Up/Down: Blame it on the Videos

I'm turning last week's up-or-down referendum into a weekly feature on my latest loves and hates. And as promised, no more self-justifying diatribes. This week I've got some music videos for you. The slow transmutation of the music video over the past 15 years has been absolutely fascinating, and at the same time depressing. On the one hand, few are made and now they mostly suck; on the other, MTV has made up for this by making it possible to watch whatever music video you want, whenever...and embed it in my blog (I love you MTV!)...with an obligatory 15 second commercial (I hate you MTV!). It's an unhealthy relationship, me and the MTV.

Big Ups
1. "Blame It"- Jamie Foxx feat. T-Pain: Jamie Foxx's music career has been one long "is he serious?" awkward moment. This song is an excellent balance of the humor and the R&B, umm, talent. "Fill another cup up/feelin' on your butt, what"...I mean, that's a joke, right? Got to be. I get it.

Jamie Foxx - New Music - More Music Videos

2. "Magnificent"-U2: Someone pointed out to me recently that no U2 member has ever released a solo album, and that this commitment to the core band is what has kept them around. Hard to argue with that, especially watching this latest video. Nothing groundbreaking, but the music is solid, the sound is good, and the shots of the band playing together are a simple way of conveying that power. Also, there's the sheets.

U2 - New Music - More Music Videos

3. "Love Sex Magic"-Ciara feat. Justin Timberlake: As long as Ciara keeps making music and videos like this, I can do without Beyonce. Sexy, sexy song. Video speaks for itself.

Ciara featuring Justin Timberlake - New Music - More Music Videos

Big Downs

1. "Sugar" - Flo Rida: there was a time when Hip-Hop was music's most innovative genre, in no small part because it's protagonists are by nature aggressively competitive (As Boogie Down Productions told it in 1988, the point of rapping is to be #1--it's a battle). If you stole someone else's style--or didn't have your own--you simply wouldn't survive. Unfortunately The borrowing, theft, and outright lack of creativity in rap today says alot about what's happened as a result of the "mainstreaming" of hip hop. Case in point: Flo Rida taking the "remix-a-slightly-obscure-song-that-people-will-drunkenly-recognize-on the-dancefloor-and-rap-blandly-over-that" model to unforeseen lows with a sample from Eiffel 65's willfully forgotten techno hit "Blue." When will it stop? He even butchers the sample...how is that possible?!?!? Hopefully this is what jumping the shark looks like.

Flo Rida - New Music - More Music Videos

2. "Know Your Enemy"- Greenday: Anyone else find it weird that Greenday "discovered their punk roots" and got political right when it paid to be lefty? Go back to Dookie.

Green Day - New Music - More Music Videos

3. "I Never Knew You"-Cage: Shia Labouf directed this. Strike 8. Emo+rap=extra big downs.

Cage (Rap) - New Music - More Music Videos