Limp Bizkit - Faith

JUL 01 1998 · 12:00

Limp Bizkit - Faith (1998) Director: Fred Durst Era: Nu-Metal Emergence (1998) - The debut video era of Limp Bizkit, shot during the Family Values Tour 1998, capturing the raw, DIY energy of nu-metal's rise into mainstream MTV consciousness High curatorial value as a confirmed first-generation nu-metal document: self-directed by the band's frontman, shot in verité style on the era-defining Family Values Tour 1998, and directly credited with propelling Limp Bizkit from cult act to MTV-charting mainstream band. Represents a rare case of artist-controlled visual identity at the precise moment of commercial emergence, making it essential for any archive covering late-90s alternative music video history. Context: Released November 20, 1998, the 'Faith' video arrived at the precise moment nu-metal was cresting into mainstream American pop culture via the Family Values Tour ecosystem. The video's DIY, tour-vérité aesthetic was itself a cultural statement, rejecting the high-gloss production of contemporaneous pop and R&B videos in favor of raw authenticity. The cover song choice was strategically subversive: aggressively reworking George Michael's 1987 pop classic into a rap-rock bludgeon, bridging 80s nostalgia with 90s teenage aggression. The video's MTV traction was directly responsible for driving the band's debut album to multi-platinum status in the US. The cover also attracted accidental cultural momentum from a 1998 tabloid scandal involving George Michael, amplifying the song's visibility. The video stands as a primary document of the Family Values Tour 1998 era and the band's origin mythology. Director notes: Confirmed self-directed by Fred Durst per IMDb (imdb.com/title/tt8778028) and IMVDb (imvdb.com/video/limp-bizkit/faith). Released November 20, 1998. TCM notes this was Durst's directorial debut in the music video format. The video was shot on the Family Values Tour 1998, showing the band around their tour bus. Per Last.fm, the video features Fred Durst and Wes Borland dressed as alter egos 'The Weapon' and 'The Liquidator' at the opening. The video was the second version made for the song, per Wikipedia, director Peter Berg had shot a first version tied to his film Very Bad Things, but Durst was dissatisfied and directed this replacement. The track peaked at number 28 on the US Billboard Alternative Chart. MTV airplay of this video was credited as a key catalyst in launching the band's mainstream career.