SZA & Justin Timberlake Pay Homage to Hype Williams in New “The Other Side” Music Video

The new music video is inspired by hip-hop visuals from the ’90s.

The first thing we were thinking when we caught a glimpse of SZA and Justin Timberlake’s new “The Other Side” music video was how similar it was to Hype Williams’ 1999 visual for “What’s It Gonna Be.” The futuristic video featuring Busta Rhymes and Janet Jackson included Williams’ innovative touch.

In the latest clip, SZA leads on the vocals as she changes out of a series of high fashion looks paired with stunning hairstyles. At one point, she also dons an Afro with a look straight from the ‘70s. During another scene she wears sky-high platform heels with a glitzy silver look, this outfit is the opposite of Jackson’s dramatic all-black look for “What’s It’s Gonna Be.”

Alongside SZA, Timberlake keeps things simple in an all-black outfit throughout most of the clip. A fisheye lens also provides a unique viewpoint during a few parts of the video.

Since Timberlake plays such a large role in this track and the video (he co-wrote it alongside SZA) we can’t help but think back to the infamous 2004 Super Bowl “nipplegate” moment where he, in the heat of the moment, during their performance he pulled a piece of her outfit. This led to her right breast being exposed on national television to over 140 million viewers. After the performance, Jackson was seemingly blacklisted within the entertainment industry.

The new song is the first single from the soundtrack to the new Trolls movie. The soundtrack will also feature appearances by Mary J. Blige, Anderson .Paak and more.

On the video, SZA shared:

“I was so thrilled to be invited to participate in this project with Justin. The creative process of working with him and the team was filled with such excitement. It’s an energy you can feel in both the song and music video.”

Take a look at the music video for “The Other Side” below.