DEVO ＂Whip It＂ - DEVO ＂Whip It＂

What this video is

Released in 1980 as the second single from Freedom of Choice, 'Whip It' arrived at a pivotal juncture between post-punk underground art and mainstream American pop. Devo had been making conceptual short films with music soundtracks since the mid-1970s, predating the music video industry, and this video exemplifies their multimedia philosophy. Made roughly one year before MTV launched, it was immediately absorbed…

Why it matters

A canonical document of American new wave and synth-pop's early-1980s breakthrough, the 'Whip It' video helped establish the music video as a legitimate artistic medium and ideological platform before the form was standardized. It demonstrated that a conceptual, low-budget, self-directed band…

The director

Gerald Vincent Casale (born July 28, 1948, Ravenna, Ohio) is co-founder, co-lead vocalist, bassist, and primary video director of Devo. He is described as an award-winning music video and commercial director who began directing the band's groundbreaking…