#VideoPlaylist: Appreciating Music Video Storytelling

If you’ve got time to take a break and appreciate the art of music videos, we’ve got several for you to enjoy.

03.22.22
#VideoPlaylist: Appreciating Music Video Storytelling (Roy Rochlin via Getty Images)

Now, more than ever, we enjoy music through the beats and lyrics and forget about the visual storytelling aspect. 

If you’ve got time to take a break and appreciate the art of music videos, we’ve got several for you to enjoy.

Omah Lay & Justin Bieber  - “Attention” 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kF4QRGQM2ig&ab_channel=JustinBieber

Omah Lay and Justin Bieber collaborated to make a mesmerizing new video to their record “Attention.” Bieber as well as Lay said, “Attention is a record [they are] really excited about, [they] had fun making that one.” Bieber explained that aside from his genuine appreciation for different cultural styles of music, he knows that with his history in the industry, he is able to successfully introduce his fans to sounds from around the world they aren’t accustomed to.

HAIM - “Lost Track” 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HX7pXjZHT_4&ab_channel=HaimVEVO

Haim released their new song “Lost Track” and the video was directed by Oscar-nominated filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson. "Lost Track," infiltrated with wind chime tunes and Haim's distinctive gentle vocals, was shot on location during a W Magazine photo shoot as part of a profile on Anderson, who is also a longstanding collaborator of the band. The video is set at a Valley country club in the 1950s. Danielle Haim, dressed in a blue suit, appears bored and uneasy in the audience at a charity fashion show in which her sisters are modeling for.

5 Seconds of Summer - “Complete Mess” 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GoQ85cs5fk0&ab_channel=5SOS

For the first time in two years, 5 Seconds of Summer has released a new song, "Complete Mess," off their upcoming fifth studio album, which will be released independently in cooperation with BMG. The song is accompanied with a dreamlike music video made by Lauren Dunn, with Tyler Serebreni serving as creative director.

Carlos Vives, Camilo - “Baloncito Viejo”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOAYjG_G4xY&ab_channel=CarlosVivesVEVO

These two incredible Latin American vocalists describe their feeling of a "baloncito viejo," or "old ball," as they perform in this song. However, for the sake of the video, the musicians bring their A-game to a soccer match and, in the process, win the heart of their beloved.

Ashe - “Another Man's Jeans”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQ6urqPSvu4&ab_channel=AsheMusicVEVO

Ashe’s new song “Another Man’s Jeans” makes you want to get a group of friends together and drive on the coast of California during sunset.  The video is the biggest production she has ever done for one of her songs. She said, “We went to Mexico and we filmed the sickest music video and the film got ruined. I got a call saying that the entire film is unusable. So we went back to Mexico and we reshot the entire thing.” 

Dave - “Starlight”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVWsP3IadBk&ab_channel=SantanDave

Dave has released a new self-produced song, "Starlight," in which he raps over a hummed version of the 1954 classic "Fly Me to the Moon." Dave and Nathan Tettey directed the music video which is shot in a high-end apartment, with glimpses of models strolling down the runway in fancy outfits, as well as scenes of Dave and his friends posing for mugshots.

Khalid - “Last Call”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yD_v9Ol38BE&ab_channel=KhalidVEVO

Khalid's new single, "Last Call," has a video made by Cody Laplan and Levi Turner, in which he pays a tribute to the themes explored in his previous albums while singing about a love he's ready to wait for.

Alice Merton - “Same Team”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sbew2nmMP6o&ab_channel=AliceMerton

Alice Merton has gathered around 1 billion streams and has been in Top 10 charts across Europe. With the release of her widely anticipated album 'S.I.D.E.S.' in June on her own Paper Plane Records Int. label, she is poised for further international acclaim. The album's first single, 'Same Team,' was recently released and accompanied by a video. She is seen retreating to a distant lodge deep within the mountains, away from humanity and leaving the past behind. A masked person persuades her to travel into the adjacent woodland. With a surprise final showdown, the pulsating tension comes to a head.

Camila Cabello - “Bam Bam” (ft. Ed Sheeran)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-8VfKZCOo_I&ab_channel=CamilaCabelloVEVO

Cabello has released her new single, 'Bam Bam,' which was written by Cabello, Sheeran, Ricky Reed, Edgar Barrera and Cheche Alara. This is her first release this year and will be part of her album, "Familia," which will be released on April 8. The video for 'Bam Bam' is directed by Mia Barnes. 

Morray - “Still Here” (feat. Cordae)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9a_nSjLgKU&ab_channel=MorrayVEVO

Both rappers are featured in the video for "Still Here," which depicts the highs and lows of neighborhood life. During Cordae's poem, he rhymes from a cold and burning kitchen while Morray draws a line between historical and present forms of racism, connecting past slavery to modern police violence. Though the video deals with serious subjects, it is never depressing as both rappers enjoy being in the company of others who have gone through similar things and are determined to keep going.

 

Wet Leg - “Angelica”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qWHthLQ1Uw&ab_channel=WetLegVEVO

The band directed the video, which was shot on the island and included high-kicks, fisticuffs, kiss-and-make-ups, a plethora of hair and dancing.

Machine Gun Kelly - “ay!” 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwowRNLw8Fg&ab_channel=MGKVEVO

In the opening, to coincide with his caption, the musician is seen in what appears to be a dressing room with various clothing racks in the background. He is on the phone with someone and asks them to "call the boys up" to "see if we can shoot this video for 'ay!'" because it "comes out in the morning." Backed by his crew, the group makes various eccentric, rockstar-like outfit changes as they vibe to the lyrics of the catchy tune. 

Florence + The Machine - “Heaven Is Here”  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4Ez9pitRJ0&ab_channel=FlorenceMachineVEVO

Florence Welch and her indie rock band's song "Heaven Is Here" was released earlier this month. "I wanted to create a horrific creature." And the first thing that poured out was this cacophony of delight, wrath, and sadness." Fans may anticipate the song to be accompanied by some dancing movements, according to Welch, who wrote: “With dance studios also shut it was my dream to one day create choreography with it. So it’s one of the first pieces of music I have made specifically with contemporary dance in mind.”

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