| There
were many memorable music video clips during the course
of 2003, and it's only right to remember the great with
the... less great. Here's a sunny reminder of what we've
left behind.
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Song: Beautiful
// Artist: Christina
Aguilera // Director: Jonas Akerlund Recognizable Lyric: "We are beautiful, no matter what they say; yes, words won't bring us down." Written by Linda Perry, the power ballad that almost made us forget the sewer romp in "Dirrty," "Beautiful" was a lovely four minutes of self-empowerment. The God-help-the-outcasts clip took the song to more provocative heights, featuring a middle-aged man in drag, two young gay men trying to tie their tongues together, a girl with frighteningly visible bone structure, a goth on a bus, and a skinny boy dying to be buff. The message is that all people are beautiful, and since the song already discounts critics with it's chorus, it seems kinda moot to comment on. Directed by Jonas Akerlund (Madonna's "Ray of Light" vid), it's a simplistic, yet powerful video. Aguilera barely moves, and we see the supporting cast go about their activities. The gay men got the most press, and Aguilera's been a friend to GLAAD ever since. |
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Song: Hey Ya // Artist: OutKast // Director: Bryan Barber Recognizable Lyric: "Don't want to meet your daddy, just want you in my caddy... Don't want to your mama, just want to make you cum-ma." The extremely catchy "Hey Ya" received retro appreciation with the duo OutKast's Baby Boi making multiple personality appearances. Playing all performers in a funky band on a variety show, the look is seamless. Aesthetically appealing, lyrically memorable, and instantly recognizable, "Hey Ya" may be their signature hit, finally ecclipsing "Ms. Jackson." Noteworthy: Just as their previous single "The Way You Move" is classic for it's horns, "Hey Ya" contains a simple, yet indelible, keyboard dink-dink-dink hook. |
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Song: My Immortal (Band
Version) // Artist: Evanescence // Director: David Mouldy Recognizable Lyric: "I've tried so hard to tell myself that you're gone, but though you're still with me, I've been alone all along." Following the powerhouses that were "Bring Me to Life" and "Going Under," Evanescence pulls out the wrist-slitting "My Immortal," which was previously heard in the film Daredevil. In this remixed version, there is guitar and additional background vocals provided by lead singer Amy Lee. It's quite beautiful. For the video, Lee lazes about rooftops and park scenery in a white dress and cloth-wrapped wrists and feet that suggest self-mutilation. She also looks a lot like Christina Aguilera in the "Voice Within" video. Exceptionally sad, the vocals are haunting, the black and white photography desolate, and all around quite gloomy. You may need a teddy bear to get through it all, but it's a gorgeous effort. |
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Song: Invisible // Artist: Clay Aiken // Director: Diane Martel Recognizable Lyric: "I would be the smartest man, if I was invisible... Wait... I already am." Clay Aiken, in the grand tradition of... Kelly Clarkson and Justin Whatshisname... has high aspirations. While he's not trying to be Mariah or Timberlake like his predecessors, he still lacks a certain originality. Or singing ability. In his debut single, "Invisible," which is about as bland a middle-of-the-road pop song as we never thought possible, he sings of his invisibility to a woman who is apparently seeking love elsewhere. Oh, but stupid woman, you don't know what you're missing! The equally flaccid vidclip that accompanies this tortured unrequited love (and artistry) has Aiken pouring his denim heart out, over-emoting to a crowd of highly delusional women. If this man's trying to tell us through song that he's so unpopular with the women, why is he showing us that he apparently has his pick of maybe 50 right there? They're all looking appropriately doe-eyed and probably willing to at least sleep with him to out-do the Frenchy pornography scandal. Instead, let's watch as Clay pretentiously flashes his bizarre satisfied smile (hey, that's some amusing heartbreak there!) and as everyone turns to watch this GAP boy singing in the middle of the square. Suddenly, everyone is enamored. Preppy girls wander over, Compton boys bop their heads, and the bubblegum lovers have found their new Christ. You'd almost believe that they probably weren't paid to look interested. The man's trying to be John Mayer. And John Mayer's trying to be Dave Matthews, anyway. Oh, but that's another rant entirely. |
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Song: Someday // Artist: Nickelback // Director: Nigel Dick Recognizable Lyric: "How the hell'd we wind up like this, and why weren't we able to see the signs that we missed." While their sound has not changed at all since "How You Remind Me," Nickelback one-ups their previous hit (which is still quite good) with "Someday." Despite it's heartfelt lyrics of an uncared-for relationship going worse is turned into a sweet, yet morbid, message for their amazing music video. Translating the lyrics into the more abstract, the visual is that of a woman who seems to be ignoring her boyfriend while crying uncontrollably. He is unable to console her, and she walks around him as if she cannot see him. He calls out to her, but she looks through him. Through clues that include footprints in milk and a mysterious newspaper headline we can barely see, the conclusion comes when the woman spirals out of the house, oblivious to her lover following desperately. To his complete shock, she smashes her vehicle. As her spirit leaves the wreckage to join him, we see the newspaper headline, finally: the man she is finally back with, died the day before. The lovers are now able to stay together forever in a twist you'll need to see twice to realize it was obvious all along. |
