13 of the Most Controversial Music Videos Ever
From Kanye West to Madonna, these gory and graphic clips got people talking — for better or for worse.
Music videos are a perfect opportunity to expand the story of a song.
The best music videos can showcase killer choreography, Halloween-ready attire, or movie levels of cinematic gold; others can spark controversies, no matter how well-intended. Whether centered around copious bloodshed or near-pornographic nudity (sorry, Mom and Dad), there's one thing all controversial music videos have in common: They get people talking.
Here are 13 music videos released over the past 30-plus years that have sparked disputes. Watch at your own risk.
Erykah Badu, “Window Seat”
For her "Window Seat" music video, Dallas native Erykah Badu took a walk through her hometown. The single-shot clip focuses on Badu stripping her clothes until she's fully undressed. She's then "shot dead" in the same place John F. Kennedy was assassinated. Badu has said the video was intended to be a statement against "groupthink," or "the practice of thinking or making decisions as a group in a way that discourages creativity or individual responsibility." She said she never intended to disrespect JFK.
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