Whether it’s depleted budgets, miscalculations, or just a general misfiring, bad videos routinely happen to stellar songs.
Join us below as we count down five times this has sadly happened…
5. Britney Spears – ‘Gimme More’ [2007]
It’s a given that Britney was going through a tumultuous time in 2007. But, as many agree, said period produced one of her most revered bodies of work – ‘Blackout.’
Sadly it feels as though the hot mess-ness of the ‘Gimme More’ video and its performances (VMAs, anyone) contributed to its success – but also to the tabloid titillation surrounding her breakdown.
For that reason, she’s barely revisited it in later years.
One can only dream of what the video would have looked like during her peak.
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4. Beyonce – 1+1 [2011]
Sadly, Queen Bey is a serial offender. While she’s getting better on this front (with the cinematic skew of self-titled and ‘Lemonade’), her “video for everything” approach – as well as her incessant need to helm everything herself – has sometimes seen quality compromised.
Case in point the self-directed clip for ‘1+1.’
Call us spoilt, but – much like Bey – we’re products of the Michael Jackson generation. The MTV era where things actually “happened” in videos.
Sure the sonic nature of ‘1+1’ doesn’t lend itself to the sass and 8-counts Beyonce has become renown for. But, we’d have loved to see something with more replay value. The song is dramatic and evocative of emotion, yet its visual had no narrative nor va va voom.
We can honestly say we’ve not seen this video more than five times in total – and that’s already four plays too many.
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3. Lady Gaga – Million Reasons [2016]
Gaga performed this everywhere. Like, she legit would sing this at the opening of a door. So, one would think that its video would mirror the magnitude of its promotional push. Wrong!
The wack concept was paired with even worse execution and truly ran risk of stopping this seismic song in its tracks.
Thankfully, a strategised digital push saw her finesse her way to a #4 peak on the Hot 100.
Still, we wonder if this could have climbed even higher with a better visual?
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2. Rihanna – Kiss It Better [2016]
When RiRi’s ‘ANTI’ finally landed, many hailed ‘Work’ as its savior after a terrible pre-release campaign threatened to derail the LP before it even arrived.
Yet, for us, ‘Kiss It Better’ seemed like the definitive smash-in-waiting. Her next ‘Diamonds,’ if you will.
Until its video debuted.
A four minute showcase of nothing, the clip was comprised of cheap beauty shots and poor post-production.
It was a double fail in that it premiered in the midst of ‘Work’s domination – effectively rendering it dead on arrival.
One of modern music’s most mishandled messes.
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1. Janet Jackson – Feedback [2008]
We see what was being attempted here, but the end product just didn’t deliver. ‘Feedback’ had all the makings of a comeback smash and in some ways was. Indeed, it was Janet’s first top 20 in years and is still her biggest hit since ‘All For You’. It was hard-hitting, infectious, and boasted an urgency that screamed “I’m back…b*tch!”
But that video, oh that video.
Janet was displayed as quite literally being out of this world and possessed powers that could make things grow, move, and mutate. She was, per the lyrics, like no other chick.
But the visual didn’t relay this well. At all.
It attempted to do too much in too little time and featured not enough of what she’s loved for – dance.
And that bowl of cereal is still unforgivable almost a decade on.
When thinking of what this should have looked like, ‘Lose My Breath’ by Destiny’s Child immediately comes to mind. So does ‘So Excited’ and ‘All Nite’ – ironically by… Janet Jackson.
This Diet Coke ‘Star Trek’ ish we ended up with still grates ’til this day. Although the dance-break does redeem. Slightly.
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What do you think of our picks? Did we miss any? As ever, let us know…
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I absolutely DO NOT AGREE with Feedback being on this list. That video was the business. Sorry…y’all got that one really wrong.
I agree
Thsi website is sooo gay.
Then leave bit*#. Your always talking s***, yet you’re still here.
*you’re
Strategised? It’s spelled “strategized”. CAn you finally get educated writers which can spell?
Also, feedback was released in 2008. Her last top 10 Was in 2001 with “someone to call my lover” so get ur facts str8. Y’all irritate me. Talkin bout 20 years. B**** whet?
EDIT! My bad, “her first top 20 in years” my bad. Y’all still can’t spell though lol
You should probably check what your talking about before pulling someone up on an incorrect spelling, when in fact, it can be spelled that way (It’s the British version), so maybe, it is you who should get educated.
