When one imagines a collaboration between Beyoncé, Lady Gaga and Hype Williams, the mind reels with visions of outlandish costumes, hip-displacing dance moves, DayGlo flames, fish-eye lenses ... the list goes on and on. 
 
 Thus, it's a little surprising that the just-released clip for Beyoncé's "Video Phone" has nary a flame or fish-eye shot (there are, of course, plenty of outlandish costumes). However, don't make the mistake of thinking this video is by any means straightforward — it's plenty WTF! 
 
 Opening with a tracking shot that pays homage to Quentin Tarantino's 1992 flick "Reservoir Dogs" (and features Beyoncé wearing a Zorro mask) and closing with her firing an assault rifle while seated atop a motorcycle, it's a decidedly weird trip, a cartoonish fantasy brought to life. There's an extended sequence where Beyoncé dresses up as '50s pinup Bettie Page, and other parts where she handles more firearms than a Guns & Ammo editor. There are eyeball-popping colors and head-spinning edits, too. 
 
 But weirdest of all is Gaga's cameo — mostly because it's shockingly normal. She's not wearing some gravity-defying outfit or hairstyle: She sings a verse, fires a sidearm and then works her way through a chair-dance routine with B (which, it should be noted, is pretty great). And then she disappears. 
 
 (Gaga said last month that she told Beyoncé, "I don't want to show up in some frickin' hair bow and be fashion Gaga in your video.' I said, 'I want to do you,' " which offers some explanation.) 
 
 It's definitely not the Gaga we're used to seeing, but her appearance isn't exactly run-of-the-mill, either. And neither is this video, for that matter. Especially not when you're watching Beyoncé snap her gum and shake her hips and grope an AK-47 while the screen pops from electric green to Kool-Aid red. 
 
 If only all videos were this "normal" ... ||||| Behold: Beyoncé and Lady Gaga’s First Music-Video Collaboration 
 
 Lady Gaga has said that for her music-video collaboration with Beyoncé for "Video Phone," she wanted to respect her partner. "I'm like, 'I don't want to show up in some frickin' hair bow and be fashion Gaga in your video. I said, 'I want to do you,'" she explained last month. And so she transformed herself into "Gee-yoncé," a diva who wears nothing more spectacular than a simple white leotard and elbow-length white gloves. She doesn't come close to upstaging Beyoncé, who wears a crazy mirrored tribal bikini, drag makeup, what looks like a metal bra, various bootie shorts, and her favorite new accessory: garters. Together they play with colored fire-spitting water guns and look like the best of diva friends. Is it the new "Bad Romance"? Probably not (nothing beats that awkward cat dancing), but Beyoncé sure did try hard. At last we get to see her gyrating on a motorcycle wielding a big plastic gun with her orange cape flapping in the wind!
– The weirdest part of Beyoncé’s collaboration with Lady Gaga for the “Video Phone” video, which premiered on MTV early today, is Gaga's cameo—"mostly because it's shockingly normal," writes James Montgomery. "It's definitely not the Gaga we're used to seeing," nor the Beyoncé for that matter. Gaga dons a plain leotard and elbow-length white gloves, notes Amy Odell in New York; Beyonce "wears a crazy mirrored tribal bikini, drag makeup, what looks like a metal bra, various bootie shorts, and her favorite new accessory: garters" The verdict? "Beyoncé sure did try hard. At last we get to see her gyrating on a motorcycle wielding a big plastic gun with her orange cape flapping in the wind!"