Leona Naess - Charm Attack

What this video is

Released in early 2000 as the lead single from Leona Naess's debut album Comatised on MCA Records, 'Charm Attack' arrived at a transitional cultural moment: the post-Lilith Fair landscape still supported introspective female singer-songwriters on mainstream radio, while TRL-era MTV demanded visually arresting short-form content. Naess, London-raised and NYU-educated, embodied a transatlantic indie-pop sensibility.…

Why it matters

Representative artifact of the late-1990s/early-2000s female singer-songwriter alt-pop moment, bridging acoustic coffeehouse aesthetics with major-label production polish. The single's dual commercial life — Adult Top 40 radio and teen film soundtrack placement — documents the era's genre-crossing…

The director

French-born filmmaker and multimedia artist who began as a photographer before transitioning into music video direction. Directed videos for a-ha, Tori Amos, Shawn Colvin, and Leona Naess, among others. Also directed narrative features including Johnny 316…