Confusing Business and Pleasure

The Coachella Festival was this weekend. Lots of interesting names were on the line up; Muse, MGMT, Gorillaz, Passion Pit and Vampire Weekend were just a few. The biggest name of all though was Jay-Z.

I saw his concert in Chicago last month and it blew me away. He was entertaining, interactive and simply put on a damn good show. At Coachella, the fans got a little something extra on the side, in the shape of his wife, Beyonce.



Now, being a fan of both of them, I had expected there to be some really great chemistry on stage. They are the it couple in the music scene today. So what happened?

They spent most of the time in this number halfway across the stage from each other which at first, is a smart move. They were equals. It isn't until four minutes into the song that we actually see them interact at all on stage. Now that I think of it, did they ever even touch each other at all?

So what's the deal? Why is the power couple so forced and business-like on stage? I understand, it's their job. As the media (and the world) is aware, they're very private people. But if I had a husband who had the same kind of career, being on stage together would have been a pleasure. I wouldn't be able to help myself wanting to be next to him and playing together in something so amazing. It would seem the natural thing to do.

Mixing business and pleasure isn't always a good choice, but if you're going to do it, you might as well do it all the way.

For more on the entire festival, see a write-up and some great pics here.

Waiting For It

Sometimes, waiting is the right thing to do. I'm the type of girl who wants everything right here and right now. But I'm learning to be patient. And it's paying off.

I meant to write a post a few months ago about the Gaga/Beyonce collaboration on "Videophone". My first few viewings of the video really didn't impress me. I thought it was over done with references that had already been played out to their deaths.

Tonight, I changed my mind.

The dynamic duo have released another video for "Telephone" and it's dynamite. It explains a lot of what happened in the first video and the reason they were hitting up the campy, superhero stuff.

What I love most about the video though, is that it's a movie first. It's telling a story. It's rare to find artists who do these massive productions anymore, and of course, no one could ever compare to what MJ used to put out. But Gaga has done a beautiful job (Notice, I said Gaga, not Gaga and Beyonce).



Gaga is herself in this; wildly creative, sexy as hell, and the queen of drama. Beyonce however, falls flat. Acting is not one of her strong suits, sad to say. The only thing saving her is the creative team behind the video. The costumes are phenomenal, and the choreography could make a straight girl go gay for the nine minutes and thirty two seconds it takes to get through this. (Though, to be honest, I'm kinda tired of seeing Gaga's hoo-ha and ass. You've got a killer body. We all know it. Enough ok? Thanks.)

I wish I could go second by second to point out all the intricate details that I'm seeing, like the MJ reference as Gaga leaves the jailhouse. There is not a single detail that is wasted. The Tarantino references are what truly make the video (Kill Bill, anyone?) and what have now changed my mind about the earlier "Videophone" video.



I'm still not sold on all aspects of the video, but the Tarantino references (one from my favorite movie, Reservoir Dogs) now make a little more sense. I'm still not thrilled with the Betty Page Beyonce (and what was up with the 80's rapper Beyonce?) which were my initial reactions. Still, over all when looking at both videos, they make a nice set.