Romeo and Juliet-like Muisic Videos

I noticed that there is a trend with Drake’s and Alicia Keys’ new music videos. The videos for “Find Your Love” (by Drake) and “Un-thinkable (I’m Ready)” (by Alicia Keys) have a Romeo and Juliet like plot to it, but still slightly different. One takes place in Jamaica  and the other takes place in the US. One is more action packed, the other one is more tame, but they both have conflict. Overall both videos have similar plots. Both these videos kept me interested and left me hanging at end, which added to the intrigue. I’m a real sucker for music videos with a good plot.  I have the videos embedded in this post, I’d advise you watch the video and read my commentary after so you can form your own opinions, before I poison your thoughts.

The “Find Your Love” video is the more masculine out of the two videos, complete with violence and scantily clad women. Set in the slums in Jamaica, the video, is about Drake falling in love with the girlfriend (well not really, more like something between a personal slave and a prostitute)  of a Jamaican gang leader (played by reggae artist, Mavado) which as a result, the gang leader sets out to kill Drake. What really stood out to me was the contrasting relationships with Drake and the girl and the girl and the gang leader. Its seems the relationship between the gang leader and the girl is purely sexual, like the scene in the club, the girl is all over him while he just sits there (not like she wants to) , no romance, he just treats her like an object. The relationship between Drake and the girl is more romantic, for example when Drake approached her in the club, he kisses her on her hand first. Unlike the gang leader he treats her like a person, not a sex object (points for Drake for being a gentleman). In the end, the gang leader catches Drake and the girl comes out. The gang leader gives the girl a gun to kill Drake and the video blacks out a with a gunshot, leaving  viewers wondering. Who did she shoot? Personally, I think she shot the gang leader because Drake treated her like a lady while the gang leader treated her like dirt.   

I really like this video and the song. I got her CD, “The Element of Freedom”, in December and “Un-thinkable (I’m Ready)” was a standout song for me. So I was already sold on this song, so when I was on YouTube and saw the ad for the “Un-thinkable” video,  I had to see it. I was shocked that Alicia picked former teen heart-throb, Chad Michael Murray because he was much different from the guys she usually picks for her videos. But when I found out the concept of the video, I understood the choice. Alicia took a more socially conscious route for this video. The video is about an interracial relationship between Keys and Murray characters across the decades to present day. The two make a cute couple in a way that I can’t explain. My favorite scene in this video is the grocery store scene, where Alicia is shopping while Murray is looking over from the adjacent aisle. I think Murray channeled that bad good guy vibe very well, especially when they get to the end of the aisle when he’s defiantly checking Alicia out. Another standout was the fight scene, and Murray shouted to Alicia’s brother, “What! I’m not good enough!?”. It like one of those lines that are worth 10,000 words, it really brought out the feeling in the video. I like how it transitions through the decades with the standout stuff like the Godzilla cellphones from the 80′s. In the end Murray drives to Alicia’s house and Alicia standing at the door, which leaves us wondering did she follow her heart, and date the white guy or do what her family wants her to? I commend Alicia for taking such a bold route with this video.

Overall, these were very well made, creative,  statement-making videos, that are good in different ways. I’d recommend these videos to people with an eye for art or just good music videos.