U Remind Me (Kidz Bop Version)

Sunset on a city block.

A young black boy, no more than 13, steps up onto the curb. We get the close up of his bejeweled Tims as he centers himself on the sidewalk. Pan up and: He’s wearing a brown kufi on top of a white wave cap, way too big leather jeans and a wife beater. A really outlandish studded belt is holding all of this together. He turns to camera:

[Intro]
Yo, I ain't seen you in a minute
But I got somethin' to tell you
Listen

Right arm out, left arm out. Head to the sky. Then, a spin. He takes off. We’re moving down the sidewalk now, trying to keep up:

[Verse 1]
See, the thing about you that caught my eye
Is the same thing that makes me change my mind

He approaches a young girl with curly hair around the same age as him, she’s impossibly light skin… the highest of yellows. She’s posted up against the mailbox. She dons a bashful smile as he approaches. Close up on her, looking right into cam. Cut to a close up on the boy also looking into camera, meeting her gaze. Back to her. Then: A FLASH CUT… a really quick close up shot of another similarly high yellow young girl with straighter hair and different face pops up and then disappears.

The young boy recoils. He keeps walking.

Kinda hard to explain, but girl, I'll try
You need to sit down, this may take a while

Another pretty young girl, this time of a dark complexion is walking down the street in the opposite direction. He stops her in her tracks, pop-locks directly in front of her, then does a smooth glide in a full circle around her.

See, this girl, she sort of looks just like you
She even smiles just the way you do

She stands there blushing, watching him go. She’s hoping to catch his eyes, but he’s looking down at his feet the whole time. His glide takes him back around to the front of her. He looks up, catches her eye and FLASH: that same shot of the same girl from before. He shudders, then looks back down at his feet.

He caresses her chin with an outstretched arm and keeps on walking.

So innocent, she seemed, but I was fooled
I'm reminded when I look at you

We’re at the corner now. He grabs a hold of the streetlight and swings around it. His muscles are still developing so this is a little sloppy, but that’s okay. This sends him into the middle of the empty intersection.

[CHORUS]
But you remind me of a girl that I once knew (Oh, oh)

Two spins, then a cartweel type move. Upon landing, another glide, this time in a left to right line. Boom, boom, kack.

See her face whenever I, I look at you (Whenever I look, I look)

Two fingers pointed at his eyes. Then he sends those same two fingers straight into camera.

You won't believe all of the things she put me through (Won't believe, won't believe, won't believe it, baby, uh, oh no, no)

Both hands, open palms, bringing them to chest. He mimes agony. Real yearning taking place here.

One more spin. We’re moving on from the intersection.

[Verse 2]

Back to the sidewalk. This one has a few stores on it.

Thought that she was the one for me
'Til I found out she was on her creep

Another young girl, sitting on a bench, writing in her notebook, vibing to music in some wireless over-the-ear headphones; cut off from the world. She’s of that same light skin delegation, but she’s wearing her hair up. He sits down next to her on the bench. She looks at him, smiles. She goes back to her notebook.

He starts his sitdown dance sequence: Shoulder bop, shoulder bop. Both legs kick out, using the bench for arm support. Flip over to other side: two pushups using the bench. Stand up. Glide again: to the other side of the bench. Sits down next to her. Gets all close. She giggles, looks him in the eye.

Then: the boy stops cold, with a thousand-yard stare.

Ooh, she was sassin' everyone, but me
This is why we could never be

The scene shifts: Flashback to a black and white scene. School yard bustling with kids. A picnic table under a tree, off in the corner where no one else is. The young boy is courting the same light skin girl from his flashes before, but she’s not paying him any mind. She arranges her jewelry on the table in front of her. He pleads with her. We watch from a distance.

[CHORUS]
You remind me of a girl that I once knew (No, no no no, no, ah yeah)

He grabs at her hand, she moves it away.

He puts his hand around her shoulder, she slips it off.

She turns to look at him with dead eyes, sighs, and then puts a pair of wired headphones in. He pleads again. She doesn’t say anything back.

