Imagine Dragons Wake the Undead in New ‘Thriller’-Inspired ‘Bones’ Video

Imagine Dragons draw inspiration from Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” in the music video for the band’s recent single, “Bones.” The clip, directed by Jason Koenig, depicts a zombie apocalypse on Wall Street, transforming a stock exchange trading floor into a playground for the undead.

Frontman Dan Reynolds plays a day trader — decked out in 80s-inspired clothing — in the clip, which is filled with brain-eating, dancing zombies in homage to the 1983 “Thriller” video, a favorite of Reynolds’ children.

“It definitely served as the inspiration for the ‘Bones’ video,” Reynolds said of “Thriller” in a statement. “I’ve always loved that ‘Thriller’ was both scary and playful. I didn’t know as a kid if I wanted to watch it again or not for fear of the ensuing nightmares, but I always came back for more with my eyes half-closed.” He added, “The idea of punishing Wall Street with a zombie infection felt like an enjoyable time. And it was.”

Imagine Dragons released “Bones,” produced by Mattman & Robin, back in March. The mid-tempo rock-heavy track sees Reynolds considering his own mortality. “‘Bones’ is a reflection of my constant obsession with the finality and fragility of life,” the singer explained in a statement. “I’m always in search of some evidence that will convince me that there is more to come — that life is truly eternal in some sense. Having yet to find that, I try to at least dream of what conquering death would feel like in a song.”

“Bones” is the first song from the Las Vegas band’s forthcoming album, Mercury – Act 2, the follow-up to the Rick Rubin-produced Mercury – Act 1, which arrived last year. Earlier this year, Imagine Dragons shared “Enemy,” a standalone single that serves as the theme song for the Netflix animated series, Arcane.