Video Saved the Radio Star

[blue-russian.livejournal.com]

I suspect it may just the incessant repetition that MTV subjects us to, but several songs that had previously seemed quite "bleh" to me have gotten much better now that I've seen the videos. For example, "Ain't No Other Man" is, in fact, better than "Deja Vu," although that was not my initial thought. (And, somewhat off-topic, Paris' "Stars Are Blind" is actually quite good, albeit not a stormer. You cannot imagine my dismay at waking up to a great new Gwen Stefani song, only to look again and see hawk-nosed, anorexic Paris tilting her head back in the California sun.)

Presumably this has been discussed many times before, but I'm curious how other people use or are used by videos in their pop consumption.

Comments

[piratemoggy.livejournal.com]

I don't know whether this counts but for me it's very important whether a video moves in time with the beat of the song- not rigidly, necessarily but some seem to clash really badly ('Long Hot Summer' seemed particularly out of synch) and it really makes or breaks a video for me.

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

The video to The Automatic's "what is that coming over the hill is it an monster" song has definitely endeared said group of young ruffians to me. Other videos that enhance the song enormously:

- Vogue
- Fell In Love With A Girl
- Hey Boy Hey Girl (bouncy skeletongs!)
- all Eminem songs

Videos that somewhat detract from greatness of song
- Dirrrty
- Blue Monday
- Smack My Bitch Up

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

I think the 'Dirrty' video is BRILLIANT and perfect for the song, it's ridiculously filthy (and in the context of the other singles from Stripped a total wrong-footer). Xtina, generally, makes the best videos.

I haven't watched videos regularly in nearly two years (BOO) but mostly they can only enhance the song - even crap videos rarely make a good song bad though (I didn't like the 'Toxic' video, and of caourse Blu and Sean's 'Breathe' had an extremely dull video).

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

I remember barnetape and I sitting in a Belgian hotel room about to go for breakfast and the "Dirrty" video came on. "This is apalling", "She's trying to hard", "Good grief"....five minutes of goggle-eyed silent gawping then ensue. Good old Xtina.

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

Hmm. I didn't like the one where she was a big old spider. That was a bit wrong. But the song wasn't so good then, either.

[blue-russian.livejournal.com]

Yes, I didn't like that one either, but then I wanted brighter, sunny pop and instead got "I am an urban adult."

that 'how good is the Dirrty video?' debate in full

[zenith.livejournal.com]

REDMAN PUNCHES A FURRY. End of.