Idolator: videodrome

Ne-Yo's "Closer," Now With Video!

Anthony Miccio — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 17:30:00 EDT

This is the third time in about a week we've posted a link to Ne-Yo's "Closer," but a) now there's a video and b) it's a damn good song. Video's addictive, too. Between this and Gnarls Barkley's "Run" I think everyone should rock zebra stripes. Ne-Yo even gets to look into the camera a bit (without sunglasses!), even though Scott Summers here risks burning a hole through the screen with those eyebrows. Dude should have to put a dollar in a jar every time he touches the brim of his hat. [YouTube]

R. Kelly Holds Court in "Hairbraider" Video

Anthony Miccio — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 09:30:00 EDT

The video for R. Kelly's "Hairbraider" is out, and now we can watch women writhe while he slowly reveals the garish gold braids that have already been visible in recent photos. There was some vocoderism on Double Up, but he's fallen so hard for the likes of T-Pain and The-Dream that this feels mostly like a genre exercise. Even though I enjoy all three artists, I hope this vocal effect will sound dated sooner rather than later. Autotune or not, this isn't even the best song he's made about hair braiding.
R. Kelly - Hairbraider [OnSMASH]

Alicia Keys' New Video Pays Respect To Dean Big Brother Almighteee

Anthony Miccio — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 14:30:00 EDT

School Daze, being Spike Lee's second full-length film, is a little clumsy for a musical and features the worst ending in a career full of bad ones, but it has an excellent cast and plenty of memorable set pieces. So it's no shock that Alicia Keys would interpolate it for her new video, "Teenage Love Affair," a young girl's valentine to a school mate: "Want you to be my first, my last, my ending and beginning." I don't think she included enough of the frat stuff, though.

And the relative lack of stepping was unconscionable. "Ice, Ice, Baby!"

Still, she didn't have it end with Laurence Fishburne yelling "wake up!" into the camera. If only Spike had shown such restraint.

Alicia Keys - Teenage Love Affair [World Star Hip Hop]
Gamma Phi Gamma [YouTube]
School Daze Step Shows [YouTube]