Inside Music with Melinda Newman

Watch Usher's new video for 'Lil Freak': Sexy or a big yawn?

He enlists Nicki Minaj to procure women for a menage a trois

By Melinda Newman Thursday, Mar 25, 2010 3:10 PM

Usher

Okay Usher, we get it… you are a single man and, boy, are you available. In the new clip for “Lil Freak,” our boy from the ATL is looking for a ménage a trios and he’s finding the pickings bountiful.

He’s enlisted Nicki Minaj (did we miss the memo that she has to be in EVERY video right now?) to procure the right girls for him. Interestingly, the girl Minaj picks is the most wholesome of the bunch. You could practically take her home to mother—that is before Usher gets his hands on her.

We get a few smooth dance moves from Usher during the slow grind of a song, but it’s pretty much just a skeezy video from start to finish that is about as sexy as a film about STDs. Plus, the cold opening is way, way too long even if you dig the hinted at Sapphic action.

It’s the latest song released from “Raymond V. Raymond,” which comes out Tuesday. Sadly, even the Stevie Wonder/”Living for the City” sample can’t save it.