Everything about the video for Bruno Mars and Cardi B’s song “Finesse” appeals to me in a pleasurable way. The song itself is a remix of Bruno’s New Jack-inspired track reminiscent of Guy or Bobby Brown, from his24K Magic album, so of course there’s a heavy splash of ’90s nostalgia in the video, but in a way that’s neither cloying nor heavy-handed.
The Fly Girls choreography hits the perfect mark (do not attempt it in your tiny living room), Cardi’s outfit makes me want to time-travel back to my gaudy teen years (Cardi can’t lose at this point), and Bruno pulls off his effortless retro dance moves as usual. He could easily look like a huge cornball but instead pulls off a respectable nod to black cultural touchstones.
This makes me want to watch multiple episodes of Fresh Prince, In Living Color, Living Single, Soul Train and All That in succession.
Join the discussion...