Video Credit- Nine Inch Nails YouTube channel, Vevo Closer Remastered
Few songs, music videos and bands from the 1990s stand out to me like this band and song. This song was released in the album The Downward Spiral in 1994 by Nine Inch Nails. This is Trent Reznor's most famous song, and it's lyrics and video made it a classic in the electronic music and shock rock scene.
In the 1990s, MTV played almost exclusively music videos. Nine Inch Nails is a goth/electronic/metal band with plenty of bangers that was popular in the 1990s. Trent Reznor is the frontman of the group, and provided the tortured and intense lyrics. The song was released during the early 1990s when Marilyn Manson was putting together his act and Rib Zombie was publishing metal and equally disturbing videos.
Closer is Trent Reznor's magnum opus. Closer had a disturbing video with symbolism that entranced me as a teen. I loved Nine Inch Nails, and it was in the vein of other popular rockers including Marilyn Manson who pushed boundaries and were blamed for societal issues. Shock rock emerged in the 1980s with Alice Cooper and White Zombie. Shock rock the likes of Nine Inch Nails was blamed for societal decay, and many violent incidents were blamed on shock rock. As a peaceful person who was.and is friends with peaceful people, this is absurd. Violent video games, television and music we're blamed for mental illness and complicated issues that led to tragedy. The music was new and bright and exciting.
The lyrics of Closer are profane and disturbing. It's a live song that borders on codependency made to sound absolutely unique. It deals with sex addiction and how those who suffer believe their coping mechanisms will bring them to salvation.