The other video I constantly watch is for Janet Jackson's "Miss You Much." I'm not a Jackson scholar; I'm just an enthusiastic amateur. But I do love her.
In her youth, Janet is positioned as a girl next door. So, in "Miss You Much," we see her hanging out with peers at a billiard parlor--she is deflecting gossip about a possible crush. (It's difficult to imagine that--at any point in her life--Janet has traveled *anywhere, to any location* without a retinue of professional handlers.) ....The "girl next door" phase also involves one of my favorite lines in any verse of any song--Janet describes having worked hard all week, having just cashed her paycheck. The idea of Janet Jackson living paycheck to paycheck is something that makes me giggle.
For a while, Janet is so successful, you just need to pick a common phrase and set it to music, and it becomes a hit. "Miss You Much" grows out of someone, a writer, noticing that he often begins a call by saying, "Miss you much." "Escapade" happens when a writer asks, "Have you ever given thought to this one sort of funny word? The word is escapade."
Having deflected questions about her love life, in "Miss You Much," Janet suddenly drops her defenses. Yes, there is a guy. The video doesn't have a plot. But when Janet gets to the "I" in the refrain, she gestures to her *eye* ....It's a visual pun. Otherwise, we're just seeing a showcase for Janet's dancing--she is not merely a competent dancer but an artist. There is obvious joy in the fluidity of her movements--this is contagious, and it can't be faked. (I especially like when she is jagged and angular, then she suddenly melts into a "snakelike" slithery form. It happens more than once. It is inspired.)
The video ends with Janet--disappointed, childlike--asking, "That's the END?" She wants to keep dancing. We want that, too. This is a little masterpiece.
P.S. Here is the iconic "chair routine":
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