While Corona was a classic example of the 90s one-hit wonder, it hasn’t meant that “Rhythm of the Night” has ever left any of our consciousnesses. Certainly not Black Eyed Peas’, who decided to repackage the song as a sample in what will likely be the only good thing about the forthcoming installment of Bad Boys, called, naturally, Bad Boys for Life. To capture some of the “rhythm” that only Miami nightlife can provide, “RITMO,” as the soundtrack’s lead song is titled, finds Black Eyed Peas and J Balvin in the fraught, color-drenched landscape of a night out that echoes not the tone of the 90s, but more so the 80s (of course, that was the decade when Miami was an unavoidable trend and concept–especially sartorially–thanks to Miami Vice).
As will.i.am (who one tends to think is the only remaining member comprising Black Eyed Peas) said, “I wanted to reimagine ‘Rhythm of the Night’ by Corona and give it a minimal, futurist, afro-fused reggaeton vibe.” Though he didn’t exactly nail it on the futurist vibe from an aesthetic standpoint (directed by Colin Tilley), maybe he did if we’re looking at the future from an 80s perspective (some of the scenes remind one of the set design from Madonna’s “Burning Up” video).
Replete with neon lights and lasers, it is as though, despite repurposing Corona’s 1993 hit, no time has passed at all since the glory days of nightlife and all that it entailed (excluding lights that emanate from people staring into their phones to appraise whatever selfie or video they just took that desperately tries to declare what a great time they’re having to other people likely scrolling through their feed in the same club). With Corona’s lead singer Olga de Souza herself appearing in the video to sing along to her signature lines–a call to join the rhythm of the night if ever there was one–interspersed shots of scenes from the movie, followed by J Balvin and will.i.am on the beach (with neon pink dolphins jumping out of the water in the background like we’re supposed to be in the Lisa Frank ripoff of a video for Diplo and Chali XCX’s “Spicy”), lend a frenetic pace to the loose narrative. And as a DeLorean-like car races through the night (saturated with The Neon Demon-esque cinematography), we, too, are pulled toward the magnetic aura of the blue neon outline of a city that awaits its, let’s face it, misogynistic predators to take over the dance floor.
Often seeming to throw shade at its unspoken sister city, Los Angeles, the vibrant hues and palm tree motifs that serve as backdrops throughout the video almost make one forget that living in Florida is an automatic surrender to hurricanes, gunfire and general unwanted mingling among riffraff that no amount of neon can disguise. Still, the video and song are enough to inspire one to join in the simple message contained within it: “we party to the extremo.” Something many have forgotten how to do since the days when Corona was at the top of the charts.
