Cody Critcheloe is an American

director Director may refer to: Literature * ''Director'' (magazine), a British magazine * ''The Director'' (novel), a 1971 novel by Henry Denker * ''The Director'' (play), a 2000 play by Nancy Hasty Music * Director (band), an Irish rock band * ''D ...

, photographer, visual artist, and musician, known for his provocative and visually daring work across music videos and photography. Initially gaining recognition through his music/visual project SSION (pronounced shun), Critcheloe has since embraced a singular creative artistry, known for crafting surreal, high concept-driven worlds distinguished by bold, cinematic storytelling, super saturated art direction, and a subversive sense of humor. His visual language—often maximalist, deeply referential, and playfully confrontational—draws inspiration from

punk Punk or punks may refer to: Genres, subculture, and related aspects * Punk rock, a music genre originating in the 1970s associated with various subgenres * Punk subculture, a subculture associated with punk rock, or aspects of the subculture s ...

graphics,

queer ''Queer'' is an umbrella term for people who are non-heterosexual or non- cisgender. Originally meaning or , ''queer'' came to be used pejoratively against LGBTQ people in the late 19th century. From the late 1980s, queer activists began to ...

iconography Iconography, as a branch of art history, studies the identification, description and interpretation of the content of images: the subjects depicted, the particular compositions and details used to do so, and other elements that are distinct fro ...

, '90s advertising, and experimental

art house An art film, arthouse film, or specialty film is an independent film aimed at a niche market rather than a mass market audience. It is "intended to be a serious, artistic work, often experimental and not designed for mass appeal", "made prima ...

cinema.

Early life and education

Critcheloe was born and raised in

Kentucky Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...

. He studied painting at the

Kansas City Art Institute The Kansas City Art Institute (KCAI) is a private art school in Kansas City, Missouri. The college was founded in 1885 and is an accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design and Higher Learning Commission. The institute ...

, where his early interest in

stop-motion animation Stop-motion (also known as stop frame animation) is an animated filmmaking and special effects technique in which objects are physically manipulated in small increments between individually photographed frames so that they will appear to exh ...

sparked a broader passion for filmmaking. This tactile, frame-by-frame approach to storytelling would go on to inform his later video work. While still in art school, Critcheloe created the album artwork for the

Yeah Yeah Yeahs Yeah Yeah Yeahs are an American indie rock band formed in New York City in 2000. The group is composed of vocalist and pianist Karen O (born Karen Lee Orzolek), guitarist and keyboardist Nick Zinner, and drummer Brian Chase. They are compleme ...

' ''Fever to Tell'' and directed early music videos for Liars and

Peaches The peach (''Prunus persica'') is a deciduous tree first domesticated and cultivated in China. It bears edible juicy fruits with various characteristics, most called peaches and the glossy-skinned, non-fuzzy varieties called nectarines. Peac ...

, as well as a series of animated videos for his own project, SSION. During this time, he also mentored fellow student

BloodPop Michael Tucker (born August 15, 1990), known professionally as BloodPop (stylized as BloodPop®), is an American musician, record producer, songwriter, and gaming executive. Life and early career Tucker was born in Kansas City, Missouri, Uni ...

, introducing him to pop songwriting and music production.

SSION and Early Work

Critcheloe first gained widespread attention through SSION, a genre-defying musical project. It blended pop hooks and punk attitude, plus some immersive visual storytelling. SSION served as a testing ground for Critcheloe's creative evolution, with each release accompanied by self-directed visuals that pushed the boundaries of music video as a medium. The project's aesthetic—queer, campy, dystopian, and often DIY—cemented Critcheloe's reputation as an innovator in both underground music and visual culture. SSION's influence remains foundational to the development of queer pop aesthetics in the 2010s and beyond.

Career as Director and Photographer

Critcheloe is celebrated for his hyper-stylized, concept-driven work with artists such as

Robyn Robin Miriam Carlsson (; born 12 June 1979), known professionally as Robyn (), is a Swedish singer, songwriter, record producer, and DJ. Her 1995 debut album ''Robyn Is Here'' produced two Billboard Hot 100, ''Billboard'' Hot 100 top 10 single ...

, Yves Tumour,

J-Hope Jung Ho-seok (; born February 18, 1994), known professionally as J-Hope (; stylized in lower case), is a South Korean rapper, singer-songwriter, dancer, and record producer. He made his debut as a member of South Korean boy band BTS in 2013, ...

, Katseye, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Perfume Genius, and

Kim Petras Kim Petras (, ; born 27 August 1992) is a German singer and songwriter based in Los Angeles. Between 2016 and 2020, she released music as an independent artist under her own imprint, BunHead Records, before signing with Amigo and Republic Reco ...

, as well as fashion powerhouses like Diesel,

Versace Gianni Versace S.r.l. (), usually referred to as Versace ( ), is an Italian luxury elite fashion company founded by Gianni Versace in 1978. The company produces Italian-made ready-to-wear and accessories, as well as '' haute couture'' under it ...

, and Hood By Air. Whether constructing immersive, world-building narratives or capturing complex identities in a single arresting frame, Critcheloe's output pushes traditional boundaries—provoking, delighting, and redefining the visual language of contemporary culture.

Selected Video Works – Director and Photographer

* 2005 – Liars, "There's Always Room on the Broom", music video director * 2008 – Tilly and the Wall, "Beat Control", music video director * 2009 –

Gossip Gossip is idle talk or rumor, especially about the personal or private affairs of others; the act is also known as dishing or tattling. Etymology The word is from Old English ''godsibb'', from ''god (word), god'' and ''sibb'', the term for the ...

