Roxette - The Look

What this video is

Released in early 1989, 'The Look' became one of the defining pop-rock crossover moments of the late MTV era. Originally a domestic Swedish hit, it reached the US market through an unlikely grassroots route via a college exchange student and KDWB Minneapolis — a pre-internet viral phenomenon. The video, shot in New York City, was purpose-built for US MTV rotation and visually encapsulates the glossy, high-energy…

Why it matters

A foundational document of Swedish pop-rock's international crossover, 'The Look' sits at the intersection of synth-driven pop, glam-inflected rock, and MTV performance spectacle. Its video codified a template for glossy, high-energy ensemble performance clips that influenced countless European…

The director

Peter Heath is a music video director known for his work in the late 1980s and early 1990s. He directed the canonical 1989 version of Roxette's 'The Look,' filmed at a studio in New York City, as well as the 'Dressed for Success' video for the same act, shot…