Welcome to A$AP Rocky’s new world. It’s warped, romantic, slightly unhinged, and proudly chaotic. Yesterday, Rocky dropped the video for his new single Punk Rocky, and instead of playing it safe, he went full fever dream. Behind the camera is Tim Burton. On screen: Winona Ryder, Thundercat, and Danny Elfman. Subtle? Not even trying.
The clip opens like a lost Burton storyboard. Ryder lies motionless on a plastic chaise longue, detached and doll-like, while her jacked-up partner stomps around yelling into his phone. Enter Rocky, emerging from a garage with hair curlers in, immediately diving into a mosh pit and catching a punch straight to the face. Romance, but make it bruised.
Things escalate fast. Police sirens. A squad car. Rocky’s swollen eye keeps talking, literally, as the camera lingers on it like it has its own personality. The hook hits sweet and soft against the madness: “I wanna fall in love, don’t want no broken heart.” Vulnerable lyrics, cartoon violence visuals. Classic Rocky contrast.
In one of the video’s strangest turns, Ryder finally approaches Rocky and hands him a plate of cookies. Domestic peace lasts about three seconds. Her partner snaps. Cue arrests, mugshots, and Rocky rapping behind bars while tossing cash at an elderly lawyer who looks like he wandered in from another movie entirely.
The ending goes full punk opera. Rocky runs through the streets firing a gun into the air, then gets tossed from the back window of a police car like a ragdoll. Roll credits. No lessons learned. Just vibes.
Lyrically, Punk Rocky is about love-induced self-destruction. “You’re punch drunk in love, left me with a blackened eye,” he raps in the outro, apologetic and desperate, like a noir antihero who knows he messed up but will absolutely do it again.
Tim Burton’s fingerprints are everywhere. The dream logic. The exaggerated characters. The eerie calm wrapped around chaos. The involvement of Winona Ryder and Danny Elfman is not fan service, it’s a statement. This isn’t just a music video. It’s world-building.
The clip also sets the tone for Rocky’s upcoming album Don’t Be Dumb, dropping January 16. Burton has reportedly handled part of the album’s artwork and is directing an accompanying film. Rocky confirmed late last year that Elfman composed music for several tracks, turning the project into a full audiovisual experience rather than a standard rap release.
According to the press release, the album cover features six symbolic figures from Rocky’s career, reimagined through Burton’s unmistakable style. Translation: nostalgia, ego, trauma, fashion, fame, and fantasy all mashed together.
Big picture? Punk Rocky feels like Rocky reclaiming his role as rap’s weird fashion kid who doesn’t care about trends, algorithms, or neat rollouts. In an era of safe visuals and TikTok-first thinking, he went left. Again.
And honestly, hip hop needs that energy right now.