MTV’s bold, forward-thinking “pivot to video” is in full swing now, so we’re getting a bunch of reheated shows from the 1990s. If you’ve been waiting ten years for the resurrection of Total Request Live, consider this your vindication. If you’re wondering why a company would lay off an entire staff of critics, journalists, and writers for the sake of a Laguna Beach knock-off that nobody under the age of 25 will understand, least of all give a shit about… welcome.
One thing that isn’t completely insulting to the intelligence of an entire generation of young people is the return of Unplugged to MTV’s flagship station. The season started last week with Shawn Mendes; this week it was the turn of ubiquitous uber-producer Jack Antonoff’s solo pop project, Bleachers. The set was filmed at the Stone Pony in Asbury Park, NJ, where Bruce Springsteen and Bon Jovi played on their way up. MTV stuck a few songs on their YouTube page yesterday, and a couple more have started floating around in the meantime.
Videos by VICE
There’s a subdued performance of “Everybody Lost Somebody,” one of 2017’s finest pop songs, shot in 360°.
There’s a fully acoustic rendition of “I Wanna Get Better,” also in 360. The audience essentially assumes lead vocals and it’s all warm and fuzzy.
A peppy version of “Hate That You Know Me so Well” with Carly Rae Jepsen and Lorde on backup vocals sounds like it should be fun, but feels a little awkward.
But Jepsen and Lorde work well elsewhere. Jepsen duets with Antonoff on his Strange Desire cut “Shadow,” which briefly captures the atmosphere of a mid-90s Unplugged segment.
And Lorde sits at the piano with Antonoff to turn “Don’t Take the Money” into an affecting back-and-forth between two troubled lovers.
Alex Robert Ross is pivoting to Twitter.
