Benj⛧min‘s Crucial Track for April 23, 2026

"Heart-Shaped Box" by Nirvana

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A song with a memorable video or TV performance

Around 1993, MTV was at the height of its popularity. I was just a kid, but vividly remember a wild and diverse mix of videos that would loop endlessly. Shows like “120 Minutes” seemed dedicated to showcasing some of the more independent bands — or at least not the ultra-famous ones.

Music videos were almost the de facto method of garnering extra attention. Without constant access to streaming, music videos had to be memorable.

“Heart-Shaped Box” by Nirvana was certainly that.

First was the colors. A lot of reds, black, and blues, almost totally oversaturated, making the entire video seem dreamlike. Flowers were laid out everywhere. A crucifix where a skinny, shirtless Santa was hung.

Lots of symbolism everywhere. It would be easy to sit and dissect several of the more obvious things, especially with hindsight as a guide. This would be the last music video Kurt Cobain would ever create. But instead, as an adult, I can admire from a distance the immense creativity of it all.

At first view, it was a bit jarring — totally abstract, a sort of “sluggish ambiguity” that draws itself out, and some pretty dark imagery (the hospital room is a great example). But in its chaos was beauty. It walks that extremely thin line between genius and insanity.

I would be lying if I said I didn’t miss this kind of creativity. Videos (and songs) like this are exceedingly rare. But that, I suppose, is just an old man screaming at the clouds. Or, as Kurt shouted in this song, “a new complaint.”