The video for “About A Girl,” the Sugababes’ first single since founding member Keisha Buchanan was shown the Suga-door two and a half weeks ago, has debuted, and hey—it’s not just shots of the girls dancing around in the American desert! Instead, it has a very threadbare, curiously subtitled, girls-overcoming-their-femininity plot that allows new member Jade Ewen to show off her acting ability, and possibly her dexterity as far as performing stunts (the fast-whipping hair extensions made me wonder if a double was being used; repeat viewings proved inconclusive). Clip after the jump.
Something tells me that this video is not going to make the people who were worried about the group’s latest lineup shift any more soothed than they were two days ago, especially with the overwhelming awkwardness that takes over the screen when the ‘Babes line up to slap each others’ rumps. Oh, oh, aiiiieeee, indeed.
(Also, it is hard for me to think of the concept “vigilante-justice girl group dancing in the desert” and not think of “Say You’ll Be There.” What can I say, I’m a loyalist.)
Sugababes - About a Girl [OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO] [Dailymotion]
This makes me cry. Make it stop, Maura. Make 4.0 stop and call it a day.
I was trying to keep the faith, thinking ‘well, if they’re doing it to crack America’ — leaving aside Keisha’s unspoken transgressions — ‘maybe this version is worth a shot’. But this is probably one of the worst videos in the Sugababes canon, and they’ve done some pretty naff ones of late. Even if ‘Girls’ was a flop, at least they looked like they were having fun. Here they just look awkward and, especially in the case of Jade, like they’re trying too hard to get sexy, if you’ll pardon the pun. I still like this song — and I think Jade’s vocals are better than Keisha’s — but I’m not holding out much hope for their ‘handlers’ getting this right.
Am I the only one who thinks it sounds like they’re singing “Oh, oh, Heidi, oh”? Keisha should totally steal that hook and use it for a Heidi-bating pissed-off revenge single.
Also, I can’t help but think that this still sounds way too Euro for America. And that haircut does not look cute on Amelle — I keep seeing the shaved bits and thinking “Oh no what’s happening to her hair? Is it falling out?” I just don’t understand why anybody would want to be the Pussycat Dolls when being the Pussycat Dolls is barely working for the Pussycat Dolls.
In no way do I think this will crack America, if this is how the campaign will be handled going forward. That is a dull video, and watching Heidi “do” sexy is a bit like seeing your grandmother’s Facebook page: it upsets the natural balance of things. The songs released so far are rather lackluster in a broad sense (they are terrible in the Sugababes sense), and I have a feeling this whole thing will quietly be packed up sometime in December after a third generic single. Which is a real shame, because I actually enjoy reinvention of pop personalities. I also fear for anyone who is trying to release Gaga-esque pop songs within the same time period that Gaga is putting out new songs herself.
“Faster Pussycat, Kill Bill.”