The re-birth of the pop video

The release of a pop video as an event has not been seen since the time of the late, great Michael Jackson when zombie laden 'Thriller' was unleashed on MTV in 1983 to a global audience of millions. Many regard that video as the greatest of all time (sorry to go a bit Kanye), and it's not hard to see why. The prosthetics, costumes, dance moves and Vincent Price's hanuting voice over smashed the pop video concept out of the water.



Pop culture as we knew it changed that night as people all over the globe embraced the highly visual concept to their hearts, the red leather jacket and trouser combination was quickly adopted as a costume. The dance moves were copied and will forever be synomnous with Jackson, and it changed the boundaries of pop music videos forever.

So, will we ever see this hysteria again surrounding a pop video?

I'm going to stick my dainty neck out and say a resounding YES... the closest I have ever felt to eagerly awaiting a pop video is of the GaGa. When she released 'Bad Romance' exclusively on her website, it crashed!! Was it worth the wait?! Too bloody right it was! High fashion? monsters? burning corpses? nudity? dance routines? Alexander McQueen outfits? Check, check and check.

So for next single 'Telephone' featuring bootylicous Beyonce there was a buzz of excitement, GaGa let on it was planning to be epic and we'd be wrong to disagree. Excitment was heightened when the release date was pushed back, stills from the video appeared of GaGa wearing a blue telephone headpiece- standard, a bewejeled Beyonce looking kick ass and then further stils of GaGa in what appeared to be leather and beer can curlers, cigarette sunglasses and chains.



So the video was released on March 11th, highly publicised on all social network sites and by email ads... is it any good?

It's had 15,350,280 views in 4 days.. not bad eh?!

GaGa teamed up with director of 'Paparazzi' Jonas Ackerlund, to produce a 9min 32sec pop video that is pretty outstanding. The premise of the video is that follows on from 'Paparazzi' where GaGa was convicted of killing her boyfriend by poisoning him and sent to prison.

Product placement? nudity? thongs? diet coke can curlers? studs? leather? fishnets? cigarette sunglasses? awesome dance routines? avant garde fashion? Pussywagon? Tyrese Gibson? Beyonce in yellow? GaGa making sandwiches? poison? GaGa and Honey B dancing their asses off? Cameo from 'Semi Precious Weapons'? Thelma and Louise moment?

If you like all those things you are SURE to love the video where once again GaGa pushes the boundaries and proves the pop video doesn't have to be a bland affair. So yes the 'acting' scenes are stiff and dodgy but on the whole this video is the best I have seen so far this year and should rightly leave other artists quaking in their boots.

Watch this space.... 'Alejandro' is next :-)
Love, SGS xoxo