Nelly, featuring Kelly Rowland: 'Gone'

Back in March, we gave you all of the details of a music video shoot: Nelly and Kelly Rowland Film 'Gone' in Cancún. Then we criminally never showed you the finished product. Let us rectify that error right now.



The video was filmed, on February 8, 2011, at ME Cancun Hotel and Resort, Boulevard Kukulkan, km. 12, in the Hotel Zone. All of the wider, scenic footage is the landscape in and around Cancún and the Riviera Maya. The fortress-like ruins, shown in the opening scenes, is Tulum.

'Gone' is a track taken from Nelly's sixth album, '5.0'; and it is the sequel to his 2002 megahit, 'Dilemma'. It didn't garner the mainstream success, that its predecessor had enjoyed; but did moderately well in the R&B charts of several countries.

However, it had a great showing with add-ons, gathering 45 of them within two days of being released. It was the second most added tune on Urban Radio, and the third on both the Top 40/Mainstream and the Rhythmic Radios.


Tulum, on the Riviera Maya, glimpsed at the beginning of the video.


ME Cancun Hotel and Resort, used extensively in the video.

Nelly and Kelly Rowland Film 'Gone' in Cancún

It was the smash hit of 2002. 'Dilemma' topped the charts in several countries and became the anthem of the summer and the fall. Billboard Magazine named it in their Hot 100 songs of all time; while the artists, Nelly and Kelly Rowland, won a Grammy Award for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for it. Then, in November last year, the sequel, 'Gone', appeared on Nelly's album, '5.0'. Fan-made videos for it have sprung up all over YouTube. But now the real thing has been filmed and they did it in Cancún.

Candid shots and some film stills appeared on Kelly's official site last night: New Images From "Gone" Video Shoot.



Nelly Tweeted: Ok headed to Cancun to shoot the ""GONE"" video wit @KELLYROWLAND!!!85 degrees and sunny dammmmmm LET'S GET IT!!!!

While Kelly Rowland replied: So excited to be in BEAUTIFUL CANCUN w/ @Nelly_Mo! I'm HUNGRY. What should me and @susanheecho eat??????

Meanwhile, US Magazine are running with Kelly's diary of the Cancún film-shoot: Exclusive: Kelly Rowland's Video Reunion Diary!



'Gone', like 'Dilemma', draws upon a fusion of pop, R&B and rap to create its sultry sound. Nelly warned Rap-Up that, though it's a sequel, it's not merely a mash-up of the original. "Let's be honest, we can’t do 'Dilemma' over again. That's etched in time. It is what it is; that song was for that point in time." However, the story that it told will continue with 'Gone'. "It's kinda like an extension of the story and still playfully having fun with it like we did with the first one."

The track was produced by Jim Jonsin and Rico Love. Marc Klasfeld, who directed 'Dilemma', returned to continue his work with the video for 'Gone'.



The video was filmed at ME Cancun Hotel and Resort, Boulevard Kukulkan, km. 12, in the Hotel Zone. One of the pools and the beach area were roped off for the day, though celebrity spotters did get to watch proceedings out of view of the cameras. This will no doubt be the venue for many fan remakes to come!