, ''Music for Men'', infomercial director * 2010 – Gossip, ''Men in Love'', music video director * 2010 –

, "Billionaire", music video director * 2011 –

Santigold Santi White (born September 25, 1976), known professionally as Santigold (formerly Santogold), is an American singer and songwriter. Her debut studio album, '' Santogold'' (2008), was released by Atlantic Records and met with widespread critica ...

, "Big Mouth", music video director * 2011 –

MNDR Amanda Lucille Warner (born September 12, 1982), known professionally as MNDR, is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. She rose to prominence after being featured on Mark Ronson & The Business Intl's 2010 single " Bang Bang Bang ...

, "#1 in Heaven", music video director * 2014 – Dum Dum Girls, "Lost Boys and Girls Club", music video director * 2014 –

Kylie Minogue Kylie Ann Minogue (; born 28 May 1968) is an Australian singer, songwriter, and actress. Frequently referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Princess of Pop", she has achieved recognition in both the music industry and fas ...

, "

Sexercize "Sexercize" is a song by Australian singer Kylie Minogue from her twelfth studio album ''Kiss Me Once'' (2014). The song was written by Sia, Marcus Lomax, Jordan Johnson, Stefan Johnson, Clarence Coffee and Nella Tahrini, whilst production was h ...

", music video director * 2014 – Perfume Genius, "Queen", music video director * 2015 –

, "Love is Free", music video director * 2015 –

Lower Dens Lower Dens was an American Alternative rock, alternative indie pop band from Baltimore, Maryland, United States. The band was formed in 2010 by Jana Hunter, Geoff Graham, Abram Sanders and Will Adams. Lower Dens has released four albums: their ...

, "To Die in L.A.", music video director * 2015 –

Brooke Candy Brooke Dyan Candy (born July 20, 1989) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and tattoo artist. Raised in the suburbs of Los Angeles, she rose to prominence after starring in Grimes' music video for " Genesis" (2012). Following its success ...

, "Renegade", music video director * 2015 – Mykki Blanco, "No Leash", music video director * 2018 –

, "Between the Lines", music video director * 2018 – King Princess, "Prophet", music video director * 2019 –

Allie X Alexandra Ashley Hughes (born 31 July 1985), known by her stage name Allie X, is a Canadian singer, songwriter, and visual artist. She began her career as an indie pop artist in Toronto in the mid-2000s, playing with local bands and recording se ...

, "Fresh Laundry", music video director * 2019 –

, "Regulars", music video director * 2019 – King Princess, "Ohio", music video director * 2020 –

Yves Tumor Sean Lee Bowie (born February 14, 1990), best known by the recording alias Yves Tumor, is an American musician and producer of experimental music, born in Miami, Florida, and currently based in Turin, Italy. To date, they have released fiv ...

, "Kerosene", music video director * 2020 - Versace "All For You", Holiday Campaign Short, director * 2022 –

featuring Perfume Genius, "Spitting Off the Edge of the World", music video director * 2022 –

Demi Lovato Demetria Devonne "Demi" Lovato ( ; born August 20, 1992) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. After appearing on the children's television series ''Barney & Friends'' (2002–2004), she starred in the Disney Channel short series ...

, "Substance", music video director * 2023 –

, "Heaven Surrounds Us Like a Hood", music video director * 2023 –

, ''Crazy Again'', video director * 2023 - Diesel, D-Red Fragrance Campaign, director & photographer * 2023 - Kim Petras, "Slut Pop Miami," director & photographer * 2024 – Katseye, "

Touch The somatosensory system, or somatic sensory system is a subset of the sensory nervous system. The main functions of the somatosensory system are the perception of external stimuli, the perception of internal stimuli, and the regulation of bo ...

", music video director * 2025 – Perfume Genius, "It's a Mirror", music video director * 2025 – Perfume Genius, "No Front Teeth" ft. aldous harding, music video director * 2025 –

feat.

GloRilla Gloria Hallelujah Woods (born July 28, 1999), known professionally as GloRilla, is an American rapper and singer-songwriter from Memphis, Tennessee. She first became known for her 2022 single " F.N.F. (Let's Go)" (with Hitkidd), which peaked wi ...

, "Killin' It Girl", music video director, photographer * 2025 – Katseye, " Gnarly", music video director SSION – Self-Directed Music Videos * 2006 – SSION, "Street Jizz", music video director * 2007 – SSION, "ASAP", music video director * 2008 – SSION, "Ah Ma", music video director * 2008 – SSION, "A Wolves Eye", music video director * 2008 – SSION, "Credit in the Straight World", music video director * 2008 – SSION, "Warm Glove", music video director * 2009 – SSION, ''Bullshit'', music video director * 2010 – SSION, "Clown", music video director * 2012 – SSION, "My Love Grows in the Dark", music video director * 2012 – SSION, "Earthquake", music video director * 2012 – SSION, "Feel Good (4-Evr)", music video director * 2012 – SSION, "Psy-chic", music video director * 2013 – SSION, "Luvvbazaar", music video director * 2013 – SSION, "High", music video director * 2018 – SSION, "Comeback", director * 2018 – SSION, "At Least The Sky Is Blue", director * 2018 – SSION, "Heaven is My Thing Again", director * 2018 – SSION, "Inherit", directorArchived a
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References

External links

* http://mail.misshapes.com/articles/ssion.html * * http://www.billboard.com/#/search/The%20Ssion * http://www.charlottestreet.org/initiatives/visual/recipients/cody-critcheloe/ * http://www.anyonegirl.com/art/peres-projects-present-ssion-boy-by-cody-critcheloe/ * http://www.discogs.com/artist/Ssion {{authority control 20th-century American LGBTQ people 21st-century American LGBTQ people 21st-century American painters American gay musicians American music video directors American pop musicians Dovecote Records artists Indie rock musical groups from California Living people Musical groups established in 1996 Musical groups from Kansas Queercore musicians Videographers Year of birth missing (living people)