Hot on the heels of “Countdown”—which we’re still watching plenty—Beyoncé premiered a video for “Love On Top” earlier this week. As teased, the video begins with an homage to Brook Payne’s iconic New Edition choreography, but that’s only the half of it (literally). The video edit drops a verse from the song so that the video’s back end is devoted to the four key-change chorus repetitions. For these, she and her back-up dancers doll up in a series of era-evoking costumes, though the costumer must have made some sort of mistake, because they always end up short one dress shirt. Not to worry, though: Beyoncé takes one for the team every time. “Love On Top” may be miles apart from “Countdown,” but it’s no less the jam, and we’ve got no complaints about the video either.

Beyoncé’s “Countdown” video is just four days old, and she’s already readying her next clip, even as critics argue that her choreographic homage crosses the line. MTV News reports that a teaser for a “Love On Top” video has hit the Internet, and even R&B new-jacks can tell she’s nodding to New Edition’s “If It Isn’t Love.” Less well-known is Belgian choreographer Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker, whose work is quoted in the “Countdown” video. Director Adria Petty told MTV News that “German modern-dance references” informed the video’s creative process. The use of the needle-dragged-across-the-turntable “say what?” sound effect in the shot-for-shot comparison video, above, implies that the quotations are not homage but theft—and when the video’s creators, Studio Brussel, contacted the choreographer, she gave a statement which includes the following:

People asked me if I’m angry or honored.
Neither; on the one hand, I am glad that Rosas danst Rosas can perhaps reach a mass audience which such a dance performance could never achieve, despite its popularity in the dance world since the 1980s. And Beyoncé is not the worst copycat; she sings and dances very well, and she has a good taste!
On the other hand, there are protocols and consequences to such actions, and I can’t imagine she and her team are not aware of it.

It’s unclear whether de Keersmaeker will pursue any legal action, but this—and the kerfuffle over Beyoncé’s performance at the Billboard Music Awards—illustrates that there is a huge gray area as to what is inspiration, what is homage, and what is theft. These are especially tricky waters to navigate when a style is re-envisioned for a much wider audience, as has been the case with Beyoncé (and, for that matter, Lady Gaga). Notwithstanding the court of law, the court of public opinion can easily be swayed, and this story has gotten us thinking about what constitutes “fair use” in a pop-cultural sense. We’re not sure if there is a cut-and-dried answer.

Beyoncé’s ‘inspiration’ for “Countdown” [ONTD]

What’s better than a new video with Beyoncé? If you answered “a new video with multiple Beyoncés,” you’re going to love “Countdown”! The single is a standout from 4—not just a refreshingly uptempo jam among ballads, but a darn good one—and director Adria Petty certainly does the song justice with this clip. Petty combines intentionally stilted choreography with multiple frames and multiple exposures (and, yes, multiple Beyoncés) to create a sort of “Flashdance” by way of “Rockit” spectacle. Alternately, think of it as a Gap ad made by Mondrian, and starring robots. Words don’t do this video justice.
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