You get a 3-for-1 special today! Here’s the first. Enjoy.
* * * I’ve been wanting to do a countdown featuring songs about songs (you know, songs about music, dancing, and/or a certain genre). I have my 10 songs, but even as I posted Number 10, I wasn’t sure about the order. So, this one will form as I go. I normally have my list ready to go before I start. MY TOP 10is a music video countdown, but with some songs (maybe two in particular) occuring before the MTV era, I will have to improvise and pull something from Dailymotion or YouTube. Here goes.
3. Jennifer Lopez “Play”
This is the jam that you want to “play” over and over. And what person who loves to dance (like me!) cannot relate to the line about making your request to the DJ over and over before s/he finally decides to play it? That’s the line I like to talk along to at the top of my lungs. This is the highlight of the J.Lo album. It does have other delights, but this is definitely a standout. “Play” becomes that song that “Play” is about.
I’ve been wanting to do a countdown featuring songs about songs (you know, songs about music, dancing, and/or a certain genre). I have my 10 songs, but even as I posted Number 10, I wasn’t sure about the order. So, this one will form as I go. I normally have my list ready to go before I start. MY TOP 10is a music video countdown, but with some songs (maybe two in particular) occuring before the MTV era, I will have to improvise and pull something from Dailymotion or YouTube. Here goes.
6. Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam “Let the Beat Hit ‘Em”
Before J. Lo there was Lisa Lisa — the first Nuyorican pop diva. This was one of a long string of Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam freestyle/R&B/dance hits. This came out some time after the earlier stuff, but it’s still as potent as anything from the first album. The audio play is fun and keeps things moving on the dance floor. One to keep on replay and sing and dance to over and over.
I thought it would be fun to countdown MY TOP 10: Music Video Cameos. That is, music videos with cameos by non-musical personalities who are known for working in other areas of show biz. My criteria were that:
1) the video be memorable, of course;
2) the featured personality not be another musical artist at the time (now if they became musical artists at a later point that’s another story; they’re still eligible);
3) the featured personality be known at the time (not be an unknown who became known later); and
4) the cameo be a worthwhile part in the video (not just a 2-second spot).
3. Paula Abdul, Rosanna Arquette, Dan Aykroyd, Mayim Bialik, Bubbles, Jackie Collins, David Copperfield, Emily Dreyfuss, Richard Dreyfuss, Corey Feldman, Lou Ferrigno, Debbie Gibson, Danny Glover, Steve Guttenberg, Jasmine Guy, Whoopi Goldberg, Sherman Hemsley, Olivia Hussey, Amy Irving, Malcolm-Jamal Warner, Beverly Johnson, Quincy Jones, Don King, Virginia Madsen, Olivia Newton-John, Brigitte Nielson, Lou Diamond Phillips, Ricky Schroder, Steven Spielberg, Suzanne Somers, John Travolta, Blair Underwood, Carl Weathers, Billy Dee Williams, and ”Weird Al” Yankovic in Michael Jackson’s “Liberian Girl”
Okay, so there are some popstars in there and that goes against my criteria. We can knock them out of the running and that still leaves a lot of star power. And, yes, these were some of the biggest stars at the time. This goes to show the power that Jacko wielded at the time – to be able to get them all on the same set. It’s fun to compare then to now and see where people are at now in their careers.
Now, paint me clueless, but I like a couple of songs that use this as a sample and I didn’t realize they referenced an original Michael Jackson song until recently. I love Jennifer Lopez’ “If You Had My Love” and MC Lyte’s “Keep On Keepin’ On” featuring Xscape. I’m sure there are more as well as all kinds of other Michael Jackson samples and interpolations out there. He is Michael Jackson and was at the top of his game at one point and for a very long while.
That said, in my defense, this song/video was never released in the US. It was only released in Europe and Australia as an official single for Bad. Regardless, it’s a clever concept and that’s why it’s Number 3.
I thought it would be fun to countdown MY TOP 10: Music Video Cameos. That is, music videos with cameos by non-musical personalities who are known for working in other areas of show biz. My criteria were that:
1) the video be memorable, of course;
2) the featured personality not be another musical artist at the time (now if they became musical artists at a later point that’s another story; they’re still eligible);
3) the featured personality be known at the time (not be an unknown who became known later); and
4) the cameo be a worthwhile part in the video (not just a 2-second spot).
5. Jennifer Lopez in Puff Daddy & The Family’s “Been Around The World” featuring the Notorious B.I.G. and Ma$e
Okay, so it’s no secret I’m a J.Lo fan. Now, this was right at the brink of J.Lo mania. A little before kicking off her music career, but she’s in Diddy’s video here who was instrumental in her early pop success. So, you know things were already percolating and brewing between the two regarding her next moves musically and personally.
