While the presence of “randos” in music videos feels like an ever-diminishing notion (apart from Kylie Jenner in “WAP”) with stymying COVID restrictions, back in 1987, Madonna had free reign to include them in her “Who’s That Girl” video. As the title track for the film of the same name, the pop powerhouse was beholden to the expected reliance on what amounted, largely, to a clip show of scenes from the movie. Yet she did her best to create some original content by appearing in an androgynous getup that showcased her then recently shorn locks (the first of many chameleon-like changes that would secure her shedding the skin of the “Boy Toy” era that dominated from 1982-1985). And, to capture the “it” girl quality of the movie’s main character, Nikki Finn, the randos in the video are very important to creating the sense of awe surrounding a chutzpah-laden girl like Madonna.
These same types of randos are in the video for Dua Lipa’s “Levitating,” freshly remixed by The Blessed Madonna with additional vocals from Missy Elliot and M herself (who provided ample inspiration for the Future Nostalgia record). Except rather than serve as an accent to why Lipa might be so “enchanting,” they’re the equally-as-tripped-out-by-the-prospect-of-lifting-off-into-the-sky complements to the lyrics that tout, “Glitter in the sky, glitter in our eyes/Shining just the way we are/I feel like we’re forever every time we get together/But whatever, let’s get lost on Mars.”
With one of the girls in the video giving a subliminal nod to Madonna (who couldn’t be bothered to roll up with Missy for the filming) by simply being of the “let me listen to music in my bedroom” bent (think: Britney Spears in Crossroads), she holds a heart-shaped pill (we all know what that means) in her hand that she then places beneath her pillow before staring through her telescope at a brunette across the way. Not creeped out at all, said brunette stares back at the blonde, flashing her a knowingly salacious smile as she pops her own heart-shaped pill into her mouth. Indeed, in the spirit of Madonna’s long-standing pro-LGBTQ+ message, Dua picks up where she last left off (most memorably, “God Control”) with this queer-positive video that includes more than one same sex nod, and also features London-based drag queen Tayce. The symbol that appears throughout (including its etching on the heart-shaped pill) the loosely strung together narrative seems to have been made just for the semiotics of “Levitating,” which might be why a half-moon is at its center (“I got you/Moonlight/You’re my starlight”).
In the meantime, Lipa–her hair dyed partially pink–has been vibing to the groove in her bedroom (again, setting us up for the notion of becoming accustomed to the idea of Club Quarantine for Fall and Winter), filled with old school recording apparatuses to drive home the retro feel of the song, drenched in 90s house rhythms. She ventures outside eventually though, where a purple-tinged, cotton candy sky awaits for her to look up at it from the grass with her own real life “sugarboo,” Anwar Hadid (his sisters, it would seem, have influenced Lipa to go the haute couture route in her sartorial selections for the video).
It’s during the nighttime portion, when the moon’s glow takes an especial hold, that the “Who’s That Girl” allusion literally shines through, with one of the “randos” opening a box that contains a glowing green crystal. It’s a moment that strongly mirrors Madonna in the “Who’s That Girl” video opening her own similar box to find a glowing white crystal. This after visiting a fortune teller (long before Britney ever did in the “Radiance” perfume ad) who shows her the High Priestess card featuring the cartoon rendering of Nikki Finn.
The white crystal Madonna sees quickly gets overshadowed by another barrage of Who’s That Girl scenes (specifically the animated intro credits) being shown within the box before the ragtag group of randos that includes a grown man and some kids show up again to interrupt her. The strange, ethereal quality of the video might have benefitted from being directed by Will Hooper (who did “Levitating”) and a bit more attention to detail on cinematography, but considering Warner likely only wanted it slapped together as a quick way to promote the movie (which would tank at the box office anyway), the bare minimum was to be expected.
In one video, a white crystal might represent healing and the amplification of energy (as in Madonna’s already huge BDE), in the other, the green crystal might represent the harmony of nature, evidenced in the frequent shots of the sky and the verdant grass beneath it. Is it reaching to say Lipa is hinting at this more esoteric reference from M’s oeuvre? Maybe. And yet, one can’t deny Lipa is as much of a fan as any one of the pop stars who have been influenced by Ms. Ciccone (Ariana Grande and Britney Spears being among others to wield allusions to M in their visuals). So who’s to say the crystal homage wasn’t intentional? An “Easter egg” (as Taylor Swift enthusiasts so love to call such a thing), if you will.
In her absence, Lipa still pays this subtle respect. Plus, if Madonna couldn’t be in the video physically, perhaps this is the best way to find her in it. And considering she came under fire for asking, “How many people in this crowd have seen molly?” at the Ultra Music Festival in 2012, maybe she thought it best to sit out this overt molly PSA for a song that takes one right back to the sweat-drenched dance floors of the 90s that are now only myths.
