98º - The Way You Want Me To

What this video is

Released during the final commercial peak and incipient decline of the American boy band phenomenon, 'The Way You Want Me To' represents 98°'s position as the most R&B-credible of the major late-1990s boy bands, signed to Motown and distinguished by self-written material. The video's warm, high-energy aesthetic reflects the TRL-era MTV ecosystem where rapid visual engagement was paramount. By 2001, the genre was…

Why it matters

This video is a canonical example of the early-2000s boy band performance video formula: rapid editing, warm studio lighting, tight vocal-group choreography, and a performance-only structure with no narrative. As a Wayne Isham production, it also documents the era's premier music video auteur…

The director

Wayne Isham (born December 2, 1958, Vinita, Oklahoma) is an American music video director with over 150 credits spanning rock and pop. Inspired by David Bowie's 'Ashes to Ashes,' he built his reputation directing arena rock acts in the 1980s–90s before…