Music videos

I was watching MTV last night. MTV Yo! was on and Run DMC's Kings of Rock was playing after Kanye West. And then it suddenly hit me. Why aren't music videos like they used to be?

Take Run DMC's Kings of Rock. It was full of meaning, not just a bunch of rappers showing off their bling bling. Run and DMC arrive at the entrance of the 'Museum of Rock'. They got rejected and then Run goes on "We are the Kings of Rock", rapping over some rock riffs with the beat provided by Jam Master Jay. They go on and on, breaking rock symbols and essentially telling the world that there ain't such thing as classification. Rap can be rock and rock can be rap. Run DMC already tore down the wall between rock and rap in the video clip for Walk This Way and now they took it another level. It's all about the attitude.

Fast forward 20 years later and look at any rap/hip-hop video clip. There isn't any meaning to it anymore. No more symbolism or hidden messages. It's all about the bling-bling, the Bentleys, the Louis Vitton suitcases, the Crystal, etc. Or it's just girls and booty shaking.

I guess that the times are just different. Twenty years ago, video clips are not just there to promote an artist, they are there to promote music in general. Now it's just to promote a brand and the brand is the artist. Why make it complicated when the audience is shallow anyway?

My mate wrote a thesis about a video clip. He analysed the clip and searched for every meaning, blatant or hidden. That was 10 years ago. Right now he will be having trouble finding a subject for a thesis like that, because frankly, video clips these days are crap. Just like MTV.

On another musical note...

David Bowie

I was so excited with the prospect of watching David Bowie live in concert at Paleo. I bought my tickets as early as possible and couldn't wait to see this living legend perform live.

Until I got this in my email:

'Paléo Festival Nyon – Cancellation of David Bowie’s European tour

David Bowie will not be appearing at Paléo Festival Nyon on Tuesday 20 July. His management has announced that his entire European tour has been cancelled. This decision is due to the health problem that the artist is suffering from at the moment. The Festival organisers, and indeed David Bowie himself, regret this cancellation. Bowie’s gig at the Festival would have been the artist’s only appearance in Switzerland and was keenly anticipated.'

Bummer. Turns out that Bowie's health problem is serious and he even needed a heart surgery.

Hope he gets well soon and will one day perform close to where I live...