Billboard requires a JavaScript enabled browser to get the full experience

Bloggers (Possibly) Crack 'IAMAMIWHOAMI' Mystery

Comments

by Connor McKnight  |   March 18, 2010 3:45 EDT

After weeks of speculation, some keen eyes over at the Oh No They Didn't blog point to a possible source for the viral "iamamiwhoami" video campaign that mysteriously began appearing in late January. Although the original ONTD thread now appears to be blocked, a series of Live Journal posts suggested that the mystery woman is Swedish singer Jonna Lee. The post was accompanied by video and photographic evidence compiled by the bloggers linking clues from the keyboard she plays to the men who appear in the most recent video.

 

For those who haven't been following along, here is a recap of what you've missed:

 


1.    Seven videos in total have been released, ranging from quirky to creepy to downright gross. Backed by eerie electronic music, they generally depict wood-spirit themes and are often shot from a warped or fisheye perspective.

2.    In the early videos, there was a prevalence of black dogs, strawberries, dirt, a lot of tree-hugging and a disturbing amount of licking going on.

 


3.     Rampant speculation ensued that Christina Aguilera was the artist behind the cryptic clips, though her management denied any involvement in two separate statements.


4.    The video titles contain strings of numbers that at least partially translate to letters of the alphabet with videos 4 and 5 spelling out "mandragora officinarum" (the scientific name for a parsnip-shaped root called a mandrake which has purported magical powers) and the title of sixth video spelling "welcome home." (The mandrake plant appears in this video after sprouting from a small house). The seventh video is an exception as the first not to take place outdoors and is titled simply "b."

5.    In the latest clip, our nymph-like heroine appears at a keyboard looking a bit cleaner but even having rinsed the tar from her face and the kinks from her platinum locks her identity is masked by a layer of packing tape. Her eyes also appear as brilliant blue for the first time, previously seen as dark brown.

6.    Every video contains an illustrated depiction of an animal. Here is the sequence so far:
Goat + Owl + Whale + Bee + Llama + Monkey =  ?

Confused? We were too. But we took close look at the latest iamamiwhoami video and, while the music bares only a passable similarity to the singer's previous work, the physical resemblance to Jonna Lee is indeed striking. But we all may be wrong -- Lee's management claims to have no knowledge of the videos and, though Lee is reportedly working on a new album, her label has declined to comment.

 

With growing interest in the story, photos are now circulating the web and a recent youtube video pieces some of the evidence together. We're pretty convinced the mystery is solved, once and for all.

 

Or who knows. Maybe Xtina really is pulling off one of the biggest promo tricks in pop history.

 

 

Up for Discussion

Jump to Forums

Sort By

Page:

Connect with

More Features

All features

Listy

Billboard chart app

Billboard archives

Thanks For Joining Billboard

Log in to create your profile, speak your mind and connect with listeners like you.

Why Join ?

Don't just hear it. Live it. Go deeper than a casual listen: Voice your feelings, build a profile around your favorite music, connect with people who share your passions and discover new ones. Sign up for free.

Complete Your Registration at Billboard.com!

Haven't Joined Yet ?

For the full Billboard experience, you need to be a member. Sign up. It's free.

Join Billboard

Forgot your password?

Enter the e-mail address you used to sign up and we will email you the password .

Email Sent !

Your password has been sent to the email address you provided. Please sign in below :

Log In

Forget your password ?

Action Successful

We'd love to hear your feedback on the new Billboard.com!

Whether it's a feature request or a bug

We want to hear from you. Please use this form to anonymously give us your input.