipiak.

2.

Gavin Filipiak/Leafar Seyer / Via youtu.be

The Pet Shop Boys were so taken by the Prayers cover of “West End Girls” and the subsequent video, which featured Goth girls and gang members, that they wanted the same look and feel for “Twenty-something,” and envisioned a young Latino going through his own versions of the situations in the song. Like all Prayers videos, “Twenty-something” is shot in black and white because Seyer has stated that when sleeping, he always dreams in black and white.

3.

Gavin Filipiak/Leafar Seyer / Via youtu.be

Seyer, himself two-strike felon who grew up in Barrio Sherman, knows first hand and all too well the difficulties faced by Latinos with limited education and job opportunities—especially if they have served time. The Cholo goth singer told Univision, “When I heard the song, it was very easy for me to come up with the concept [of the video], because I know the struggles of being Chicano, being a twenty-something, and being a person of color in America…So the concept of the music video comes from my environment.”

4.

Gavin Filipiak/Leafar Seyer / Via youtu.be

As with his videos for "Young Gods," "West End Girls," and "Black Leather," Seyer recruited members of his San Diego gang, Sherman GHP, to play roles in "Twenty-something." The Prayers singer himself appears in a brief cameo around minute 2.

5.

Gavin Filipiak/Leafar Seyer / Via youtu.be

Sherman boy Plato, who appeared in “Young Gods” and plays the lead in “Twenty-something” coincidentally has the Roman numerals for 20 (XX) tattooed on his chin, for Sherman 20.

6.

Homeboy Industries / Via Facebook: HomeboyIndustries

Seyer is a supporter of Homeboy Industries, which provides education and job training for at-risk youth, the formerly incarcerated, and gang members—over 125,000 men and women have gone through the program in 25 years.

7.

Gavin Filipiak/Leafar Seyer / Via youtu.be

The Pet Shop Boys are Seyer’s favorite band, so he was honored to manifest his vision of the Pet Shop Boys lyrics—and to show very real situations faced by people he knows and others across the Southland—into video.