Work It Out
By Scott Smith in Arts & Entertainment on Aug 3, 2006 3:29PM
With Lollapalooza this weekend, it seems only right that we revisit the dance craze that was OK Go’s “A Million Ways” video. The choreography had its first public performance during an early set on the first day of last year’s Lolla and went on to be a viral video phenomenon.
Chicagoist spotted this new video yesterday on YouTube for “Here It Goes Again” and it’s been making the rounds on the local morning news shows. While we were initially skeptical at the thought of “another” dance video (sequels are rarely as good as the originals, after all), the treadmill inspired dance steps are charming as hell and way more coordinated that anything we could ever pull off. And it makes for a good cardio workout. Not as good as their ping pong fitness plan, but still.
In other music news, Janet Jackson was in town this week to promote her new album 20 Years Old or 20 Y.O, which we guess is pronounced Toyo. We feel sorta bad for Ms. Jackson as it seems the only way she can get people to pay attention to her current release is to tie it in with her breakthrough album, Control, which is—wait for it—20 years old.
Then there’s her method of promotion: a press junket. Or rather, several. NBC posted video of her interview with Warner Saunders and it’s filled with more softballs than Grant Park on a summer evening. He dutifully asks questions about her weight so that Janet can let everyone know it was for a film role and not because she’d actually put on a few pounds. Perish the thought! We spent most of the video mesmerized by her earrings and how stretched out they made her ears look.
The real dish is here in a Washington Post piece re-printed in the Tribune and written by J. Freedom DuLac, a name that sounds like one of the guys who wrote really small at the bottom of the Declaration of Independence. But hey, at least she’s not whipping out her boobs to get attention anymore. Oh, wait.
If your career drifts into irrelevance and no one cares, does it still make a sound?