If you’re going to have cameo in a music video, this is the way to do it — as the queen of some fictional country. I’d be the queen of some fictional country. (Okay, so she’s the princess of Tunisia, but queen of some fictional country is so much better.) And you get to get your dance on. I’d get my dance on, too. A remake of sorts of the Lisa Stansfield classic, “All Around The World.” Vivica A. Fox, Quincy Jones, and Wyclef Jean also guest. Enjoy!
I was introduced to Number 1 through J. Lo’s MTV reality show about dancers trying to make it, DanceLife. I love to dance. Not a trained dancer, but not a bad freestyle/club dancer, if I do say so myself. And I love J. Lo. So, I checked out the show and loved it. Wish MTV had picked it up for a second season.
Anyway, Young Love’s “Find a New Way” was the opening song. And the routine the dancers on the show do to it just bananas. I also think it was genius to use this song for a J.Lo vehicle. You would think it’d be a J.Lo song or pop/R&B song, but they used this instead.
It embodies what the show was about and what a passion for dancing entails. I liked it so much I checked out Young Love. I didn’t know if it was just a guy or a band or what. I still don’t really know. Dan Keyes seems to be the main guy. I picked up the debut album, Too Young to Fight It. Loved it! He really felt like a rich man’s Justin Timberlake; really hipper than JT, to me. Not as poppy and R&B, more electro. I just dug the sounds and songs.
His record company won’t allow the videos to be embedded on YouTube, so I could only link them here. The first video is the DanceLife intro so you can see my inspiration. The links that follow are 2 versions of Number 1 – the original version and a black-and-white version directed by fashion photographer Terry Richardson and featuring model Kemp Muhl. I really do love to dance! Just felt like confessing that to the universe.
“left some faves for last. i think they’re some of her best videos, anyway.”
1. “That’s The Way Love Goes” & “If” from janet. Released: April 20, 1993 and July 13, 1993
Well, we’ve made it through to Number 1. And, 2 videos, not 1, hold that spot – the first 2 singles from janet. I still agree with my 2007 self that these 2 videos are Janet’s best and they are still, definitely, favorites. What more can I say about the janet. era? It speaks for itself, but I still have a little more to say.
The laid-back video intro and groove of “That’s The Way Love Goes” and the little nutcracker soldier choreography bit from “If” are the stand-out parts of each. Can’t forget to mention the bebop flourish on “TTLG” and Supremes sample of “Someday We’ll Be Together” on “If” as well. The curly brown hair, silver hoop earrings, Native necklace and little black vest (featured in both videos) are also iconic fixtures from this era. The Jennifer Lopez appearance in “TTWLG” is one for the J. Lo completists and pop trivia buffs.
Well, while you all are enjoying these videos, I’ll be enjoying the real-life LIVE Janet. Today is the day. Can’t wait. So, so, so excited.
Listening to The Velvet Rope (“Together Again” is on) while I write this for you all on Saturday, October 18, 2008, 11:45 AM, to refresh myself on Janet’s repetoire. On tape, you all! I’m telling my age. Never upgraded to CD on this one. Got my t-shirt this week. I’m ready to go.
Not her first introduction, Number 7 “Crazy in Love,” was Beyoncé’s first introduction as a proper solo artist with a proper solo album. Destiny’s Child and a contribution to the Austin Powers in Gold Member soundtrack were her previous platforms. “Work it Out” cast doubt on her ability to shine as a solo star since it didn’t perform as expected, though. In my opinion, it’s a stronger effort sonically and visually. Regardless, she more than recovered with this video.
She loses brownie points for recycling some of J. Lo’s high fashion looks and counting on Jay-Z’s shine to carry her through. She gets some back for her own hot looks like the tank, jean shorts, and red heels and the fierce dance routine on the stoop. The booty shake I didn’t care much for, but it did light the country on fire. She even had Oprah trying to do it.
There’s no denying that this was the hot summer jam of 2003. It played 24/7 on radio and television. You can always tell a diva’s got a hot song when she works with a new producer and a bunch of other divas quickly get in line to work with him, too. If Amerie introduced Rich Harrison, Beyoncémade him hot.
The beginning of the J. Lo pop revolution started with number 8, “If You Had My Love,” released in 1999. She was On the 6 and we were all on the subway ride with her. Though she didn’t get her urban make-over until Ja Rule lent his magic with the “I’m Real (Murder Remix)” in 2001, this video got the steam going through the first singles until the excitement of “Love Don’t Cost a Thing” and the J. Lo album, which put things into overdrive.
A portent of things to come for Jennifer and other pop-lets, it shows the world’s fascination with her through a mix of fans watching her every move on live room cams on her official website. It was a clever use of modern media and examination of its implication on a pop star’s image, performance, and existence.
Maybe not the first video to incorporate the dance break, though it sure feels like it in the modern era. Its influence is still felt today as Madonna and both Timbs are still doing it on “4 Minutes” in 2008. Though her musical significance is in question today, at the time, we hadn’t had a grown dance diva with such flair since Janet, Madonna, and Paula before her.
About the Site:
Austin, TX music blogazine featuring pop outside the box from September 15, 2008 through November 27, 2011
