The best day of the calendar year has rolled around again, and the annual September 21 video from comedy writer Demi Adejuyigbe has been unleashed into the world. Every year he says it’s his last and then September rolls around and he drops another video – each more elaborate than the last.
This year’s efforts might actually be the final instalment of the yearly tradition, considering he’s not only gone above and beyond on the production levels, but he also got a shout out from Earth, Wind & Fire themselves. Oh, and the whole video goes for nearly five minutes. It’s a cinematic masterpiece, and I’m truly obsessed.
Demi leans into the absurdity of making videos celebrating ~the 21st night of September~ every year, but stuck true to his promise in 2020 – that if he raised USD$50,000 for charity, he would get back on the tools and do another video. He hit that target within hours, and now we have been blessed by a seventh (and possibly final) instalment of the Sept 21 videos.
I know I said last year that Demi pulled out all the stops for his one-take video – which showed him dancing from a set constructed inside the back of a truck to eventually playing trombone on top of the truck while a plane with a banner reading “THAT’S TODAY!” flew behind him – but the 2021 video beats it by miles. Miles.
This year’s video gets meta, it gets self aware. Demi actively addressed the annual videos in the opening scenes, where he’s sitting at a bar with a friend.
As the clock strikes midnight and ticks over into September 21, the camera slowly pans towards Demi’s thousand-yard stare, and she asks “oh, are you going to that video thing that you do?” while everyone in the bar looks at him expectantly. Someone puts the iconic 1978 disco track on the jukebox and the whole thing launches into a goddamned fever dream.
Fucking hell, it’s even got a Grease ending with the flying car and everything.
My favourite bit has to be when he grooves his way into the bathroom and goes from dancing on the wall to walking up it like a Stanley Kubrick film. Simply cannot get enough of that mind-bending shit.
At the end of the film, Demi once again lays down a challenge for charity. He’s going to auction off an original painting of the September 21 basketball jersey shown in the video, as well as actual replicas of the jersey, with all proceeds going to three different charities. Within hours, the September 21 charity raised over USD$645,000 (which roughly works out to be AUD$890k).
tried to be offline today bc it’s all very overwhelming but, i’m floored. we’ve raised over $600k in 8 hrs. meaning these videos have raised nearly $1 million for charity/aid. truly speechless. lots to say and lots of BTS to share later but. wow. thank you thank you thank you pic.twitter.com/Nbpkt2S28y
— demi adejuyigbe (@electrolemon) September 22, 2021
But the real cherry on top of this year’s Sept 21 video? It’s gotta be the fact that Earth, Wind & Fire have recognised Demi’s incredible efforts, and thanked him for all the important work it’s done for charity over the last few years. Members of the band recorded thank you messages that are played through the credits of this year’s film, and they’re so bloody wholesome.
👀 💛
– watch til the end https://t.co/hkaFgE54Xk— Earth, Wind & Fire (@EarthWindFire) September 21, 2021
So will we get yet another video next year? Who knows, but mark it down in your diary so you do remember.
