Every Friday, a slew of new music videos hits the web. Watching them at your desk is not time theft because you deserve it; think of it as a nice reward for surviving another work week. But what if you don’t have time to watch every video — maybe you have a deadline, a hungry pet, or other grown-up concerns. In consideration of your schedule, Lizzie and Kaitlyn present a new series called One Video. Each week we’ll tell you “one video” you need to watch, why, and for how long.
This week’s video: “Deadz” by Migos feat. 2 Chainz
Lizzie Plaugic: Migos released a video for their Culture track “Deadz” this week, and boy are we lucky they did, because the potential One Video pickings were slim. What, were we supposed to write about a Seether video? A live performance from the Brit Awards? Even if there had been better options, I feel confident in saying this video still would’ve been at the top of the list. It’s got wads of cash! Diamond-encrusted ski masks! And a lot of coffins! (We’ll get to that).
Kaitlyn Tiffany: Lizzie, it was your turn to pick the video for “One Video” so it’s fine but I have to say — I wanted to write about Little Mix’s recent live performance of “Shout Out to My Ex.” They are my very favorite girl pop group of all time, and I don’t understand why they’re only famous in the UK. Their weird, robot-inspired performance of this very un-robotic song was just as good as any music video, including the real music video for “Shout Out to My Ex,” which is also amazing. The lead singer for Little Mix, Perrie Edwards, is the former fiancé of Zayn Malik, and in this song she says that she hopes his new girlfriend is “getting better sex” and “not faking it” like she had to. Incredibly rude, and I love it.
Who is dead(z) in this video?
Lizzie: Deadz is money, as in dead presidents, as in dead wigged men whose faces appear on American paper currency. At one point in the song, Takeoff raps “No twenties or fifties, just Benjamin Franklins.” Franklin is one of the dead guys here, but Abraham Lincoln (who you might know from the $5 bill) and George Washington (who you might know from the $1) are the other two, both of which are less impressive than an Andrew Jackson, but maybe more recognizable.
Kaitlyn: This plot point in “Deadz” is how I learned that Lizzie has a nickname for the US president Andrew Jackson. She calls him “Jacko.”
What’s special about “Deadz” by Migos feat. 2 Chainz
Lizzie: What’s special about “Deadz” is the three aspiring actors who agreed to be in this video dressed up as dead men from American history. Unless they’re wax figures, which is pretty special, too, if you think about how far wax sculpting technology has come (I’m guessing).
Kaitlyn: I’m not going to lie to you — this video is a little boring and a little too long. But not every week can be the best week of your life. “Deadz” by Migos feat. 2 Chainz is just a glamorous house party full of some rappers we think are fun and a bunch of dead presidents, and the house party also features lots of jewels, flattering turtlenecks, and expensive-looking wooden instruments. A music video of the week does not have to be “unique” to be “special,” just as quality time with the people you love is generally special but ideally not unique. Later today Lizzie and I are going to eat dinner together outside — not unique to our friendship, we’ve done that before, but it’ll still be one for the history books!
This glamorous house party has the special ability to remind us of other glamorous house parties and immaculate marble patios we have enjoyed over the years — like the ones in Kanye West’s “Runaway,” or Taylor Swift’s “Blank Space,” or Beyoncé’s “Partition,” or Lady Gaga’s “G.U.Y.” or Notorious B.I.G.’s “Juicy,” or Britney Spears’ “Slumber Party ft. Tinashe,” which I love a lot. Go ahead and watch all of those videos right now (East Coast only), as it’s a warm Friday in February and it’s sort of ridiculous that you have to be at your desk.
How long everyone should watch “Deadz” by Migos feat. 2 Chainz
Lizzie: A lot of the video is Migos on the balcony of a mansion, which is pretty standard music video stuff. Honestly it could be b-roll from another one of their videos. That’s why I think you should watch from the 3-minute mark until the end. You’ll get a chance to see the dead money men and 2 Chainz, and you won’t miss any important backstory. Unless you don’t know about the American Revolution.
Kaitlyn: Watch until you get to the part with the diamond masks and then you’ve seen the best part.