Beyoncé | Amusing the Zillion

Posts Tagged ‘Beyoncé’

Video of the Day: Beyoncé’s “XO” Love Letter from Coney Island

Posted in Music, Music Video, video, tagged Beyoncé, Coney Island, Terry Richardson, twitter, XO on December 16, 2013| 1 Comment »

We’re pretty sure “XO,” Beyoncé’s love letter from Coney Island, is going to cause a spike in Coney tourism next season. The full-length version of the new music video shot here in August is now up on her Vevo amid rumors it will be released as a single. According to Billboard, the new self-titled album has become the fastest-selling album ever worldwide in the iTunes Store.

In the Terry Richardson-directed vid, Queen Bey and her crew have a blast riding the landmark Cyclone and Wonder Wheel and the old-school Eldorado “Bump Your Ass off” Bumper Cars. They dance on the Eldorado’s Skee-Ball lanes too! There are gorgeous aerial shots of the parks and beach, and the lights of the Parachute Jump. Amid scenes of Beyoncé being swarmed by fans, you’ll catch a glimpse of Boardwalk legend Tony Disco, 79, as well as a little boy boogying on the Bowery. A week after the shoot, the crew went back to capture the famous “25¢ to Fall in LOVE” dancing doll “Miss Coney Island” (seen at 2:20).

Beyoncé and XO video director Terry Richardson riding Spook-A-Rama, Coney Island. August 29, 2013. Photo via beyonce-legion.com

When Beyoncé’s album surprise-debuted on Friday with a 30-second preview of the video, some tweeters said Coney looked huge and extravagant and nothing like it does in real life. One called it “the Beyoncé effect.” For those of us who have sand in our shoes, Coney Island is larger than life and extremely fun. This special place is also forever photogenic and a magnet for videographers. Beyoncé’s “XO” is arguably the first music video that shows both the new and the old Coney Island. Some of our fave vids of the past portray a gritty and deserted Coney Island during the off-season like The Heavy’s dark and seedy “Sixteen,” shot in late 2008 or 2009.

Here’s what some twitterers had to say about “XO” and “the Beyoncé effect” in Coney Island. What do you think?

The best thing about the Beyonce video XO is Coney Island. Love that place!

— Melanie Usher (@mjgal) December 16, 2013

beyonce did make coney island seem beautiful. it didnt look that great in he got game.

— Jessica Day (@LRNROSE) December 16, 2013

Beyonce "XO" video makes Coney Island look like Disney World……

— Charlamagne Tha God (@cthagod) December 14, 2013

https://twitter.com/S_Evangelina/status/411966459028324353

XO video really makes Coney Island look huge and extravagant. When it's really the dirtiest place and it's only like two blocks.

— jon = Luv (@BKjaYNOW) December 16, 2013

Dead at everybody dragging Coney Island and saying it looks nothing like the 'Xo' video

— American Gangsta (@1BeyStan) December 16, 2013

XO is such a good song and the video is so happy i just want it to be warm out and to go to coney island and eat cotton candy

— Brunch Cephalopod (@bridgesquid) December 16, 2013

Beyonce Shoots New Music Video in Coney Island

Posted in Music, Photography, tagged Beyoncé, Coney Island, Cyclone, Eldorado, Music Video, Spook-A-Rama, video shoot, Wonder Wheel on August 30, 2013| Leave a Comment »

Beyoncé riding the Coney Island Cyclone. August 29, 2013. Photo via beyonce-legion.com

Thursday morning’s awesome rumor turned out to be true! Woke up to a phone call from a TV reporter asking if we knew anything about Beyoncé shooting a music video on the Coney Island Cyclone today. A few hours later the chatter on twitter was that she was arriving at 4PM. Uh, make that 5.

Beyoncé and her crew conquered the Cyclone roller coaster before moving on to Coney’s legendary “Bump Your Ass Off” Eldorado Auto Skooters and Arcade. A bit later she was surrounded by adoring fans on the Boardwalk. In Wonder Wheel Park, Beyoncé went for a whirl on the landmark Wheel and the classic Spook-A-Rama dark ride with the music video’s director Terry Richardson.

By 9:30PM, they were heading back for another go at Eldorado, where the music part of the video was being shot and no phone calls or photos were allowed, said a friend who was an extra. The famed disco palace of bumper cars was closed all day for the shoot.

The music video is said to be for a new song called “XO,” which is expected to be released in about 3 months.

Beyoncé and photographer Terry Richardson riding Spook-A-Rama, Coney Island. August 29, 2013. Photo via beyonce-legion.com