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#SteveUrkel
9 years ago
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
soul for a rainy day
erykah badu's new video, window seat, has caused quite a commotion online. it's a narrative music video: a "story" by erykah badu. its melody kept me company in the rain today.
the video premiered on badu's website this weekend, and i've got to say --- i'm glad the videos premiering online aren't all of the telephone variety. i don't know why lady gaga thought it would be clever or appropriate to set her video in a prison (jail never looked so good --- according to gaga, life behind bars is all high-fashion glitz). sure, she's trying to "make a statement", but what is the statement exactly? what is she trying to say?
badu is pretty clear about her message. the song is a glimpse into the deep interior life of a woman who is a great comfort and catalyst to herself. the lyrics about the desire to get away from a life that's not all bad. i understand the longing to go away for a bit and hope someone will call you back. at the end of the video, erykah philosophizes aloud about the dangers of groupthink and the power of self-love and transformation.
as for erykah, she is (to quote the good, brilliant, and compassionate friend who first showed me this video) real and beautiful.
all in all, i think this video is great --- it's got the feminism and the art i've been missing in mainstream music.
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this video is so intriguing, almost forgot there was a song in the background that needed listening to...
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this Naima. I hadnt seen it. This is the kind of thing we need to be sharing in these sorts of public forums! Thank you for sharing your ideas. <3 This video kept me company on a sunny day!
ReplyDeleteAnd I love that she's nude! Why are we so afraid of nudity!? Which obviously symbolizes our true selves. What an honest celebration of the freedom of expression that America idealizes but so often shoots down.
ReplyDeleteThere is a great piece about "Window Seat" that's been floating around the internet. It's an interview with a five-year-old girl about the video. She says she likes the video because Erykah is "naked and cool and free."
ReplyDeleteCheck it out if you have time! Thanks for reading, folks. :)
http://loveisntenough.com/2010/04/05/a-five-year-old-reviews-erykah-badus-window-seat-video/
this part is especially great:
ReplyDeleteSH: Yes, Erykah Badu has boobies too. So it is OK to show your boobies outside?
TH: Yes, but only if you want to because they are yours.
and this part too. damn kids are perceptive...
Yes she did. She was shot.
TH: Why?
SH: Why do you think?
TH: Because she was naked and cool and free?
SH: Maybe.