What It Feels Like For A Girl

The controversial music video for Madonna’s single What It Feels Like For A Girl included in her eighth studio album Music was shot in February, 2001 on location of Hill Street and 7th Street in Los Angeles, California. Madonna’s husband, an English film director Guy Ritchie directed the shooting and it was the first time the couple worked together. Lynn Zekanis was the producer of the video. In 2001 Madonna released the clip as a DVD single.

The too violent and graphic plot of the video shocked public and attracted severe critics. The singer with short blond hair is shown driving carjacked car with an old woman as a passenger. Madonna is like a girl from a crime sphere having fun blazing through everything in her path. Broken police cars, robbed guy, fired gas station, firing a silver water pistol at police officers – that is all her little tricks. The final impressive scene is car crushing symbolizing a suicide. The video sounded the trance music group Above & Beyond remix of the track recorded by Jono Grant, Tony McGuinness and Paavo Siljamki. The clip was denounced for its insensate cruelty, but Madonna defended her work saying that in music videos male artists show the same, if not worse.

Madonna’s What It Feels Like For A Girl video was banned from TV broadcast in many countries: from most North American and European video stations such as MTV and VH1. Despite that Oxygen channel aired it continuously. Later Madonna performed edited version of the video on VH1 Madonna programs.