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.
*************
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.
*************
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?
*************
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.
*************
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.
*************
What do you think of our picks? Did we miss any? As ever, let us know…