Alicia Keys' newest video for her hit song
"Un-thinkable (I'm Ready)" recently came out and I'd have to say, I loved it. In this video, Alicia Keys tackles Interracial couples and the difficulties her and her love interest (Chad Michael Murray,
One Tree Hill) face throughout the years. This is directed by Jake
Nava. Written by Alicia Keys, Aubry Graham, Kerry Brothers, Jr., Noah "40"
Shebib.
The video goes through a time line, starting with the 50's, with a fight about to start and Alicia running to the scene, watching Murray and her brother get into a gang fight, and being unable to do anything- she puts her head down. Then, it flips to the 60's with her in a cute outfit (almost reminds me of
Hairspray) walking in the grocery store, looking through the shelves, eying Murray down and he's giving her the same look. (I kind of giggled when I saw him, he looks like a Ken doll.) And a white woman and man looking at them, obviously disturbed by the two looking at each other like that.
The camera still on the two people, it flips the time to the 70's and back to Alicia keys and Chad Michael Murray, who are rocking the styles from that era. (I think he looked the hottest with this era, longer hair and the rugged look. Alicia Keys rocked those hip hugging, bell bottoms) They walk past each other in the store and continue to walk. Then, at her house,he throws a rock at her window and she goes outside and they have a cute moment together. (obviously keeping their love a secret).
Then to the 80's and she's in a car with her brother and friends and they go past Murray, in a mullet (
ew!) and Alicia stares, longing, as does he, while everyone else is expressing their obvious distaste for the other. Finally, sliding into the present, 80's Alicia gives her brother a tape and that turns into a Cd. (Finally in the 2000's) And it returns to the fight that we saw in the beginning of the video, but not in the 50's. Alicia is trying to run in, but is being held back by friends, while her brother and Murray are fighting (along with others).
There's a break in the song, and her brother yells "It's
my 
sister!!!" and then pans to Alicia who's walking away, escorted by friends, and Murray is yelling at her from the background "Am I not good enough?" And the song continues, with her, now, in her house, with her family and Murray pulls up in a truck in front of her house, waiting for her. Alicia walks to the door, with her brother staring at her as if he was telling her to make a choice ,black or white, and the camera zooms in to her hands as she hesitates to the door. and it ends... does she open it and go to him, is she ready?
I love this song, because Alicia is
vulnerable in this, the way she sings and how the video plays out. You want these star-crossed, Romeo and Juliet,
Orthello-like couple to be together, but you see the obvious problems in regards to that. Also, Interracial couples is one of the fastest growing forms of couples nowadays. Sects that once hated each other are now couples and even other races are now mixing and having children. But interracial couples today still face stigmas of being the way they are, and Alicia focuses on this in her video. Maybe her parents faced this because her father is Black and her mother is Italian. (Go Watch the Video! Even though I told you all about it!)
