Lotus, a progressive metal band from Pune and Bangalore, explores the illusion of success in their latest single 'Aspire'. Through sharp visuals and an unmistakably heavy sound, the song critiques capitalist work culture and urges listeners to look inward, unlearn imposed ideals, and rediscover childlike joy and authenticity.
When I was 5, I wanted to be a mermaid. At 12, I wanted to be a chef: a direct consequence of watching Anthony Bourdain’s 'Parts Unknown'. At 16, I wanted to be a professor. And now, well, I don’t know. I’m 21, and I think I know myself less than I did when I was 18 — mostly because I understand the world around me a little better, and more intimately. I’ve reached the "parts unknown", and I’m not quite sure how I got here. I do know one thing, though: when I was 5, I aspired to be 16; when I was 16, I aspired to be 5. I think who we want to be often has a lot to do with the conventional standards of success.
Maybe that’s why Lotus, a progressive metal band based in Pune and Bangalore, struck such a chord. The band examines this very notion of success and progress with their newest single, 'Aspire', and its accompanying music video. The song explores how our adult aspirations are shaped by metrics imposed by others — parents, teachers, and broader social systems — money, success, fame. The music video, directed by Chinmay Patkar, makes you feel like you’ve entered a video game — a simulation — which is exactly what the rat race feels like anyway.
The protagonist is trapped inside an action figure package and is picked off a factory pipeline — a direct reference to a social media trend involving AI-generated action figures. The figure is promoting the game 'Rat Race'. His action-hero outfit is a bland, tasteless suit; his superhero gadgets are his desktop, a cup of coffee, and an unending list of bills. There’s a promise of “zero vacation, zero overtime, no life, no health”, and a lifetime supply of the bonus accessory: a forever cubicle; a place to be sequestered and suffocated.
The same tie tightens until you can’t breathe, the same hair slicked back until your head’s pulled taut in a dishonest admission of attention, and the same unbreakable weight on your shoulders until you can’t recognise the person staring back at you from the mirror. Ah, truly everything we were told to wish for. It’s astonishing how capitalism has tricked us into believing that the 70-hour work week model is the key to becoming successful. The video ends with the action figure crawling out of the package — almost like a soldier emerging from a war bunker; inching toward freedom. The colours are stark and jarring; almost Severance-like.
In complete contrast to these visuals, the lyrics are hopeful. They aspire to an unbridled, child-like freedom that can only be achieved by breaking past the mould and crawling out of the bunker. Despite its aggressive sound, metal music is deeply hopeful: it channels pain, anger, and chaos into catharsis. Beneath the distortion lies resilience. Metal confronts darkness not to glorify it, but to overcome it. The music urges you to look inwards and not outwards, to understand and ask yourself. In doing so, Lotus asks: “Who are YOU and what do YOU want?"
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