“We are all just characters in each other’s lives,” Corey Feldman sings in his new song “Characters,” which arrived June 22. And in his new music video for the track, which Billboard is premiering on the actor-singer’s birthday on Wednesday (July 16), the former child star takes viewers through various characters he’s portrayed throughout his decades-long career.
“This new music video … serves as a creative time capsule that highlights many of the most memorable characters I’ve played in my over 50-year career in both film and music,” Feldman, who directed the visual, tells Billboard.
The video begins with a young boy resembling Feldman walking to the center of a stage to sit down on a stool highlighted by a stage light. As he begins singing, the little boy morphs, and his appearance changes from some of the actor’s younger roles (the cherubic blond child from his first acting gig in a McDonald’s ad, to little Regi with his baseball cap in Bad News Bears) to his famous tween and teen parts (The Goonies, Stand By Me, The Lost Boys) and roles in his adult years (Queeny in Corbin Nash and channeling late friend Michael Jackson in his own music video for “The Joke”).
The star shares that when he was first conceptualizing the idea for the “Characters” visual, his first thought was, “I could never afford it!” And then it hit him that he could do it. “Rather than trying to film myself in different costumes and makeup, I immediately gravitated toward the concept of an all-AI video. I loved the artistic statement in that contrast between old and new,” he explains. “I also thought about starting the video with the imagery of myself as a kid, like in that McDonald’s commercial from way back.”
“That style of music is both from another era and somehow timeless, so I wanted the visuals to reflect that — nostalgic, yet fresh,” he says of the Beatles-inspired psychedelic tune. “We can’t literally recreate all of those characters the way we remember them, but we can pay homage to them through artistic, believable interpretation. In the end, AI was the only way to do that within our resources.”
Though Feldman has previously shared his concerns about the increasing use of AI — specifically, that some of the Hollywood magic has been lost via the use of AI and CGI — he does believe there are some benefits to it. “Let me be very clear: I am very much against the use of AI as a replacement for human creativity,” he emphasizes, noting that he doesn’t think AI should be used for script-writing and pre-made music. “We must preserve the human touch.”
That said, the actor-singer does think that AI is acceptable when it’s “used strictly as a tool” for artistic effect or to bring a moment — or in this case, a character — back to life. “But there should always be clear boundaries, transparency and some sort of ‘warning label’ so the audience understands what they’re seeing,” he shares.
Feldman also shared that his original idea for the “Characters” video — which would have featured the star surrounded by various characters he’s played as his bandmates — was inspired by Paul McCartney’s “Coming Up” music video, which was released in 1980. “I remember watching it live. It always struck me as a genius concept,” he recalls. “Given that ‘Characters’ is, in many ways, a Beatles tribute, it felt fitting.”
The star jokes that he’s loved the Fab Four since “infancy,” and shares that he’s met all of them but John Lennon, who died in 1980. “I wanted to honor them through this project. I played all the drums on ‘Characters’ myself, with Ringo [Starr’s] style heavily in mind. I wrote and sang the verses in a voice inspired by John, and the chorus and bridge are sung in a Paul-style falsetto and growl. The guitar solo was designed to sound like something George [Harrison] might have played,” he explains. “It’s all a grand experiment, and I hope they’d be flattered. I put a lot of care into it, and it’s been a joy to create.”
Though he had The Beatles in mind while writing and recording “Characters,” Feldman says there’s more on the way when it comes to his love for the iconic band. “This is actually just a warm-up to a larger project: a five-song EP that’s a tribute to The Beatles in all their eras,” he reveals to Billboard. “It’s been an exciting, surprising ride — and a big swing for someone many like to overlook. But as always, I won’t let fear stop me from chasing my dreams or sharing my positivity through art, especially in a world that really needs it right now.”
Watch Corey Feldman’s music video for “Characters” above.
