Q-Tip and Demi Lovato don’t appear in the video for “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart,” but there’s still plenty to look at. The song comes from the upcoming Elton John tribute album Revamp and is a cover of John’s No. 1 hit with Kiki Dee.
The musical feast for the eyes is directed by Hector Dockrill, inspired by the the documentary Paris Is Burning, and features an underground, retro-styled ballroom party with a 1970s juke joint vibe and one one hell of a Soul Train line vogue session.
The song itself features no rapping from Q-Tip either, just smooth vocalizing and back-and-forth chemistry with Lovato over a funk-influenced guitar riff with a swinging beat made for moving hips.
As the assembled ball participants pose and strut and fan themselves in the hothouse venue, the soulful single hits a soaring crescendo, with Lovato’s vocal prowess on full display.
For hip-hop fans who may be a little confused by the decidedly non-hypermasculine visuals they might be used to from a rap star like Q-Tip, the former A Tribe Called Quest frontman explained the video’s approach in a statement. “Elton’s influence shows you that the possibilities of music are endless,” he elaborated. “He’s astute in so many types of music, he does it all and being a hip-hop kid, our whole aesthetic was that everything was up for grabs and that’s how he has always been to me. I remember the premiere of ‘Don’t Go Breaking My Heart’ with Kiki Dee and seeing it as a kid and loving it … Rhythmically, we just wanted to make it a little funkier.”
Revamp is set for release April 6 via Virgin EMI.
