Kiss Land -キッスランド -
Kiss Land -キッスランド -
The Kiss Land collection
A series of images inspired by the themes, materials, and subject matter of the similarly named album, Kiss Land, by the Weeknd. the entire project was shot, stylized, and developed by ashwin Mitchell. listening to Kiss Land is like entering another world. one very similar to our own, but a place that thrives on the freedom of self-expression, the illusion of love, and a long list of vices.
ABOUT
Kiss Land is a dark, introspective album where The Weeknd explores themes of love, lust, fame, and emotional isolation. The album’s story follows a character navigating the emptiness of fleeting relationships and the disillusionment of fame. The Weeknd longs for connection but struggles to reconcile his desires with emotional detachment, often finding himself trapped in a cycle of self-destructive behavior.
Tracks like "Kiss Land" and "Love in the Sky" set the tone with a mix of passion and loneliness, while songs like "Belong to the World" and "Pretty" delve into the emotional toll of fame and alienation. In "Live For," featuring Drake, the hedonistic pursuit of pleasure contrasts with underlying emptiness. The closing tracks, "The Town" and "Tears in the Rain," reflect on the fragility of love and the emotional scars left by failed connections.
Ultimately, Kiss Land portrays the tension between yearning for something real and being consumed by a superficial, pleasure-driven lifestyle. It’s a haunting exploration of vulnerability, self-doubt, and the search for meaning in an empty world.
as you scroll
1. each image has one song attached. Listen along to each image. Songs are available in the browser for your convenience
2. Remember that all photos are shot from the perspective of a star returning home after a long trip on tour.
3. At the end, all the pictures, without any effects, will be available for viewing.
ENJOY XO
ACT I
WELCOME TO KISS LAND
The opener for Kiss Land delves into the complexities of fame, relationships, and self-image. The song explores the tension between the artist's public persona and his private life, touching on themes of love, emotional detachment, and the emptiness that often accompanies success. The Weeknd presents a character who is caught between his desires and the consequences of his lifestyle, navigating both professional ambition and personal vulnerability.
When developing the shots, I love how subtle the song is about the relationship. The nature of their relationship is never explicitly listed, and that subtext was important for me when planning the images. There’s an heir of mystery/intrigue built into this image that leaves room to explore more later. Which is exactly the world Professional portrays.
In The Town, it’s all about returning home for the first time in a long time and rekindling lost love. Or what our famed star perceives as love. It’s not perfect. It’s messy, ugly, and dependent on drugs. They’re awful for one another, but that’s what make it exciting.
Additionally, “the town” is an important place on the album. The Town isn’t just some city, or home, or even about one place in particular. The town represents an idea. It’s a place where you can let yourself be free. Which will become more prevalent as we get deeper into the images.
In this image, I wanted to lean into the idea that our former lover is getting excited that our star is coming back home. He’s been gone a long time and she will do anything to make that connection again. She’s excited to open up once again especially since they’ll spend all night in “the town”
Adaptation details an awakening. On one hand, it’s about the freedom one has in “the town.” A place all about self-expression. The song begins with a reflection. “When the sun comes up, you're searching for a love, So your heart won't lead you to anyone. When the sun goes down, I know what you become. You become awake, unlike the rest of us.” On the other hand, The Weeknd is reflecting on how his perception of the world has changed now that he’s been on tour. He’s had to adapt to the surroundings and is hopeful his girl will do the same. Now it’s time to move deeper into Kiss Land. It’s time to become something more. Something that can handle everything when the night begins.
In this image, I’m leaning into the idea that our perception of our old flame is starting to change/distort. She’s still kind, pure, and welcoming. She’s everything good in life, but there’s something that seems just a little off with this image. And that little something is elusive. Maybe even a little scary.
ACT II
let the wildfire shine
What’s the party lifestyle without an addiction to drugs? Love in the sky is all about the perceived freedom getting high gives off. Similar to Professional, Love in the Sky subtly hints at the pleasures the star and his lover indulge in.
Using subtly to its full advantage, I wanted to hint at the idea of looking to the sky for freedom. Our model is gripping her jacket for comfort while looking upwards because she wants to be closer to safety.
