Zack Sekuler is an American filmmaker, music video director, and musician. Notable music videos that he has directed include Sweater Weather (The Neighbourhood), Unsteady (X Ambassadors song), [1] and Misery (Gwen Stefani song).
He has directed and produced music videos for a variety of artists across different genres.
Sekuler is from Thousand Oaks, California. He studied at the California Institute of the Arts where he obtained a Bachelor's degree. [2] [3] In high school, he was in a pop-punk band called "The Braces." [4]
Sekuler had been friends with Jesse Rutherford (singer) and other members of The Neighbourhood. [5] He made the first video for the band, [5] and then Sekuler and Daniel Iglesias Jr. teamed up to produce visual content for The Neighbourhood. [6] [7] In 2013, Sekuler co-directed Sweater Weather (The Neighbourhood Song). [8] [9] [10] The pair also directed the black and white music video for Afraid (The Neighbourhood song). Complex noted: "Taking a stark, literally naked look at the band, it also goes a detour through a slowed-down, purple alternate reality (no idea what that could be about) and a Memento-like playthrough of its key sequences." [11] The pair also co-directed the music video for Female Robbery. [12] [13]
Sekuler produced a bright-colored music video for Jesse Rutherford (singer)'s song called "Born to Be Blonde." [14] [15] He also produced 'Tunnelovision' for Rutherford. [16]
In 2020, Sekuler directed a music video for EarthGang's "Options" featuring Wale (rapper). [17] [18] [19] Pitchfork (website) called the video a "charming animated visual." [17] [20]
He directed "CVS" for Winnetka Bowling League. [21] The video features Hilary Duff, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, and Elisha Yaffe and was filmed in Los Angeles. [22] The video was filmed in an actual CVS pharmacy. [23] He also directed on "On the 5" for the band. [24]
Sekuler directed a music video for Kesha and Wrabel called "Since I Was Young." [25] In the video, he reused video footage from their childhoods. Wrabel said of the video: "This video gave me goosebumps, made me cry, and prompted a late nite sappy mushy message to my family thanking them for loving me the way they do." [25] Sekuler directed the lyric video for Louis the Child (DJs) and Wafia's song called “Better Not.” [26] He also directed "The Village" for Wrabel. [26]
In 2022, Sekuler directed a music video for Elton John and Stevie Wonder called "Finish Line." [27] [28] The video features video footage and images depicting life through the decades including the COVID-19 pandemic. [27] The video highlights the joyous occasions of life as well as the challenges. [29]
"Isn't She Lovely" is a song by Stevie Wonder from his 1976 album, Songs in the Key of Life. The lyrics celebrate the birth of his daughter, Aisha Morris. Wonder collaborated on the song with Harlem songwriter and studio owner Burnetta "Bunny" Jones.
"I Just Called to Say I Love You" is a ballad written, produced, and performed by American R&B singer and songwriter Stevie Wonder. It was a major international hit, and remains Wonder's best-selling single to date, having topped a record 19 charts.
"Ebony and Ivory" is a song that was released in 1982 as a single by Paul McCartney featuring Stevie Wonder. It was issued on 29 March that year as the lead single from McCartney's third solo album, Tug of War (1982). Written by McCartney, the song aligns the black and white keys of a piano keyboard with the theme of racial harmony. The single reached number one on both the UK and the US charts and was among the top-selling singles of 1982 in the US. During the apartheid era, the South African Broadcasting Corporation banned the song after Wonder dedicated his 1984 Academy Award for Best Original Song to Nelson Mandela.
Songs from the West Coast is the twenty-sixth studio album by English musician Elton John, released worldwide on 1 October 2001.
"Signed, Sealed, Delivered " is a soul song, by American musician Stevie Wonder, released in June 1970 as a single on Motown's Tamla label. It spent six weeks at number one on the U.S. R&B chart and peaked at number three on the U.S. Pop chart. In the same year, the song was also released on the album Signed, Sealed & Delivered.
Record World magazine was one of the three main music industry trade magazines in the United States, along with Billboard and Cashbox. It was founded in 1946 under the name Music Vendor, but in 1964 it was changed to Record World, under the ownership of Sid Parnes and Bob Austin. It ceased publication on April 10, 1982. Many music industry personalities, writers, and critics began their careers there in the early 1970s to 1980s.
"Bennie and the Jets" is a song written by English musician Elton John and songwriter Bernie Taupin, and performed by John. The song first appeared on the Goodbye Yellow Brick Road album in 1973. "Bennie and the Jets" has been one of John's most popular songs and was performed during his appearance at Live Aid.
