Beth Ditto Has A Secret That’s Making Her Smile

Beth Ditto’s performance in the Gossip’s video for “Still Standing In The Way Of Control” “Heavy Cross,” from the band’s forthcoming major-label debut Music For Men, is weirdly reminiscent of American Idol–namely, all those moments when singers are trying to prove to you that they really feel a song, only the smile playing across their lips directly contradicts the seriousness / bummer quotient of the lyrics. I get that Ditto here is trying to play to the type of the all-seeing disco oracle here, but “Cross” is something of an odd contrast with both the glitter-and-gold motif of the clip and her almost-too-knowing grin. Particularly when she’s really trying to belt out that bit at the end–I don’t even think Whitney keeps a smile on her face while she’s really giving her songs their all. [YouTube]