Rihanna fires off a strong message in the powerful video for “Man Down,” the reggae-tinged single from her latest album Loud. Set against the beauty of Jamaica, the Barbados-born singer tells the story of a sexually-abused woman in the Anthony Mandler-directed clip.
Jennifer Lopez adds Lil Wayne to the mix in the video for “I’m Into You,” the second single from LOVE? Although they filmed together, Weezy and J.Lo do not actually share any scenes with one another. Instead, Tunechi appears solo in black and white and orange-hued shots as the video flashes back to images of J.Lo and actor William Levy on the beach in Mexico.
Rihanna gets in the sheets in the sultry video for “California King Bed,” The Runners-produced ballad from her latest album Loud.
After some delay, Nicki Minaj pulls back the covers on her vibrant video for “Super Bass,” the latest single from her platinum debut Pink Friday. The video was directed by Sanaa Hamri.
Lady Gaga stirs up more controversy in the video for “Judas,” the second single from her third album Born This Way, due May 23. The envelope pusher stars as Mary Magdalene in the reimagining of the betrayal of Jesus Christ by Judas. The video opens with Gaga riding in a motorcycle gang with Jesus and his apostles through a modern day Jerusalem. During several wardrobe changes, she attempts to warn Jesus of Judas’ deceit, but in the end, she pays the ultimate price for his sins.
“We don’t touch on things that we have no right touching upon, but the inspiration and the soul and idea that out of your oppression, your darkness, your Judas, you can come into the marvelous light,” the clip’s co-director and choreographer Laurieann Gibson told the Hollywood Reporter . “So it’s about the inspiration and to never give up… We’ve created a new Jerusalem.”
Beyoncé rounds up her girls and hits the desert in the teaser for “Run the World (Girls),” the first single from her fourth album. A troupe of femme fatales turns the rural terrain into a runway as they parade around, but Mrs. Carter does not appear in this particular scene. The Francis Lawrence-directed clip was shot over several days in April in California.
Chris Brown showcases what he does best—dance—in the video for “She Ain’t You,” the latest single from his F.A.M.E. album. Featuring a sample of Michael Jackson’s “Human Nature,” the Colin Tilley-directed clip opens with a dedication to his “biggest inspiration of all time,” Michael Jackson. The smooth operator glides across the floor in a white suit and big-brimmed hat against a wall of neon lights, flying through the air and splashing in a pool of water in subsequent scenes.
Nas and Damian Marley take it to the streets in the video for “Land of Promise” featuring Dennis Brown, the latest release from their joint album Distant Relatives. The rap and reggae stars invade Jamaica in the balmy clip, posting up in front of a graffiti portrait of Brown and mingling with the locals.
While the duo is currently touring in Europe, Nas is trying to etch time into his schedule to follow up with his next solo LP. “I got two [songs]. I’m just starting,” he revealed on BBC Radio 1Xtra. “It’s definitely a nice focus right now, the stuff I started on. I’m happy. I’m excited. I can’t wait.”
Kelly Rowland makes us sweat with the Sarah Chatfield-directed video for “Motivation,” the lead single from her third album, due later this summer. The Destiny’s Child diva sizzles as she seduces her male co-stars, dancing to choreographer Frank Gatson’s slick moves in a dark, underground warehouse where sex oozes from every corner. Lil Wayne drops by to spit his verse, but it’s Kelly who steals this show.
“‘Motivation’ makes me feel extremely, über-duber sexy,” the R&B chanteuse told MTV News. “It has that personality and characteristic to it that I don’t think anybody can deny. That’s why when Wayne dropped that insane verse on there … I was like, ‘You really brought that up even more.’ He went into the studio and just did it. I don’t think it takes much for Wayne to think. He just does it. He’s so admirable.”
Dre Black So Fresh 