BELONG TO THE WORLD
We swear by God we will be together forever
Now I'm worried God will take your soul
Because you broke your promise
Like the fire which guards light up to search things
Burns up in the night
And fades into the daylight
Just as my love and thoughts of you
Burn in the night and fade into the sun
Belong to the World expresses themes of emotional vulnerability, love, and the complexity of relationships. The song conveys a sense of longing and heartache, as the narrator feels torn between his desires and the realization that the person he loves is unattainable or not fully committed to him. Despite this, he struggles with his feelings, acknowledging that he’s caught up in the experience, even if it’s fleeting or painful. The lyrics also touch on themes of loneliness, self-awareness, and the disillusionment that can come from being involved in a toxic or unbalanced relationship. Ultimately, the song captures a sense of both surrender and self-doubt, with the narrator feeling like he doesn’t truly belong to anyone, yet still deeply yearning for connection.
This image is meant to be a stepping stone up from Professional. We’re starting to question our perception of the world, but we haven’t become fully disillusioned by her yet. But it could happen. And soon.
LIVE FOR
How long do you think it's gon'take for y'all to fall?
On “Live For,” The Weeknd and Drake detail their party-oriented lifestyles with a somewhat defensive tone.
The song is relatively simple and it’s there’s one common trend among the party lifestyle. They’re always searching for someone they can take home that night The image is meant to match the simplicity of the song while not allowing us to forget the woman that started this party lifestyle in the first place.
Wanderlust describes, aside from Abel’s own sexual desires, how misconstrued the idea of real “love” is today.
You may have noticed this picture looks similar to the Professional and Belong to the World. That is intentional. This is the point in the album where our singer starts to turn his opinion on our girl. She’s starting to look like everyone else he’s dealt with in the past. Including The Professional. And love was transactional then. Are things transactional with the old flame as well? The evidence is building up against her.
ACT III
like tears in the rain
On “Kiss Land,” the Weeknd discusses his newfound success and subsequent lifestyle. The song’s dark, moody atmosphere serves as the backdrop for the star’s conflicted emotions as he wrestles with his desire for pleasure and the consequences of his actions.
Ironic as it may seem, this was actually one of the harder tracks to develop an image for. For the most part, I at least had an idea of what I was going to do for each song on the project, but the titular track stumped me for quite a while. I took a risk and decided I would figure it out on location and settled on this one because I think it captures the general vibe of the song. It’s the final transformation of the women The Weeknd once knew. She’s no longer someone he can come back to. She’s been awakened by the town and no longer recognizable to him. She’s changed, he’s changed. There’s no way to return to the status quo.
Pretty has a very sudden shift in the tone/messages relative to it’s placement on the Album. We’ve spent every track up to now, reigniting our love with an old flame to suddenly moving on. Albeit in a very jealous manner. Shouting a constant reminder that she will never feel satisfied with another man. It’s hatred-love all at once.
When photographing, I wanted to lean into the idea that our lady is looking back on that former love life she had one more time. Ultimately, she will move on to someone else, but not without constantly wondering “What if”.
tears in the rain
She has no recollection,
Of the life she had without me,
She let it slip away, away, away,
So sad it had to be this,
She forgot the good things about me,
She let it slip away, away, away
Tears in the Rain is the final track on Kiss Land. For the finale, we’ve come a long way with a different perspective on love and what it means to The Weeknd. The lines, “When it's said and done, I already felt love, And I let it end up, End up dying by itself “ are a reflection of where we are emotionally. Accepting of our faults, and looking to move on. Likely to be forgotten.
This image I am especially excited about because I think it is not only one of the best images in the collection, but I love the way it connects with the song. All the wispyness in the image is meant to represent how people move and change without you in their lives. Our lover here will continue to live her life in the town long after the singer is gone. And within a short time, they’ll both move on.
THE KISS LAND COLLECTION
Photographer: Ashwin Mitchell
Model: Anna Mongeluzo (AnnaMongeluzo.com)
Hair/Makeup: Anna Mongeluzo (AnnaMongeluzo.com)
Photo Assistant/Lighting: Amanda Lee (Instagram @Aol849)
