Paula Abdul - The Way That You Love Me - Version 1 - David Fincher

What this video is

Released in November 1988 as the second single from Paula Abdul's debut album Forever Your Girl (Virgin Records, June 1988), 'The Way That You Love Me' Version 1 arrived during a formative and commercially uncertain period in Abdul's career. Written and produced by Oliver Leiber, the track initially stalled at #88 on the Billboard Hot 100 and failed to break the Top 40 despite modest R&B radio play. The video was…

Why it matters

This video occupies a foundational position in late-1980s dance-pop visual culture as the inaugural Fincher–Abdul collaboration, establishing the choreography-forward, high-contrast studio aesthetic that would define Abdul's visual brand. It also represents an early example of product-integrated…

The director

David Andrew Leo Fincher (born August 28, 1962, Denver, CO) co-founded Propaganda Films in 1986 and directed music videos from 1984 onward. Between 1984 and 1993 he directed 53 music videos, including works for Madonna, Aerosmith, Billy Idol, Michael…