Things We Forget – The “Original” Drowning Video

Can you believe how long it’s been since Drowning became a single?

I was only fifteen and that statement just my thirty-two year old me feel ancient. The time this came out was pretty tumultuous. I might do a post about the Chapter One era. It wasn’t really an era but it sort of was. Fans were having a lot of questions and a lot of feelings. Drowning was used to advertise the one and only endorsed Greatest Hits album that BSB were forced to put out. Do you remember said ad? If not, I’ve got you covered.

But wait…that’s not the music video we know and love featured in that ad.

No, the clip in that ad was the only hint we had of a different music video for years. Sure they talked about it on TRL but that’s happened before (ie – Nick’s cowboy idea for The One #NeverForget) but we brush that sort of thing off all the time. Minds change and such. But that ad was proof that there was an alternate version of the video that we never got to see. Funnily enough, over the years it became a “holy grail” of sorts. The bit of BSB media fans always wanted but never could find. Like how we are about Spotlight from the documentary despite knowing the song was never finished. It was idealized into this epic video that fans believed Jive “cheated” us out of.

Then one of the people who produced the video, decided to randomly post it online. Why then, I have no idea. I just remember the way LiveDaily freaked out about ten years ago because we finally had it. But also…

We realized why the video got scrapped. The concept was great, in theory. In execution? Well, it’s a victim of 2000s CGI technology.

It’s just bad. I love the Boys but I have to be honest on that one. They fight the rain and the rain wins. Also what is AJ wearing? I can’t tear my eyes away from the bad effects. Just, yikes. I wonder why they didn’t go for a more natural approach on this one if they wanted more of a literal “drowning” aspect (see: Brian in the Incomplete video). And that water rolling in…nothing about this looks right. On an upside, the Boys look great wet? I laugh though when the “wave” rolls in and all but Nick kind of half-ass duck down, and Nick is just like BRING IT. There’s a lot of giggle moments.

It’s an interesting part of the BSB history in a sense, but we built it up to be this great thing we thought we’d never see. Until we did. But back then? God no. This video has not held up over time in the ways The Call has or even Larger Than Life. The video we know to be the official one was a far better choice and bless whoever made that call. I know many fans who prefer the wet version, but objectively…this was hidden away for the right reasons back then.

I’m just happy we have it now.