Also, I don’t agree with Feedback being on this list either !
STFU HO!
Are you dumb? Both spellings are correct idiot. Just depends on whether you are using American, British, Canadian, or Australian English
You STFU TOO!
Ha ha @Jeans – happy to give critique, but act like a p*ssy when taking it! Bye!
http://www.yourdictionary.com/strategised
LOL, did you just call out someone for using British spelling on a blog based out of there? Leave it to the Americans and their awfully stupid population.
feedback was innovative and ahead of its time like most janet videos….however, it wasn’t the treatment or dance break i would’ve personally liked for that track..everything else here i agree is garbage tho
I agree with all except
janet feedback video is Good and one of finest videos by her the last decade.
If i have to choose i will pick No sleep,the song is so good and the video sucks
Also i believe that beyonces video 1+1 is really good as well!And the song and i think they fit perfect!
no sleep literally put my ass to sleep song was boring af.
I have to agree with everything stated, although the ‘Feedback’ video grew on me somewhat (but nothing that’s truly awesome should have to).
LOL@the people pretending that TGJ got it wrong about “Feedback.” That video was hideous back then, and still is today. Cheap looking visuals, tacky wardrobe, tired dance sequence. And the cereal thing at the end was plain unforgivable.
Ya’ll missed my BAE Nick Jonas…Jealous was a banger, but that video???? Whooo chile, a hot MESS ?
Whoever wrote this gets 10 points. This was very well written and funny. I like this style of blogging. However, gimme more video was my ish, I like the trashy white girl what was she thinking feel of the video.
The fact that “Kiss it Better” is higher on the list than “1+1” and they are literally THE EXACT SAME VIDEO tho….. Favoritism much Sam?
Kiss it Better loses extra brownie points for copying
All women LOL, this site will never evolve.
cuz it’s ran by a bunch of hard core queens
Kelly Rowland – Commander.. I’m a fan but that video was a complete letdown…
“Call on me” by Janet ft Nelly is a far worse video compared to feedback. It was a waste of time for a Janet video. She had no great choreography, she had too much CGI effects on her clothes, and the setting instead of going to the Asian country they beers imitating.
“Call On Me” is a terrible song, so the terrible video to match was par for the course. “Feedback” IMO, isn’t that great a song either, but still deserved a better video than it got.
They should have made that video an EVENT. Janet isn’t the queen of music video concepts, but she does have a great catalog of music videos. There should have been 2 minutes added to the video than the song where she had a KILLER dance break, a story line, and no oops all berry cap’n crunch.
***I love love love you but honorable mention definitely goes to ” Hot Sugar by Tamar ” that song was hyped to be her club banger and yet we was delivered a video that was anything but that *** She got it together tho afterwards
Hot Sugar should be number one on this list!!! ???
A hot sugary ass mess more like it. Had all of the makes of a great video, but it was executed poorly. Tried to hard with dudes in dresses or heels or whatever. Editing wasn’t good either. A lot if Tamar braxton videos are bad. Love and war should have been more than a wig flipping commercial. They all seem under developed and didn’t try to complete the whole idea. If there is a story, tell it.
That Beyoncé song is as bad as the video.
Don´t be cruel. I don´t think it is a bad song. In fact that album including that song is when I started to appreciate or respect Beyonce more artistically. At least the new route of concept albums. In this case it was a classier album. Goodness knows her previous 3 efforts were very weak musically except for 2 or 3 singles (like Crazy in Love for example which is a fantastic song and a classic at this point). Still shocking that with those 3 average efforts she won so many (secondary) grammys. But a lot of things were in her favour for that to happen, like the too many R&B categories during the 00s that were cut down later on. If anything I would have given her those for the stuff in that album (4) and then “Beyonce”. Those two were really good. “Beyonce” was even innovative at the time.
TGJ Please go back and revisit the list, as Feedback should not be on here, song and video were????? I don’t know what you’re talkin’ bout. If anything riri’s p0rno should be no.1; absolutely pointless.
“Bowl of cereal” LOL hehe!
Hmm excuse me but I liked that Janet video a lot back in the day. And I´m not a fan. It´s a very weird choice for a #1 in a list like this.
Honestly didn’t know the 1+1 and Million Reasons videos existed. ? And Kiss It Better should be #1 on the list because that was the let down of the year!!! I’m still mad.. *cues Feedback video* ?
Are you serious about feedback? That video was SLAYAGE , I agree with everything but that