Synopsis
Set against a stark black backdrop, will.i.am performs "Heartbreaker" amid flashing lights, floating star effects, and a glowing red sphere that appears to move under his control. He dances alongside a series of women, including Cheryl Cole, whose spotlighted vocal sections and street-dance moves provide the video's main contrast. A convertible sequence adds a brief romantic image, while performers dressed in black bodysuits become human stars, mirroring will.i.am's choreography and reinforcing the video's sleek, futuristic pop aesthetic.
Factoids & Trivia
- Cheryl Cole's appearance grew out of the ITV2 program "The Passions of Girls Aloud," during which she learned street dancing and auditioned for the video.
- Cole's involvement expanded beyond the visual. She supplied new vocals for the British remix, replacing the original female vocal in parts of the arrangement.
- The video prominently references Michael Jackson's signature glide from "Billie Jean," folding the move into will.i.am's choreography.
- The illuminated "stars" are performers wearing black bodysuits fitted with lights, allowing the production to create the illusion of animated points of light.
- "Heartbreaker" became Cole's first solo music-video appearance and helped establish her association with will.i.am before her solo album "3 Words" was released in 2009.
- The Cheryl Cole version was issued in the United Kingdom on May 5, 2008, and the single reached No. 4 on the UK Singles Chart.