Jonas Åkerlund

Jonas Åkerlund (born November 16, 1966 in Bromma) is a Swedish film director, best known for making music videos.

Biography

Jonas Åkerlund was a member of the Swedish black metal band Bathory from 1983 through 1984. He first found fame as main video director for Swedish pop act Roxette. In 1998 he worked with Madonna for the song "Ray of Light", he has since worked with superstars such as Metallica, Christina Aguilera, and U2. He directed the music video for the Smashing Pumpkins' single Try, Try, Try, from which a short film Try was spawned. He also turned his hand to designer and photographer for the Roxette album Room Service in 2001. In 2002 his first full length movie, "Spun" debuted. He directed recent adverts for Swedish clothing retailer MQ and the re-imagining of the Devo song "Work It Out" used in Dell Computers commercials.

He has become a long collaborator of pop singer Madonna having worked on such music videos as "American Life" and more recently "Jump". He also directed her documentary film "I'm Going to Tell You a Secret" and her concert television special "".

Videography

1988: "Bewitched" for Candlemass
1992: "Så länge det lyser mittemot" for Marie Fredriksson
"Mellan sommar och höst" for Marie Fredriksson
1993: "Fingertips" for Roxette
1994: "Run To You" for Roxette
1995: "A la ronde" for Sinclair
"Vulnerable" for Roxette
"Pay For Me" for Whale
1996: "June Afternoon" for Roxette
"She Doesn't Live Here Anymore" for Roxette
"Un Dia Sin Ti (Spanish version of "Spending My Time") for Roxette
1997: "Do You Wanna Be My Baby?" for Per Gessle (one half of Roxette)
"James Bond Theme" for Moby
"Kix" for Per Gessle (one half of Roxette)
"I Want You To Know" for Per Gessle (one half of Roxette)
"Smack My Bitch Up" for The Prodigy
1998: "Ray of Light" for Madonna, won the 1999 Grammy Award for Best Short Form Music Video
"My Favourite Game" for The Cardigans
"Turn the Page" for Metallica
1999: "Whiskey in the Jar" for Metallica
"Wish I Could Fly" for Roxette
"Canned Heat" for Jamiroquai
"Anyone" for Roxette
"Corruption" for Iggy Pop
2000: "The Everlasting Gaze" for The Smashing Pumpkins
"Music" for Madonna
"Porcelain" (version 1) for Moby
"Try, Try, Try" for The Smashing Pumpkins
"Try" (15-minute alternate version to "Try, Try, Try")
"Beautiful Day" (version 1: airport) for U2
"Black Jesus" for Everlast
"Still" (version 2: white hair) for Macy Gray
2001: "Gets Me Through" for Ozzy Osbourne
"Walk On" for U2
"The Centre Of The Heart" for Roxette (his most expensive video to date)
2002: "A Thing About You" for Roxette
"Lonely Road" for Paul McCartney
"Fuel For Hatred" for Satyricon
"Me Julie" for Ali G and Shaggy
"If I Could Fall In Love" for Lenny Kravitz
"Beautiful" for Christina Aguilera
2003: "Beautiful Day" (version 2: Eze) for U2
"American Life" for Madonna
"Good Boys" for Blondie
"True Nature" for Jane's Addiction
2004: "I Miss You" for blink-182
"Aim 4" for Flint
"Tits On The Radio" for Scissor Sisters (internet video only)
2006: "Rain Fall Down" for The Rolling Stones
"Jump" for Madonna
" One Wish" for Roxette
"Mann gegen Mann" for Rammstein
"Country Girl" for Primal Scream
2007: "Wake Up Call" for Maroon 5
"Good God" for Anouk
"Same Mistake" for James Blunt
2008: "No.5" for Hollywood Undead
"Undead" for Hollywood UndeadSober P!nk

Filmography

*"Spun" (2002)
*"I'm Going to Tell You a Secret" (2006)
*" The Confessions Tour" (2007)
*"The Horsemen" (2008)

References

* Encyclopaedia Metallum: The Metal Archives, www.metal-archives.com

External links

*
* [http://edition.cnn.com/2006/TRAVEL/10/11/stockholm.qa/ CNN interview with Jonas Åkerlund]

Books

* Henry Keazor, Thorsten Wübbena: " [http://www.vttrs.de Video Thrills The Radio Star. Musikvideos: Geschichte, Themen, Analysen] ". Bielefeld 2005, p. 117ss., p. 146ss., p. 448