Chris Daughtry's "Over You" became a huge hit before he even had a chance to make a video for the song.
Now the video is finally here, and it's amazing. Without a doubt, this has Modern Rock Video Hall of Fame potential. Let's review the video's qualifications and see if it makes it in.
(In case you're feeling in the dark, here is an explanation on the Modern Rock Video Hall of Fame. It may also help to watch the video first, before continuing. It can be found below.)
Playing in a warehouse, garage, or other strange location - Check out this room where Daughtry is playing. What the hell is this? It looks like the band is in somebody's storage shed. Whoever boarded up the windows of the place did a terrible job, too. This video was either shot in an abandoned barn or a $400 a month studio apartment in Hoboken.
Mysterious Girl - The video opens with a shot of the mystery girl. Good work, Daughtry, I see you don't mess around. This girl is wearing a hoodie, presumably to hide from her problems (which we'll get to). One downside to this video is that the girl reveals her name at the very end, which ruins some of her mystique. An unnamed mystery girl is far more interesting than "Sarah."
Driving - You often hear about the dangers about drunk driving, but what about drunk passengering? It's a good thing Daughtry is here to get the word out.
Alcohol = Bad - Who knew that one vodka and cranberry could ruin your life? The mystery girl in this video has one drink, gets a little out of control, then fights with her asshole boyfriend and ends up crying. This is cause for a trip to AA? Sounds more like an average college girl's Saturday night.
Running - The chorus of the song has the word "running," so this was a pretty obvious call.
Mirror/Water - These two things have become synonymous in modern rock videos. You gaze self-reflectingly into a mirror, then you splash water in your face. It's the modern rock baptism. In this video, the girl expresses so much inner anguish that she actually fogs up the mirror. That's gotta be worth some bonus points.
If that's not enough, Daughtry even uses two brand-new modern rock cliches:
Grabbing Ahold of Bars or a Fence - This cliché has really taken off lately, after being popularized in the Avenged Sevenfold "Seize The Day" video. Back in the old days (circa 2002), a frustrated rock singer would stare out a window. Now, to properly relieve tension, you have to grab ahold of something, like a fence or the bars of a jail cell.
The Overaggressive 5 Note Solo - This is also a big thing lately. A song will have a solo that's about 4-7 notes, and the guitarist will get into it like he's playing the "Stairway to Heaven" solo. Look at the energy that Daughtry's guitarist puts into the solo of this song. He plays the shit out of those 6 notes.
Bottom line, this video was a borderline Hall of Fame candidate from the get-go, but the fact that Daughtry is paving the way with new video clichés (especially the fence thing, which could easily became a modern rock video staple someday) makes this an instant classic. Of course, he'll have to wait the standard 6-month period before he's eligible for induction, but I'd say he stands a pretty good shot at getting in. And with one video already in the Hall of Fame (the visionary "It's Not Over"), Daughtry is establishing himself as a star in the world of modern rock video-making. Congratulations, Daughtry, and keep up the great work!
