Music Video
The music video was directed by Paul Hunter and filmed in the Van Nuys and Reseda neighborhoods of Los Angeles, California. The video opens with a scene of Stefani spending time with her Harajuku Girls, when a crowd of students appears. Stefani and the Harajuku Girls then drive down Sherman Way past Magnolia Science Academy to Birmingham High School in a 1961 Chevrolet Impala, accompanied by the crowd. Stefani and the group cause a commotion when they disrupt a football game by walking onto the field and when they go to a 99 Cents Only Store and throw cereal and other food products down an aisle. Throughout the video, there are intercut sequences of choreographed dancing filmed in a sound stage, intended to represent Stefani's imagination. Stefani and the Harajuku Girls are outfitted in cheerleading uniforms, accompanied by several Californian spirit groups: the Orange Crush All Stars, a cheerleading squad from Orange County; a marching band from Fountain Valley High School in Fountain Valley; a pep flag team named the Carson High School Flaggies from Carson; and a drill team from Stephen M. White Middle School in Carson. To visualize the song's bridge, the Harajuku Girls spell the word "bananas" with cue cards. The video ends with a close-up frame of Stefani with her arms in the air.
The Chevy Impala convertible from the video includes a painting by artist J. Martin. The design includes Stefani as seen on the album cover of Love. Angel. Music. Baby. with the words "Hollaback Girl" in calligraphy. Eventually, the car was sold on eBay. Pharrell Williams, one of the song's co-producers, makes a cameo appearance. The complete version of "Hollaback Girl" featured in the music video was released commercially through CD singles and digital downloads, and some include remixes by Diplo and Tony Kanal.
The video debuted on March 21, 2005 and proved successful on video chart programs. It debuted on MTV's Total Request Live on March 31 at number ten and remained on the program for a total of fifty days, becoming what Rolling Stone called "a staple of MTV's TRL". The video reached the top of the chart and was retired at number four on June 23, becoming Stefani's first video to retire. It also reached the top of MuchMusic's Countdown three months after its debut, and remained there for two weeks. VH1 listed the video at number five on its Top 40 Videos of 2005, and at the 2005 MTV Video Music Awards, the video received four nominations, but only won the award for Best Choreography. Stefani did not attend the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards, prompting rumors that she was protesting her lack of nominations the previous year, her multiple losses to Kelly Clarkson, and her not having been asked to perform. Stefani denied the rumors, responding, "the only reason I am not attending the MTV Video Music Awards is because I will be recording and spending time with my family."
Read more about this topic: Hollaback Girl
Famous quotes containing the words music and/or video:
“A woman’s two cents worth is worth two cents in the music business.”
—Loretta Lynn (b. 1930)
“We attempt to remember our collective American childhood, the way it was, but what we often remember is a combination of real past, pieces reshaped by bitterness and love, and, of course, the video past—the portrayals of family life on such television programs as “Leave it to Beaver” and “Father Knows Best” and all the rest.”
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