It's Monday, so...

I'm obviously lounging around watching some of my favorite music videos.


"WHO ARE THE ROOTS?" Best.



having a TV for a head must be kind of cumbersome, but I totally wouldn't mind it if it meant I got to cruise around with Saadiq and Tip all summer time like.



One of my favorite things Spike Jonze ever did. "The cookies, buttercrunch."



First of all, Big Boi and Andre 3000 are collectively the perfect man, and secondly (and what's most importantly is), there hasn't been a better wedding music video since "November Rain."



I wish Erykah and I were friends. And not in a creepy super fan way or anything (I swear), but more like, how hilarious IS she? I bet 'Dre wasn't even mad at her "Hey Ya" spoof. He probably was like, damn, my baby mama is the truth. The fake Ohio Players and Minnie Riperton are my faves but Erykah as Maggot Brain cannot be denied.



This song is supposedly about Pharrell. The tub shot has stuck with me since I saw it as a kid.



I think the aesthetic of this video is the '70s Harlem counterpart to Janet's Samuel Fosso and Malick Sidibe inspired "Got 'Til It's Gone."



I remember where I was the first time I saw this video. Molly Ferguson's basement. I was 8, maybe 9. Either way, the sublime casting of Iman, Eddie, Magic Johnson and Arsenio Hall coupled with MAGIC and one of the most beautiful songs about wistful and nostalgic romance ever written was too much for me and I don't think I ever recovered. Also, the awkward embrace MJ and Iman share makes me want to die on the inside. Like, Pharoah Murphy, you just got played by a warlock in black jeans and relaxed waves. Descend the throne while you still have some dignity.



I'm sure you think your mother is the most beautiful woman in the world, but I am here to tell you that you are wrong. Ay yi yi! Has anyone ever looked more sensuous in the history of sensuous than Sade cleaning her kid's dirty white sneaker or running while carrying dry cleaning? The answer is clearly no.



This video is like if Betty Draper and Pam Grier had a baby and it grew up idolizing Bridget Bardot and then I wanted to look just like it/stare at it all day. Obsessed.






BONUS:

Year End Lists: Ladies' Night

It's getting close people. These next picks are crucial. For what, we don't know. Especially since it's January 13th. And congratulations Kanye! You won the iPod!
Ben's Pick:

4. She and Him - Volume One
Zooey Deschanel has been melting my heart since she played William Miller's older sister in Almost Famous. Even though she sings, hearing the news that she was pursuing a recording career, with M. Ward nonetheless, I braced myself for an indie scene clusterfuck of epic proportions. What I heard once I finally took the plunge and listened, was quite the opposite: Deschanel became the first actress-cum-musician that you don't want to poke in the eye with a sharp stick. Alternating between '60s style girl group stylings ("I Was Made For You," "Sweet Darling") and confessional ballads ("Change is Hard," "Sentimental Heart"), this album delivers emotional sincerity with a knowing wink. I'm still hoping that the title of this collection isn't just a hint at future endeavors. Volume One has a truly timeless feel; it's an album your dad will love (in a good way).

Isabelle's Pick:

4. Erykah Badu - New Amerykah, Part One (4th World War)

I swear to everything sacred Erykah Badu is not human. She is a magical and spectacular goddess who was sent to Dallas, Texas to melt face. Seeing her live is life changing, and seeing her perform this album live was an out of body experience. "Telephone," her gorgeous tribute to her mentor and friend Dilla, brought tears to my eyes the first time I heard it. I cannot wait for the next Amerykah installment. I just want to hang out with her. You know, cruise around Brooklyn, smoking a j, listening to music that hasn't been invented yet, talking about André 3000. I mean that in the least creepy way possible, really.