Beyonce` on the "Party" set After helping a potential bee binge on Beyonce` videos, I decided make a list of my top 20 favorites. Despite releasing anthologies for 2 of her solo albums (“B’Day” &“BEYONCE`”), King B isn’t known for pop-culture crazing videos outside of “Single Ladies” and I think I know why. A good number of her videos are “pretty posey,” where all you get are shots and close-ups of Beyonce` posing pretty in various costumes, with no theme or storyline (videos are one area where her contemporary, Britney Spears, has her beat). This is particularly annoying when the song gives all the plot needed and it’s not utilized; case in point, the most disappointing “Best Thing I Never Had,” where she spent majority of the video singing into a flower decked in lingerie and running around a grassy knoll in an (epic) wedding dress. There’s nothing wrong with an occasional premise-less video, some are on this list, but the emphasis needs to be on “occasional.” That acknowledged, it wasn’t too hard to pick just 20 videos, but I did have a few outliers that I hated excluding, so those honorable mentions are under the list at the bottom. The omission most likely to shock is “Crazy in Love.” Yes, I love the song, it was her debut, the Versace was amazing, it had the “uh-oh” dance and it’s hard to beat her strutting in those red heels and perfect, curve hugging jean shorts and white tank, but…it’s not my favorite video to watch beyond the opening and closing moments. I’m sorry. If it made the list, it’s because I thought it was creative, just plain love it, it was a great memory for me, or a combination. The ranking was based on what I’d likely watch 1st. Enjoy and let me know if you agree.
20. Haunted (from “BEYONCE`,” directed by Jonas Akerlund)
This clip is very different from anything else in Beyoncé’s videography. It was dark. It was creepy. It was fantastic! Most pop videos with strange or abstract visuals have such without much context or theme consistency, causing them to come off like they were “trying too hard” to be unique or profound. “Haunted’s” interpretation is open, but it’s still simple and (mostly) sensible. The song is called “Haunted” and mentions ghosts, so we’re going to give you Beyonce` walking through a vintage hotel seeing freakshow and eerie figures that may not actually be there. It was like a music video for “American Horror Story.” Wait! There’s more! We’re going to be really relevant to the song and add images that have to do with sexuality. Wow! Figurative and concrete representations! My other favorite thing about Haunted: Bey’s classic Hollywood fashions and sultry makeup-it was dusky-emo done right. I’m obsessed with it. Oh, and I was happy to see that B’Day-era logo on her luggage. Get “Haunted” here.
This clip is very different from anything else in Beyoncé’s videography. It was dark. It was creepy. It was fantastic! Most pop videos with strange or abstract visuals have such without much context or theme consistency, causing them to come off like they were “trying too hard” to be unique or profound. “Haunted’s” interpretation is open, but it’s still simple and (mostly) sensible. The song is called “Haunted” and mentions ghosts, so we’re going to give you Beyonce` walking through a vintage hotel seeing freakshow and eerie figures that may not actually be there. It was like a music video for “American Horror Story.” Wait! There’s more! We’re going to be really relevant to the song and add images that have to do with sexuality. Wow! Figurative and concrete representations! My other favorite thing about Haunted: Bey’s classic Hollywood fashions and sultry makeup-it was dusky-emo done right. I’m obsessed with it. Oh, and I was happy to see that B’Day-era logo on her luggage. Get “Haunted” here.
19. Run the World (Girls) (from “4,” directed by Francis Lawrence)
The song was kind of hard to melodically catch onto, but the video was much easier to chew on. For those who love the version of Beyonce` that’s militant and fierce, “Run the World” is where it’s at: she’s riding horses (in an awesome outfit), blowing stuff up and marching, with her face painted on the walls and iconic, eye-catching insignia-anyone know where I can get one of those red “B” flags? I still want one. I loved the choreography, I loved the clothes (the Givenchy dress was to die for), it was a Beyonce` revolution and I was joining with a hair toss and shoulder bounce.
The song was kind of hard to melodically catch onto, but the video was much easier to chew on. For those who love the version of Beyonce` that’s militant and fierce, “Run the World” is where it’s at: she’s riding horses (in an awesome outfit), blowing stuff up and marching, with her face painted on the walls and iconic, eye-catching insignia-anyone know where I can get one of those red “B” flags? I still want one. I loved the choreography, I loved the clothes (the Givenchy dress was to die for), it was a Beyonce` revolution and I was joining with a hair toss and shoulder bounce.
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