Synopsis
The clip presents Boy George as a flamboyant, highly styled central figure, intercutting performance footage with appearances by London nightlife personality Dusty O. Rather than building a conventional storyline, it uses fashion, makeup, dramatic poses, and club-oriented imagery to create a theatrical portrait of a relationship under strain. The song's accusations of lies, blame, and repeated mistakes give the performance an admonishing edge, while the visual presentation keeps the emphasis on attitude, persona, and dance-pop spectacle.
Factoids & Trivia
- The video was made in London and includes an appearance by Dusty O, the Soho performer, DJ, club promoter, and fashion personality.
- Boy George wears a distinctive black Philip Treacy hat decorated with horn-like shapes throughout the video. The same hat later became an identifiable part of his late-1990s image.
- "When Will You Learn" was written by Boy George with Mike Koglin and John Themis. George and Koglin were also involved in the production.
- The song was issued as a non-album single in the late 1990s, with different releases appearing in 1997, 1998, and 1999 depending on the territory.
- The track reached No. 1 on the Italian dance chart and topped the singles chart in Switzerland.
- At the 41st Grammy Awards, held in February 1999, "When Will You Learn" was nominated for Best Dance Recording. Madonna won the category for "Ray of Light."
- The single was supported by an unusually large series of club mixes, including versions by Dado, Santana, Julian Groove, Special K, and others.
- The song and video were later included on the US VHS release "Have You Seen This Boy?", a collection that also featured several of George's other solo videos.