Missy Elliott Returns From 7 Year Hiatus, Drops New Video ‘WTF’ Ft. Pharrell

Making her glorious return to the world of music videos today, Missy Elliott‘s new video and single WTF (Where They From) ft Pharrell Williams has finally dropped, fans having waited seven years since her last effort, 2008’s Ching-a-ling.

Videos have always been a big part of Missy’s appeal, her work in the mid 2000s being some of the most visually engaging, funny, charming and just straight awesome examples of the what you can do with a music video. Transcending the tired tropes of hip hop videos and replacing the usual entourage of amazonian back-up dancers with children, contortionists and more, her world was one of colour and movement and a whole lot of swagger, steez and attitude.

WTF (Where They From) very much continues on with this tradition, although with seven years between this and her defining work Work It, it’s clear that the industry standard for video has changed, most of the new video being shot on street locations with an emphasis put on the styling and choreography (both of which are top notch) rather than crazy sets and special effects. All your favourite parts of her old videos are here though with talented beyond their years child dancers, kinetic choreography, wild fashion and a general futuristic plastic aesthetic that just screams Missy.

The track itself sits somewhere between jersey club and Missy’s own drum-line hip hop style best realised on tracks like Pass That Dutch. Pharrell drops his feature verse midway through the track, showcasing a very different flow than what we’ve come to expect from him with N.E.R.D. taking on the same stop start style Missy takes on the track.

Having spent almost a decade out of the spotlight, fighting Graves’ disease and occasionally featuring on the odd track here, releasing a buzz single there – not to mention stealing the show at the Super Bowl half time when she played with Katy Perry – Missy’s return is sure to please her fans who’ve been waiting for new music for almost a decade. WTF (Where They From) being but a taste of what is to come off her upcoming seventh studio album, if the rest is as good as this I can’t wait to hear more.

Watch the video here below, and stay tuned for more news on the album.

Missy Elliott – WTF (Where They From) ft Pharrell Williams