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Song: Crazy in Love // Artist: Beyonce,
featuring Jay-Z // Director: Jake Nava Recognizable Lyric: "Uh oh, uh oh, uh oh, oh no no. Uh oh, uh oh, uh oh, oh no no. Uh oh, uh oh, uh oh, oh no no. Uh oh, uh oh, uh oh, oh no no." Unless you've been mercifully spared by living under a rock, you've heard "Crazy in Love" at least twenty times an hour since it's release earlier last year. One third of Destiny's Child (which is Destiny's Child, without the background vocals), Beyonce from the Block wails her way through this number like her solo career depended on it. The video is low-fi with Beyonce in some hideous costume changes (the ghetto street girl look is her at her best) and unflattering green-lit close-ups. A trifle, and by no means worth the play it's getting. |
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Song: Me Against the
Music // Artist: Britney Spears,
featuring Madonna // Director: Paul Hunter Recognizable Lyric: "All my people 'round and 'round: let me see you dance." While Britney gets top billing, the one who shines the greatest is Madonna. While her lyrics are rougher than preffered, and the lyrics are some of the limpest of her and Spears' careers, Madonna looks damn hot in this video. The concept is pretty slender, and could easily be rewritten to imply Britney Spears is chasing after Madonna in the club because she wants to be the next Madonna. Madonna clearly isn't willing to give up her crown just yet, and even at some points seems to mock Britney, "Hey, Britney, you say you wanna lose control; come over here, I got something to show ya." Madonna is egging Britney on and on, and finally when Britney gets to live vicariously and kiss Madonna (this time not on stage), Madonna vanishes, leaving Britney high and really sweaty. For all the action and enthusiasm, you wish they had better material to work with, but for what it is, it's kinda nice. |
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Song: Why Can't I? // Artist: Liz Phair // Director: Unknown Recognizable Lyric: "What it is, is just the beginning; we haven't fucked yet, but my head's spinning." Liz Phair is stuck in a jukebox! And the person in charge of changing the discs has the attention span of an infant! Phair, in love and war, has always caused a stir in alternative press. Now her press is that she's not alternative enough. Fuck them. Her latest album is excellent, and her first single, "Why Can't I?" is both identifiable and clever. The video features Liz singing inside artwork in a juke's Capital LPs. They spin around, titles coming from lyrics in the song, and flip back and forth, never missing a syllable between takes. Featuring numerous costume changes, Liz's infectious smile as she sings of unexpectedly juicy love, and her band rocking alongside, "Why Can't I" may or may not convince nay-sayers, but is there for those that are willing to listen. |
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Song: Hurt // Artist: Johnny Cash // Director: Mark Romaneck Recognizable Lyric: "I hurt myself today, to see if I could feel. I focus on the pain, the only thing that's real." What may end up to be Johnny Cash's signature song was actually better left for Trent Reznor. From Nine Inch Nails, only the last half (a strange suffocating kind of noise) of "Hurt" was actually painful. As sung in cracked vocals from Johnny Cash, it was praised as being legendary, classic, and a pivotal moment in Cash's suddenly popular-again career. When Cash died in the same year of it's success, it became that much more of an accomplishment of his. Perhaps it will make me unpopular, but the song was awful. Cash changed the lyrics, made an otherwise subtley powerful song into a forced retrospective. The video, preachy and bizarre, features abstract and vintage footage that is less moving, and more disconcerting. He's not the only one in pain, by the end. |
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Song: It's My Life // Artist: No Doubt// Director: David LaChapelle Recognizable Lyric: "And I've asked myself, how much do you commit yourself? It's my life! Don't you forget!" My bid for best video is No Doubt's "It's My Life." Originally a marginal 80s hit for Talk Talk, Gwen and the boys take it further than original new wave for the video. In a cross between Joan Cusack in Addams Family Values and Renee Zellweger in Chicago, Stefani is in the role of platinum professional widow. On trial for the murders we witness, you feel downright sorry for her; after all, it's her life! Okay, so the song has nothing to do with the video. Absolutely nothing. But it's so pretty! Gwen poisons, crashes a car, and electrocutes her beaus right after another in this bright and vividly coloured short film. We never see why she's killing them, and they all seem to adore her accordingly. But eventually, they bore her and she just has to kill him. It's just like that. Oh well! The closest we've seen to Stefani actually acting, Stefani plays insane just as well as she plays saucy 40s vixen. And the wardrobe? Excellent, of course. Bonus points for the silver bracelets with the locks on them. |
Feature
written by George Blair IV, January 27, 2004. Images from sirensofsong.com, madonna-online.ch, britneyfreak.com, durdydurdy.com, yubm.org, mtv.com, mnclayfans.com, kiss985.com; manipulations by George Blair IV.
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