Behind the Video: Lisbon’s POLI NIKA Turns Street Reactions into Art

For her latest video, “Rains in Lisbon,” indie pop artist POLI NIKA took the song back to the place where it was born — the streets of Lisbon. She asked locals to listen and share their thoughts, exploring the city’s rare rainy days, the bittersweet feeling of saudade, and how music can capture the essence of a place and its people. We caught up with her for a Behind the Video interview to learn more about the concept behind this intimate, documentary-style video.

What’s the concept behind the video? Help us to understand the video’s concept in more detail and how it ties into the lyrics.

POLI NIKA: “Since ‘Rains in Lisbon’ was born from a conversation about the city’s rare rainy days, I wanted to take the song back to its birthplace and see how it would resonate with locals who actually live this reality. I went out onto the streets of Lisbon and asked people to listen to a snippet of the song, then share whether they felt it captured something authentic about their city.

“But there was a deeper layer. Living here, I’ve learned about ‘saudade’ – this untranslatable Portuguese emotion of bittersweet longing for someone absent but still cherished. My song is about missing someone far away, which felt like saudade to me. So I was curious to check if Portuguese listeners could feel that too.

“It was also about creating an authentic connection, inviting people into a conversation about place, emotion, and how music can capture the essence of where we live and who we are.”

What surprised you most about people’s reactions?

“What struck me was how immediately people connected with the song. Many said it perfectly captured the melancholy of Lisbon’s rare rainy days, and several mentioned hearing the guitar in the arrangement, they associated it with Portuguese music traditions, including fado, where guitar is such a central instrument in their local musical culture.

“But the most beautiful surprise was when people confirmed they could indeed feel saudade in the song. They didn’t just hear it as a foreigner’s interpretation of their city; they recognized their own emotional landscape in it. That validation meant everything to me as an artist.”

What was your favourite part of creating this video?

“Without a doubt, my favourite part was the genuine human connections that happened. People’s live reactions were so beautiful and spontaneous. They were incredibly generous with their emotions and thoughts about the song. Many offered words of encouragement and asked where they could listen to the full track, which was so heartwarming.

“What really moved me was how thoughtfully people responded. They shared personal stories, explained their own understanding of saudade, and opened up about what the song made them feel.

“That kind of authentic exchange is exactly what I hope my music can create, and experiencing it firsthand was absolutely incredible.”

Do you prefer writing a video around the theme of a song or just going to a warehouse and banging out a live performance?

“It completely depends on the song itself. Sometimes visual ideas come to me during rehearsals, and I immediately start seeing images and concepts.

“For example, with my recent song ‘Don’t Mean to Hurt You,’ an amazing story unfolded. I had gone to see contemporary ballet and was absolutely captivated by it. A week later, I knew my song was coming out, and I was already thinking about what kind of visual I wanted to create for it. I kept thinking about making some kind of dance video with dancers; it felt so right for the music.

“I came home from the ballet completely inspired and immediately started researching the cast. And I literally went through their social media and found the soloists who had really impressed me. I realized I wanted to create a video for my song featuring them. I wanted them to dance to it.

“So I reached out to the lead dancer and her partner, and we started planning to shoot a video together. Initially, this idea came completely out of nowhere, just from what I saw at the ballet and how it moved me, how it made me want to capture that energy.

“For me, it’s such a pleasure to be able to connect with incredibly talented creators from other artistic fields through video. Music and dance, music and visual arts… When there’s an opportunity to collaborate with someone from a different creative sphere, it’s like reaching a whole new level of artistic expression.

“But I also love live performance videos, and I’ve made several of those too. What’s great about them is you can see the whole band, our emotions, how we interpret the song in a live setting. It’s raw and immediate in a completely different way.”

What’s the strangest thing you’ve ever had to do or seen being done during the making of a music video?

“It might not be the strangest thing, but it was definitely the boldest thing that happened in one of my music videos. The protagonists undressed and started painting each other’s naked bodies with colourful paints. Then we filmed them on the beach by the ocean. These actors, completely painted and nude, fearlessly walked into the water, and a wave crashed over them. It was so brave and beautiful, especially because this was during winter.

“The entire crew, the director, myself, everyone, we were all bundled up in jackets and hats, warmly dressed, while our protagonists fearlessly entered the cold water, naked and painted.

“My favourite shot from that entire video is when they’re standing there afterwards, pressed against each other, slightly shivering from the cold. There’s something so raw and beautiful about that moment, this vulnerability, this tenderness, the way they’re holding each other for warmth and comfort. It captured something so human and genuine.”

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What should a music video set out to accomplish? Do you feel like yours did that?

“I believe a music video should do more than just support the song visually. It should tell a story that viewers want to follow, like a little film. I love it when a music video enhances the song’s concept rather than just accompanying it.

“My ‘Rains in Lisbon’ video is essentially a documentary film because I was capturing genuine, live reactions from people. It was completely improvised – these weren’t scripted responses or prepared answers.

“In this case, the video became an extension of the song’s story. It’s not just about missing someone in the rain; it’s about how that feeling resonates with an entire community that understands that emotion deeply.

“The documentary approach felt perfect because it mirrored the song’s authenticity. Just as the song came from a genuine conversation and real emotions, the video captures genuine conversations and real reactions.”

What do you like most about the process of making a music video?

“What I love most about creating music videos is that it’s like stepping into the director’s world. I always try to work with directors who inspire me, and I find it fascinating to see how concepts are born and then brought to life through collaboration.

“When we’re working with actors or other people in the video, it becomes this incredible creative process where we’re essentially making a short film.

“My favourite part is probably being behind the scenes and observing the shoot, watching the actors work, seeing how the director guides the process, observing how the lighting crew, the camera operators, everyone works together as this cohesive unit.

“It’s not just about the final product, but about the entire creative journey of making a little piece of cinema together.”