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Direct Descendents

One thing the “Telephone” release made me realize is how much I want Gwen Stefani to release a new album, both for the songs, and so she can start making music videos again. As high-glam prisons go, I kind of like the Rapunzel-by-way-of-Harajuku-fellow-prisoners-and-commandos vision of “The Sweet Escape”:

It’s definitely a case where I wish there’d been an actual extended dance sequence, but it’s sweet, and odd, and really funny. I like Stefani’s look of anticipation when her rescuers cut her hair.And there are direct antecdecents to Gaga’s sexy poisoner in the Chicago-style video for “It’s My Life”:

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I think there is something a lot more disturbing about seeing Stefani hysterical and restrained than in Gaga conquering prison. And thinking about it, Gaga is vulnerable in her videos sometimes, but she never loses. She always gets the guy or poisons the guy or whatever she wants in that particular situation. It’s a narrative limitation.And while it’s definitely not her most innovative video, it’s striking to me how much Stefani looks, physically, like a bridge between a young Madonna and Lady Gaga in the clip for “Cool”:

I really would love Stefani back. Love. Angel. Music. Baby. was such an excellent album, as much as I enjoy Lady Gaga, more musucially sophisticated than her work on The Fame or The Fame Monster.