Diane Martel, Iconic Music Video Director, Dies At 63: Celebrating Her Legacy
Diane Martel, the director who crafted a long list of classic music videos, died on September 18, at 63 years old, after battling breast cancer. She directed videos for artists like Britney Spears, Jennifer Lopez, Mariah Carey, The Killers, Beyoncé, Clipse, the list goes on.
“Diane passed away peacefully at Memorial Sloan Kettering Hospital, surrounded by friends and family, after a long battle with breast cancer,” said her family in a statement, published by Rolling stone. “She is survived by her Aunt, Gail Merrifield Papp, her three beloved, loyal cats, Poki, PopPop, PomPom, and many loving lifetime friends.”
To honor and celebrate Martel, who began making music videos in the early ’90s, we gathered five of her best out of a long list of masterpieces.
Genie In A Bottle, Christina Aguilera
Martel used muted colors and natural scenery to introduce Christina Aguilera to the world. It was the first single off the singer’s debut album, released in 1999. There’s a cool nighttime dance scene in front of a roaring ocean that most probably remember, then Aguilera meets her love interest about midway through the clip.
Despite the pop artist being just 19 years old when “Genie in a Bottle” dropped, Martel created a mature-looking video to match the suggestive lyrics of the song but still kept things artful and classy. It could be said the “Genie in a Bottle” video, which was an MTV staple when it came out, helped Aguilera gain instant success.
Throw Ya Gunz, Onyx
With the New York rap group Onyx being one of the grittiest acts to hit the music scene in the early ’90s, they needed a video to match their hardcore image and debut single, “Throw Ya Gunz.”
Shot in 1992, it was Martel’s first video, but you wouldn’t know it, because she created it with the veteran approach of someone who’s been directing videos for decades.
There’s Onyx and their large crew running through what looks to be a desert in the middle of nowhere, a scene of people moshing, which perfectly captures the high-energy nature of the song. There’s also a nifty-looking shot of Onyx and their friends appearing in silhouette, while holding up guns in front of a colorful sunset.
If I Ain’t Got You, Alicia Keys
Martel did a stellar job in the video of stripping away the glamour that’s sometimes associated with Alicia Keys, while showing the singer and her boyfriend, played by Method Man, navigating the challenges of their relationship. Meth, who plays a drug-dealer, seems to be a loving and supportive mate, something that’s evident when he buys her a piano.
However, Keys just wants him, not the fancy items he can purchase, which she shows by pulling off the mink jacket that he gives her. Martel also captures both the beauty and toughness of New York City, and directed a gorgeous scene of Keys playing piano on a rooftop surrounded by sky-high buildings.
But Martel directed other videos for Keys besides “If I Ain’t Got You,” which the singer noted on Instagram after her passing. “Alicia Keys music videos that were directed by Diane Martel. R.I.P. @dianemartel_,” wrote the veteran artist. ‘If I Ain’t Got You,’ ‘Like You’ll Never See Me Again,’ ‘Brand New Me,’ ‘If I Ain’t Got You (orchestral Version)’ ‘Lifeline.'”
Bring The Pain, Method Man
When Method Man became Wu-Tang Clan’s breakout star, after the group dropped their classic LP, Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), all eyes were on the Staten Island rhymer to see what his first solo single would be. It turned out to be “Bring The Pain,” a cut that showcased RZA’s unique production style and Meth’s in-your-face, sing-song rap delivery.
He clearly responded to the pressure, and so did Martel, who used a tattered-looking bus for the video, which looks like an insane asylum on wheels. It’s hard to think about “Bring The Pain,” the song, without Martel’s visuals filling up your mind, a true sign of a remarkable video.
Blurred Lines, Robin Thicke, Featuring Pharrell And T.I.
Even though the entire video was shot in an all-white room, there’s a lot for the viewer to take in: Models strutting back and forth, one of them being Emily Ratajkowski, who became a star after the clip was released. There’s also a unique-looking red bicycle, and a toy car that drives on Ratajkowski’s back.
The video is definitely one of Martel’s most controversial, as there’s an unedited version that shows the models topless, and some believe it reinforced stereotypes of women being sex objects. However, Martel didn’t see it that way.
“I wanted to deal with the misogynist, funny lyrics in a way where the girls were going to overpower the men,” she told Grantland in 2013. “Look at Emily Ratajkowski’s performance; it’s very, very funny and subtly ridiculing. That’s what is fresh to me. It also forces the men to feel playful and not at all like predators.”
However, Ratajkowski eventually accused Thicke of groping her during the shoot, something that Martel later acknowledged. Rest in peace, Ms. Martel.
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