11 Bizarrely Unnecessary Sequels To Classic Songs
6. The Killers - "Miss Atomic Bomb"
"Mr. Brightside" is memorable not only for its lyrical and musical composition, but also its relatable themes of jealousy and paranoia. The music video adds to its entertainment value, pitting lead singer Brandon Flowers against Eric Roberts in a love triangle with the beautiful Izabella Miko.
"Miss Atomic Bomb" casts these same actors in a retelling of the same basic story. Once again, a paranoid youth believes himself to have been jilted by his lover in favor of another man. Once again, he obsesses. Once again, the music video is on point.
However, while "Mr. Brightside" is largely centered on the singer's paranoia, the lyrics to "Miss Atomic Bomb" primarily blame the female character for the protagonist's self-pity. Even the titles of the two songs mark this shift in focus, one naming the male while the other names the allegedly dangerous female.
This suggests that "Miss Atomic Bomb" is meant as more of a spiritual successor than a direct sequel, a song that merely touches on the original's theme from an altered perspective. Even Flowers himself refers to it merely as "a companion," but it actually doesn't matter whether this is a continuation of the narrative or not. The problem with "Miss Atomic Bomb" rests entirely in its tone.
Flowers' condemnation of his disloyal lover is far less uncertain this time around. Gone are the implications that his jealousy stems from images existing solely in his head - at least until the end of the music video, which reveals that Miko's supposed affair was a complete delusion. While "Mr. Brightside" focused on how jealousy hurts the jealous, the hero of "Miss Atomic Bomb" plays the victim while attacking an innocent woman's integrity for literally no reason.