Rick Astley has recreated his 1987 'Never Gonna Give You Up' music video and it's perfect

18 August 2022, 16:14

'80s pop star Rick Astley has recreated the music video for his hit song 'Never Gonna Give You Up' and it's amazing.

The singer, 56, has given the famous music video for 'Never Gonna Give You Up' a facelift 35 years after it was first released in 1987.

The one-minute-long video for the CSAA (California State Automobile Association) Insurance Group, shows Rick Astley dancing and singing exactly as he did all those years ago as a fresh-faced 21-year-old.

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Rick Astley performs in three different outfits that pay tribute to the looks he wore in the original famous music video, but with cameos from zoom and a smartphone in a nod to the video's 21st reincarnation.

As the advert draws to a close, Astley turns to his cloned self and asks, "Is this still a thing?" about his 35-year-old song. The two other 'Ricks' give a non-committal shrug.

Rick Astley's song has indeed become an unlikely internet hero over the past decade, thanks to the tongue-in-cheek usage of his biggest hit, called 'RickRolling' – the song has notched up over 1.2 billion views on YouTube alone.

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We've probably all been RickRolled at least once. You click on a link that looks interesting and inviting, only to be met with the familiar drum intro and dad-dancing of Rick Astley's 1987 number one smash, 'Never Gonna Give You Up'.

The trend started online. In March 2007, the first trailer for the Grand Theft Auto IV videogame was released.

InsurAAAnce & Rick Astley Never Gonna Give You Up

Views were so high that it crashed its company Rockstar's site. Several users posted copies of the video on different sites, but one user on 4chan actually linked to the 'Never Gonna Give You Up' video claiming to be the trailer, tricking lots of readers - 'RickRolling' was born.

The meme is known as a form of 'bait and switch', using a disguised hyperlink that leads to the music video.

When victims click on a totally unrelated link, the site with the music video loads instead of what they were expecting, and thus they have been 'rickrolled'.

Fans have taken to the comment section of the video in droves, delighted with the remastered version of the '80s classic.

"Damn he is looking good. I love how he’s taken to the joke instead of being offended. He’s awesome and he still has it.," one wrote.

Rick Astley - Never Gonna Give You Up (Official Music Video)

"I love how Rick is fully embracing the meme that's been keeping him famous for the better part of the last two decades. You might say he... rolls with it," another joked.

"Jokes aside, 35 years later, Ricky’s voice is still charming and beautiful!" a commentator claimed, with another adding:

"The lyrics are PERFECT. They didn't need to change a word and it works. 'Never Gonna Give You Up' is just a gift that keeps on giving."