Beyonce Flaunts Baby Bump In 'Countdown' Video

New clip, released Thursday (October 6), references iconic dance films.
By John Mitchell


Beyonce in her video for "Countdown"
Photo: Columbia

Beyoncé has an affinity for recalling the past in her videos — from the "Mexican Breakfast" Bob Fosse/Gwen Verdon routine that inspired the "Single Ladies" video to her tortured '50s homemaker character in "Why Don't You Love Me" — and her latest clip for the horn-heavy "Countdown" jam is no exception.

The video is a feast for the eyes, with Beyoncé taking on a variety of iconic looks. Her makeup when the video opens recalls the mod styling of Twiggy, but soon enough, she segues into full-on Audrey Hepburn mode, taking both her look and dance cues from the 1957 film "Funny Face."

From there, we see the pop star in a variety of bold, brightly colored bathing suits and a black-and-white hat, set against a constantly changing background of vivid colors. It's an iconic image that brings to mind the classic Vogue photo shoots of yesteryear.

Find out what the "Countdown" director had to say about B's video shoot!

The pregnant diva's baby bump is less visible in the bathing suit scenes but is featured prominently earlier in the clip and is rubbed lovingly later in a scene that features 10 different incarnations of Beyoncé in a loft space. The visibility of Beyoncé's pregnancy varies throughout the video, indicating she likely shot a great deal of the footage for "Countdown" earlier in her pregnancy and more recently re-shot or re-conceptualized the clip to reflect her growing belly.

Viewers also see that even pregnancy can't stop Beyoncé from dancing. The clip cuts quickly from the bathing suit sequence to shots of the star in an audition space straight out of the film "Fame." The sequence features the kind of seamlessly choreographed moves that Beyoncé is famous for — moves that would be at home in an early-'80s dance film or onstage in 2011.

It's a perfect mix of classic and modern, which seems to be what Beyoncé is aiming for in this era of her career. It's a feeling reflected in the smooth, '90s vibe and reliance on live instruments that sets her album 4 apart from her previous work as well as other artists on the charts right now.

Breaking Down "Countdown," Look By Look

The "Countdown" clip is loaded with other references as well, including a wink to "West Side Story" as dancers snap in unison and a nod to Bridget Bardot when the video cuts to and from shots of Beyoncé in a men's dress shirt with her hair styled up with a scarf.

Check out what we spotted, and let us know what we missed!

She also briefly references her film "Dreamgirls" — or, more likely, that film's inspiration: Diana Ross — during a few brief scenes in which she rocks a short, sparkly dress and bob hairstyle.

The clip then sequences from "Fame" to "Flashdance," with Beyoncé and her dancers in another open warehouse-like space sporting the iconic off-the-shoulder look from the 1983 drama starring Jennifer Beals.

The video ends with the superstar in a chair, grooving to her uptempo track. Throughout the clip, which bubbles with excitement, she is all smiles, perhaps reflecting her joy at beginning a new phase in her life.

Share your thoughts on the "Countdown" video in the comments below!

Related Videos Related Photos Related Artists

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1672134/beyonce-countdown-video.jhtml

Audrina Patridge Autumn Reeser Avril Lavigne Bali Rodriguez Bar Refaeli

First Nokia 800 ads spotted, announcing the arrival WP7 for Finnish faithful

Nokia 800 ads
Nokia keeps promising that its first Windows Phone 7 device will be shipping by the end of the year and, though the company is cutting it close, we may actually see that vow fulfilled. It's already been caught in spy shots a few times over, but now marketing materials for the Nokia 800 have started to leak out. With Nokia World only a few weeks away, it makes sense that the Finnish manufacturer would want a campaign ready to roll. The ads for what was formerly known only as Sea Ray talk up WP7's social features, with one declaring "Take, tag, sort and share. All in a flash." It's hardly a confirmation, but this is as good as sign as we've seen that Nokia will actually deliver us a little slice of Mango before it's time to buy a new calendar.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

First Nokia 800 ads spotted, announcing the arrival WP7 for Finnish faithful originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 11 Oct 2011 11:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink WinRumors  |  sourcePocketNow  | Email this | Comments

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/10/11/first-nokia-800-ads-spotted-announcing-the-arrival-wp7-for-finn/

Christina Ricci Chyler Leigh Ciara Cindy Crawford Cindy Taylor

The T-Mobile Amaze 4G Review: A Nice Camera In A Big Phone

scaledwm.IMG_3412Short Version: Shutterbugs will love this well-built and powerful Android phone, but folks looking for thin and light may want to look elsewhere. The phone boasts some serious specs and HTC's slick Sense skin, and runs on T-Mobile's "4G" network, though the speeds are very temperamental. It's impressive, but bulky and heavy. The camera is the biggest selling point, and if you keep it to favorable lighting conditions, it really does excel.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/gtjtskChWYQ/

Grace Park Gretha Cavazzoni Gwen Stefani Halle Berry Hayden Panettiere

Ronnie Magro Wrestling Debut Upcoming!

Ronnie Magro, the stocky Jersey Shore star known for pummeling random drunk guys will have his shot in the ring sometime soon, and we?ve got the details. It seems like a match made in heaven. Take a guy known for screaming, ripping off his shirt, and threatening people, and you get him involved in an organized wrestling match. I mean, let?s be honest, he isn?t exactly the brightest crayon in the box, so you might as well find a good use for him. According to reports, Ronnie has been asked to appear on TNA Impact Wrestling, which is the same show that J-WOWW and Angelina were on in the past. This isn?t exactly like being asked on Monday Night Raw, but it will have to do for now. If you have been following the show, you know Ronnie has some anger issues. Even if you believe the story that people were really asking for it, it is still clear that he gets some kind of pleasure beating the crap out of people. I think he is a perfect fit for wrestling because of how he likes to throw things around the room. There have been a bunch of times where [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RightCelebrity/~3/bzfVK8MJn8o/

Christina Applegate Christina DaRe Christina Milian Christina Ricci Chyler Leigh