Half a century after their first gig, Talking Heads have finally released an official music video for their classic hit “Psycho Killer” and it stars none other than actor Saoirse Ronan.
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of their live debut in 1975 (opening for the Ramones at New York’s CBGB), Talking Heads have unveiled the first-ever video for “Psycho Killer”.
The band’s iconic 1977 single taken from their debut album Talking Heads: 77 was their first single to chart and remains one of their most recognisable tracks.
Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Mike Mills, the new official video reimagines the song through the lens of modern existential angst, with Saoirse Ronan portraying a woman unravelling across mundane, everyday routines.
“This video makes the song better,” said the band in a joint statement. “We LOVE what this video is NOT — it’s not literal, creepy, bloody, physically violent, or obvious.”
In the video, Ronan moves through repetitive daily environments, her bedroom, kitchen, office, and car, each day morphing into a different version of herself, expressing a spectrum of emotions from apathy to absurdity. The approach is subtle, surreal, and surprisingly moving.
Saoirse Ronan: “A lifelong dream come true”
Ronan, a long-time Talking Heads fan, was thrilled to be involved.
“To simply be mentioned in the same breath as Talking Heads is hands down one of the coolest things that has ever happened to me,” she said. “Let alone making a video with the singular Mike Mills to accompany one of their most iconic songs.”
She added that working on the video was a “childhood, teenage, and lifelong dream come true.”
Mills, who has directed music videos for The National and helmed the feature film Beginners, echoed Ronan’s enthusiasm:
“This album literally changed what was possible in life for me,” Mills said. “Getting to play with the subversive, uncategorisable beauty of Talking Heads — and with Saoirse, who brought surprise, power, vulnerability, and mischief — it’s one of the best things I’ve ever been part of.”
Though Talking Heads officially broke up in 1991, they reunited briefly for a Q&A at Toronto International Film Festival in 2023 to mark the re-release of Stop Making Sense. And while there are no official plans for a full reunion, but the band continues to engage fans through retrospective projects, reissues, and events.
