Initially, I began saving reels out of curiosity, which gradually developed into an extensive collection. Before long, the concept of transforming these videos into an artwork took shape. One of my initial approaches involved working with Britney Spears' song *Criminal*, which is frequently used among Mangione's fans, as the lyrics “[...] But mama, I’m in love with a criminal [...]” resonate with the narrative of young girls falling for a killer

As the song was integrated into Instagram and TikTok reels, it experienced a resurgence in popularity, as evidenced below. The diagram illustrates a sharp rise in the number of Spotify playlists to which the song was added in early December, around the time Mangione shot Brian Thompson.

In the project's early stages, I contemplated incorporating this diagram, presenting it on a small screen accompanied by a brief contextual description. However, I quickly abandoned this idea, finding it too abstract in nature.

He is a hustler, he's no good at all
He is a loser, he's a bum, bum, bum, bum
He lies, he bluffs, he's unreliable
He is a sucker with a gun, gun, gun, gun
I know you told me I should stay away
I know you said he's just a dog astray
He is a bad boy with a tainted heart
And even I know this ain't smart
But mama I'm in love with a criminal
And this type of love isn't rational, it's physical
Mama please don't cry, I will be alright
All reason aside I just can't deny, I love the guy
He is a villain by the devil's law
He is a killer just for fun, fun, fun, fun
That man's a snitch and unpredictable
He's got no conscience, he got none, none, none, none
All I know, should've let go, but no
'Cause he's a bad boy with a tainted heart
And even I know this ain't smart

Britney Spears’ “Criminal”