See her face whenever I, I look at you (Wherever I look, I look at you)

Straight to camera close up of the boy, still in black and white. He’s saying a lot of things, but for some reason we can’t hear them. His voice is muffled, inaudible, like speaking from underwater.

She looks away—pays him no mind, and continues arranging the jewelry in front of her.

You won't believe all of the things she put me through (She put me through, yeah)

He gets up to leave. But: she grabs him by the hand. With big doting eyes, she tells him to stay. But the headphones stay on. From a distance, we watch them sit together at the table in silence. So close physically, yet worlds apart.

This is why I just can't get with you (Uh)

Back to present day, back to full color. Close up of the girl on the bench, looking right into camera. She’s taken her headphones off, and she’s smiling, looking into the boy’s eyes. She’s fiddles, waiting for him to make a move.

Cut to close up of the boy.

He gives a half-hearted smile then gets up, and keeps moving down the sidewalk.

[Bridge]

He walks down the sidewalk with his hands in his pockets. Head down. Pensive.

It begins raining.

(I know, yeah)
I know it's so unfair to you (Ha! It's so unfair)

We get to another empty interscetion. The boy steps out into the the middle of the of it, and it’s slick—shiny—from all the rain. Great for gliding.

That I relate her ignorance to you (Whoa, oh I)

At his side, he balls his fists. Heavy breathing.

Wish I knew (Wish I knew how to separate the two)

Then: He rips his wife beater right down the middle. Tosses it aside.

You remind me (You remind me)

Instrumentation fades away and we get only sound effects. Begin shirtless solo dance sequence:

Head tilt down. Left arm out, right arm out. Now, the first glide—keeping arms extended.

Kick up the water from nearby puddle.

One knee down, other knee down. Alternating knees down to do a kind of slinking motion while arms wiggle in sync. Get up.

Take off kufi, toss it aside. Just the wave cap now.

Now, the second glide. This one is a long one. Almost makes it from one stop light to the other.

Land back at the middle of intersection. Leg kick out. Then a criss-cross hop. Finally, a little double toe tap maneuver. Somehow, the stop lights change in complete sync with each toe tap.

Now, one long spin. Water droplets flying everywhere from the torque. Like one of them sprinklers.

And stop.

Heavy breathing.

The instrumentation comes back in and—

Whoa, whoa, oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-ah, oh...

From the edges of the frame, new people emerge. The girls he encountered on his walk join him in the middle of the intersection.

A 4-count and then:

They all dance. It’s a synchronized 2-step with a spin and then a double toe tap on the way out. They’re all in stride.

See her face whenever I, I look at you (Gotta let you go)

Everyone with arms out. Leg kick, leg kick, now hop twice.

You won't believe all of the things she put me through (Said I, huh)

Cross step into a shoulder bounce. Everyone spins.

This is why I just can't get with you (Gotta let you go)

Same thing again. Now from the top—

You remind me of a girl that I once knew (You remind me, of a girl, hey)

Synchronized 2-step with a spin and then a double toe tap on the way out—

See her face whenever I, I look at you (Hey! Oh! Oh! You wouldn't believe it)

Everyone with arms out. Leg kick, leg kick, now hop twice—

You won't believe all of the things she put me through (All the shit she put me through)

Cross step into a shoulder bounce. Everyone spins—

But for him: just one last glide. It’s a big one. As the girls continue their dance, the boy weaves in and out of their formation, maintaining his glide. It’s beautiful.

Everything settles. The streetlights come on.

2 of the girls leave the scene.

The boy falls to his knees. He breaks down into tears. He’s sobbing.

The lone girl left, the one from the bench, stays. She walks up to him. She hesitates.

He looks up, eyes red and full of tears. She reaches down and holds him. Rubs his back.

He grabs her, holds on tight to her waist and sobs even harder. She comforts him as the tears flow, disappearing into the puddles at her feet.

The tears settle.

He stands. They looks into each other’s eyes and smile. A close up into camera for her. One for him.

And suddenly: she runs off down the block, giggling. The boy laughs.

He looks to camera. He winks.

He does a hop, skip and twiddle dee move and then runs after her.