"I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues" is a song by English musician Elton John, with music by John and Davey Johnstone and lyrics by Bernie Taupin. It is the first single from John's 17th studio album Too Low for Zero. In the United States, it became one of John's biggest hits of the 1980s, holding at No. 2 for four weeks on the Adult Contemporary chart, and reaching No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100. It also reached the top ten in five countries, including the UK, peaking at number five. It was the first single since 1975 to feature the classic lineup of the Elton John Band.
"For Your Love" is a song written and performed by American musician Stevie Wonder, released in February 1995 as the first single from his 22nd album, Conversation Peace (1995). It won two Grammy awards for Best R&B Male Vocal Performance and Best R&B Song at the 38th Grammy Awards.
Love's Alright is the third musical studio album by comedian and singer Eddie Murphy. The album was released on February 23, 1993, by Motown Records, and was produced by Murphy, David Allen Jones and Ralph Hawkins. It was a critical and commercial failure, only making it to number 80 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. Two singles were released: "Whatzupwitu", whose music video is patterned after the album cover and features Michael Jackson, and "I Was a King", featuring Shabba Ranks. The album did not chart well on the Billboard charts.
"Sweater Weather" is a song by American alternative band the Neighbourhood. The song was written by group members Jesse Rutherford, Zach Abels and Jeremy Freedman, and was produced by Justyn Pilbrow. It serves as the lead single from their debut studio album, I Love You (2013). "Sweater Weather" reached number one on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart in June 2013, logging eleven non-consecutive weeks at the summit of the chart. Pentatonix covered the song for their 2018 album Christmas Is Here! with an accompanying music video. The song was also covered by Kurt Hugo Schneider, Alyson Stoner, and Max S in 2014. In mid-to-late 2020, the song experienced a resurgence in popularity due to it being used on the social media platform TikTok. The song gained over 5 million on-demand streams on Spotify within the month of November 2020. As of January 5, 2022, the song is ranked in the top 100 of the most streamed songs on Spotify.
I Love You is the debut studio album by American rock band the Neighbourhood, which was released worldwide on April 22, 2013.
"Poor Decisions" is a song by American rapper Wale featuring fellow American rappers Rick Ross and Lupe Fiasco, released as the lead single from the Maybach Music Group compilation album, Self Made Vol. 3. The song peaked on the US Billboard Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Singles at number nine.
"Hey Love (Can I Have a Word)" is a song by American R&B singer R. Kelly and Public Announcement featuring Mr. Lee from their debut album Born into the 90's. It was released as a single on Jive Records in October 1992.
"Afraid" is a song by American alternative pop group the Neighbourhood. The song was written by group members Jesse Rutherford, Zach Abels and Jeremy Freedman, and was produced by Justyn Pilbrow and Emile Haynie. It serves as the second single to their debut studio album, I Love You, which was released on April 19, 2013 via Columbia Records.
Stephen Samuel Wrabel (born January 7, 1989), known mononymously as Wrabel, is an American singer, songwriter and musician based in Los Angeles.
Jesse James Rutherford is an American singer, songwriter, and former actor. He is the lead vocalist of the alternative rock band the Neighbourhood. Alongside his bandmates, Rutherford wrote the number-one Billboard Alternative Songs hit "Sweater Weather", which was certified nine-times platinum in the US in 2022.
"Unsteady" is a song by American rock band X Ambassadors. It was originally part of the band's second EP The Reason and was later released as the third single from the band's debut studio album, VHS, on October 13, 2015. The song has a remix version entitled "Unsteady ", a single for the motion picture soundtrack for the film Me Before You.
The Lockdown Sessions is a collaborative album by English musician Elton John, released through EMI in the United Kingdom and Interscope Records in the United States on 22 October 2021. A collaborative album, it was recorded during the COVID-19 pandemic, after John was forced to pause his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour due to lockdown. The album includes three singles: "Cold Heart " with Dua Lipa, "After All" with Charlie Puth, and "Finish Line" with Stevie Wonder. A 2022 reissue of the album includes "Merry Christmas" with Ed Sheeran and "Hold Me Closer" with Britney Spears.
The Neighbourhood is an American rock band formed in Newbury Park, California, in 2011. The band is composed of vocalist Jesse Rutherford, guitarists Jeremy Freedman and Zach Abels, and bassist Mikey Margott. Drummer Brandon Fried was also part of the band from 2014 until 2022. After releasing two EPs, I'm Sorry... and Thank You, the Neighbourhood released its debut album I Love You. in 2013 via Columbia Records. The album was preceded by their 2012 single "Sweater Weather"—their only single to chart on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 14 in 2013 and re-surging in popularity nearly a decade later on radio airplay and Spotify from becoming a viral phenomenon on TikTok.