Synopsis
Roxette perform "The Look" inside a brightly lit, deliberately chaotic studio set filled with vivid colors, scattered objects, and fashion-focused imagery. Marie Fredriksson and Per Gessle alternate between direct-to-camera performances, energetic poses, and playful interactions with several women who occupy the room. Fast cuts, close-ups, dramatic lighting, and a deliberately stylized pop aesthetic give the clip the polished, high-impact feel of late-1980s MTV, matching the song's confident blend of rock guitars, electronic production, and swagger.
Factoids & Trivia
- The best-known version was filmed in a New York City studio in February 1989, shortly before Roxette broke through internationally.
- A separate early version of "The Look" was made in 1988. It has a more documentary-like feel, incorporating footage associated with Roxette's Swedish activities and performances, and is less commonly seen than the New York version.
- The New York clip presents Roxette as an established international act, even though the duo were still relatively unknown in the United States when it was made.
- "The Look" became Roxette's first No. 1 single on the Billboard Hot 100. Its success helped turn the video into one of the defining visual introductions to the duo for American audiences.
- The song's American breakthrough began with an exchange student from Minneapolis who brought the album "Look Sharp!" home from Sweden. His copy reached local radio station KDWB, which began playing "The Look" before the song had received a major U.S. promotional campaign.
- The video is notable for its compact studio concept rather than a narrative storyline. Its colorful set, fashion imagery, and sharp editing were designed to make the performers and the song's attitude the central attraction.