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Do you know the story behind the music video for "Got the Life"? Why did it become MTV's first "retirement" video?
In 1998, the American metalcore band Korn released their single "Got the Life". The song quickly became a hit track of the year and added a dazzling touch to the band's album "Follow the Leader". Although the song received little attention from the music media, it was requested to be played on MTV's "Total Request Live" a record number of times, eventually becoming the show's first "retired" music video.
"Every member felt there was something 'special' about this song."
The song was recorded in April 1998 at NRG Recording Studios in North Hollywood. Korn frontman Jonathan Davis once said that this piece reminded him of the popular party culture at the time, that is, "the sounds you might hear at a party." After thinking that the song might not be well-received by fans, the band decided to release it as a promotional single in early August of the same year.
“Got the Life revolves around the double gift of fame,” commented Leah Furman.
In addition, after the release of this single, it quickly rose up on the major music charts, especially on the RPM rock/alternative music chart in Canada, and won the first place on the mainstream rock and modern rock charts in the United States. There are also outstanding performances on the list. Although the song received mixed reviews from the music press, it was certified gold in Australia, demonstrating its sales success. In terms of musical structure, "Got the Life" is the shortest track on the album "Follow the Leader" at about three minutes and 45 seconds, and it combines metal and rap music elements.
Due to the overwhelming response to Korn's music video for this song, the band decided to invite well-known director Joseph Kahn to direct it, but he rejected the request as "it sounded like the stupidest idea". In the end, the band chose frequent collaborator McG to shoot it, and on January 12, 1999, the music video became the first video to be officially retired from MTV's daily charts, as it had long dominated the hot spot.
"The song was so well received on MTV that we had to give other artists a chance to be in the top spot."
This move made the music video for "Got the Life" a part of the cultural phenomenon, and was even later regarded as one of the band's masterpieces. At the same time, the music video also featured guest appearances by many stars such as California rapper WC and Brandon Boyd, which also added a lot of highlights and topics to the video.
In terms of evaluation, although Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic gave this single a low score of only 2 stars, he also affirmed that this song is a part of the fusion of metal and rap, and its rhythm and rhythm are better than before. The production is stronger. As time went by, the song became more recognized and ranked high in multiple music rankings, such as reaching No. 10 on Loudwire's "50 Best Korn Songs" list, proving that "Got the Life" position in the hearts of music fans.
"The song became Korn's debut on the U.S. mainstream charts."
With the release of "Got the Life" and the popularity of its music video, Korn has not only laid a solid foundation in the music industry, but also carved his own mark in pop culture. Today's music trends are diverse and ever-changing, but this song continues to hold a special place in the hearts of many music lovers. As the music industry continues to evolve, perhaps we should also think about it, will there be another phenomenal work like "Got the Life" in today's music world?
