4 Non Blondes - What's Up

What this video is

Released in March 1993, 'What's Up?' emerged at a pivotal crossroads in American alternative culture — grunge was at its commercial apex following Nirvana's 'Nevermind' (1991) and MTV was still the dominant arbiter of pop music visibility. 4 Non Blondes, formed in San Francisco's lesbian bar scene in 1989, brought a distinctly West Coast queer, punk-inflected bohemian identity to mainstream pop radio. The song's…

Why it matters

A landmark in early-90s alternative rock's mainstream breakthrough, 'What's Up?' demonstrated that non-conformist, queer-coded artists from the underground could achieve global commercial success. Its enduring streaming longevity — crossing one billion YouTube views in 2021, only the fifth video…

The director

Morgan Lawley is a female director and long-time member of the Directors Guild of America. Her career began as a professional dancer touring with Paula Abdul, Janet Jackson, and Donna Summer before transitioning to directing. Her music video career spanned…