Depay Hits Back at Critics Over Music Video Showing Corinthians HQ in Flames: 'It's Just Art'

Memphis Depay has leapt to the defence of his latest music video, which depicts Corinthians' historic headquarters Parque São Jorge engulfed in flames, insisting the provocative imagery is "just art". The Netherlands forward, who swapped European football for São Paulo in 2024, has faced criticism from sections of the Corinthians fanbase after the video emerged online. Parque São Jorge is far more than an administrative building to supporters — it is the spiritual home of a club founded by working-class labourers more than a century ago, and seeing it ablaze, even as a cinematic special effect, was always likely to provoke a fierce reaction. Depay, though, is unapologetic. According to BBC Sport, the striker dismissed the backlash, arguing that the burning building amounts to artistic expression rather than any slight on the club that currently pays his wages. It is a stance entirely in keeping with a player who has never conformed to the quiet-footballer stereotype — outspoken on and off the pitch, and famously comfortable operating in the spotlight. From his breakthrough at PSV Eindhoven through spells at Manchester United, Lyon and Barcelona, Depay has repeatedly reinvented himself, and his move to Brazil was the latest bold chapter in that story. He has also long nurtured a parallel career as a recording artist, and his music has become almost as much a part of his identity as his finishing. While many players keep their creative side projects under wraps, Depay has embraced his, releasing tracks and cultivating a public image that blends sport and entertainment. The controversy comes at an intriguing moment in his career. Still a prominent figure in the Netherlands' attacking plans, Depay has his sights set on the 2026 World Cup, where the Dutch will fancy their chances in the first-ever 48-team tournament. A high-profile spat involving his own club's supporters is hardly ideal preparation, but if there is one player equipped to thrive amid the noise, it is a man who has spent his entire career generating it. Whether Corinthians fans ultimately accept the "art" defence remains to be seen. What seems certain is that Depay intends to keep making music — and headlines — strictly on his own terms, with football's grandest stage looming next summer as the place where he would most like the conversation to return to what he does best.