Harries, we need to talk about Harry Styles’ “Satellite” music video. The pop music icon dropped the video for this fan-favorite song on May 3, sending Harries into a frenzy on Twitter, especially because of the adorable robot that features in it. But what does the whole thing mean? If you’re looking to understand the meaning (and some fan theories) of Styles’ “Satellite” music video, look no further.
In the “Satellite” music video, we follow Stomper the robot.
Stomper, our starring vacuum robot, rolls around in Harry’s backstage lounge collecting crumbs and going through the motions. On screen, viewers watch through Stomper’s eyes and learn about Curiosity, the rover on Mars that’s been alone for over 10 years. (For those who are unfamiliar, Curiosity is NASA’s robot personality that reports its scientific findings on Mars via social media.)
We see the vacuum follow Styles on stage. His wheels move with the music. But, he’s quickly removed by security. It’s clear Stomper felt happy and safe on stage because after he’s tossed into a garbage bag (WTF, please let this little robot live) we watch him travel across planets to try and find the feeling he experienced on stage with Harry.
The robot pushes on through rain and shine, through mountain ranges and city alleys. We even take a brief trip to a Mars-like environment where we see Stomper try and find a companion (Curiosity as alluded to earlier).
At the end of the video, Stomper finds Styles again. In a peaceful field under the moonlight, the duo lays in the grass together. After traveling so far and wide it shouldn’t be a surprise when Stomper’s battery blinks red and his system shuts down. (That doesn’t mean I didn’t tear up.)
We zoom out and see that the field they were stargazing in was outside of NASA’s headquarters. Stomper almost made it to a spaceship that could take him to find Curiosity, but he dies before he can. A shooting star streaks across the sky and the screen goes dark.
So what does Styles’ “Satellite” video even mean?
Obviously, you can interpret the video how you’d like. But, of course, Harries already have some popular theories going about the meaning behind Stomper and his journey, so let’s break them down.
Some fans saw the video as a commentary on coming of age and going through life lonely. Stomper felt happy in the video’s infancy and chased that feeling all the way until the end when his batteries gave out. The robot just wanted a relationship with someone who understood it and made it feel safe — like most of us do. The tragic part comes at the end when Stomper realizes it doesn’t have the energy to get into NASA and instead chooses to pass on in the field with Styles.
Other Harries thought Stomper hallucinated Styles. As if the video wasn’t sad enough already. At the end of its life, Stomper couldn’t make it to Mars to find Curiosity and it saw a mirage of the last person who made him feel happy. Its mind gave it comfort before death.
One of my personal favorite theories is that Stomper represents Harries. The robot seeks out Styles for comfort and travels all over, much like us trying to get to all of his concerts, to be with him. It chooses to spend its last moments with the singer in the grass (or invents Styles’ presence), feeling at home.
It’s safe to say the “Satellite” video has us all in a chokehold and Stomper is a new fan favorite. However you view the meaning behind the video, it’s bittersweet and sure to tug on your heartstrings. Now, dry your tears. It’s time to start guessing what the next MV from Harry’s House will be…