Alien Ant Farm - Smooth Criminal

What this video is

Released June 2001 as the second single from Alien Ant Farm's DreamWorks debut ANThology, 'Smooth Criminal' arrived at the absolute apex of nu-metal's mainstream dominance, a moment when alternative metal bands could score #1 Billboard Modern Rock hits while simultaneously penetrating pop crossover territory. The cover recontextualized Michael Jackson's 1987 Bad-era classic through a self-aware, comedic rock lens —…

Why it matters

A landmark document of nu-metal's capacity for self-aware genre play, demonstrating that the movement could transcend its own sonic conventions through humor and intertextual referencing. The video codified the early-2000s rock-band-covers-pop-icon subgenre and influenced subsequent 'ironic cover'…

The director

American music video director and NYU Tisch School of the Arts graduate. Founder of Rockhard Films, a New York-based production company. Has directed over 200 music videos for artists including Katy Perry, Jay-Z, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Foo Fighters, Britney…