Stripped: A History Of Naked Artists In Music Videos

In Erykah Badu’s new “Window Seat” video, the neo-soul queen literally sheds all her layers to convey a message about character assassination and the destructiveness of perception. Whatever lesson you glean from it, the bold visuals have already sparked heated debate in only a few days. But Badu isn’t the first artist to bare ass for art’s sake. These other musicians also took exhibitionism to the extreme, with good and bad results. Let us know if we missed any body shots. —Clover Hope

D’ANGELO

The Video: “(Untitled) How Does It Feel”

The Concept: Men everywhere learned what a “V” muscle really looks like in this simplistically sensuous video that still makes mom and pop cringe. In reaching his proverbial climax, D’Angelo huffed and puffed so convincingly that people assumed there was a woman down under helping him, uh, hit those high notes off camera.

Skinometer Rating: Allegedly, the crooner turned criminal wasn’t completely unclothed during shooting. But his eight-pack was enough to make women swoon and men renew their Crunch memberships.

ALANIS MORISSETTE

The Video: “Thank U”

The Concept: In this 1998 clip, the bare-naked pop star is seen walking the streets naked, sitting on the train naked and loitering in the grocery aisle naked. Unsanitary, to say the least. While some passersby simply ignore her, others lend a helping hand, a nod to the song’s message about the apathy and kindness of humankind.

Skinometer Rating: Despite the blurred out nether regions and long locks concealing her boobs, Alanis was brave for stripping to her skivvies.