T.H.E. (The Hardest Ever) (Feat. Will.I.Am and Mick Jagger)

The music video for “T.H.E. (The Hardest Ever)” by will.i.am, featuring Jennifer Lopez and Mick Jagger, was directed by Rich Lee and filmed in Los Angeles and London in October 2011. The video embraces a futuristic, action-packed concept, following will.i.am as he embarks on an extraordinary journey across increasingly advanced forms of transportation. It opens with him sending a text message to Mick Jagger before beginning an intense workout that quickly turns into a high-speed adventure. Running through walls and travelling by bicycle, motorbike, car, plane, train, and rocket, he eventually journeys into space aboard a spaceship. Throughout the sequence, Lopez appears in a series of striking futuristic settings, including dancing along walls as will.i.am races past and appearing on screens inside the spaceship and against the backdrop of the galaxy. In the final scenes, Jagger joins the action in the cosmic setting to deliver his closing performance, while Lopez performs an energetic belly-dance-inspired routine. The video’s elaborate visual effects and rapid transitions create an over-the-top science-fiction spectacle, complemented by product placements for brands including HTC, BMW, Beats by Dr. Dre, Siemens Velaro, and the Chrysler 300. The video was released online by will.i.am on December 12, 2011, before receiving its official television premiere on Extra and appearing on Lopez’s Vevo channel on December 14.