This week Taylor Swift just about broke the internet when the music video for her song ‘Bad Blood’ was set loose onto the world. Not only did the video feature new verses in a collaboration with Kendrick Lamar, it also sees Tay-Tay collaborating with a gang of her celebrity friends, kicking butt in some sort of badass feminist Justice League homage.
The music video featured Taylor herself, Lamar, Selena Gomez, Hailee Steinfeld, Zendaya, Karlie Kloss, Jessica Alba, Hayley Williams, Ellie Goulding, Lily Aldridge, Gigi Hadid, Lena Dunham, Serayah, Ellen Pompeo, Mariska Hargitay, Cara Delevinge, Martha Hunt, and Cindy Bloody Crawford. Oh my.
We’re in a cultural renaissance of celebrities taking part in ridiculous and entertaining music videos. What an age we live in where we can watch Tom Hanks lip-sync to a Carly Rae Jepsen songor see Jason Bateman, Ed Helms, Will Forte and Jason Sudeikis pretend to be Mumford & Sons. Celebrities have a long history of appearing in music videos, and they range from main roles to subtle appearances, classic videos to forgettable mishaps. We uncover five of the best for your viewing pleasure.
Ed Sheeran – ‘Lego House’
Starring Rupert Grint
Ed Sheeran looks like Ron Weasley. Like every single other white guy with red hair, it’s something Ed has had to hear since he first started busking around in the UK. Clearly in 2011 he finally decided to put an end to it, and got Rupert Grint to star in the music video for ‘Lego House’. Grint, also being a pale white guy with red hair, played the role of Sheeran perfectly. The video is a cute little tale of Grint plunging into the depths of insanity thanks to his identity crisis, before being carted off by security right before Ed Sheeran takes the stage.
Fatboy Slim – ‘Weapon Of Choice’
Starring Christopher Walken
What else can be said about ‘Weapon Of Choice’? It’s always a frontrunner for the greatest music video of all time. Directed by Spike Jonze, the video features Christopher Walken sitting in a hotel lobby when he hears the new track by Fatboy Slim. What does he do? He dances his arse off for three straight minutes is what.
He grooves across the lobby, up and down escalators, and even defies gravity by jumping from wall to wall. Walken is one of those people who are so weird and charismatic you can’t help but watch him dance around a hotel.
Kanye West – ‘Touch The Sky’
Starring Pamela Anderson
In 2006, Kanye West was killing it in the music industry (he still is). He had just dropped his album Late Registation, which was packed to the brim with hits, and for the song ‘Touch The Sky’ he teamed up with director Chris Milk to make a music video that’s a 70s homage to Evel Knievel… or Evel Kanyevel, if you will.
Kanye’s girlfriend in the video is played by Pamela Anderson. Not only that, the video also features Nia Long and Tracee Ellis Ross yelling down West himself.
The Offspring – ‘She’s Got Issues’
Starring Zooey Deschanel
Music videos aren’t just for celebrities to do weird things in front of cameras (although I really wish they were). Sometimes small-time actors can get their break appearing in a few music videos, like Zooey Deschanel did. One of her first roles was appearing in this 1998 video from The Offspring. It’s got a young Deshanel with red hair, some pretty cool animations, and a B-grade track from The Offspring – a perfect combination!
Paul Simon – ‘You Can Call Me Al’
Starring Chevy Chase
Warning: Listening to this song is a guarantee that you’re going to have it in your head all day. That synth line? That chorus? It’s 100 per cent, A-grade earworm material. This 1986 song by Paul Simon is one of his best-known hits, and it’s got a killer music video to boot, featuring the infamous Chevy Chase.
It’s simple, but brilliant. Paul and Chevy sit down in a pink room, and Chevy starts lip-syncing the lyrics while enthusiastically gesturing. Paul just kinda sits there and looks sad. It’s great because it’s so basic yet captivating. The small moments where Chevy catches the penny whistle that Paul plays, the little dance that they do together, and how they exit the room are all charming as hell. It’s all a bit silly, but amazing too.
