So we’re in the beginning of 2016, and Drake’s Hotline Bling seems to be the biggest thing that ever happened to the music video universe thus far. I’m not sure if it’s artistic or lunatic, but it sure is hilarious! And it got me thinking, music videos are not always (if not almost never) parallel to the song its supposed to visualize. You know that feeling you get when you watch a music video so abstract, so avant garde that it left you thinking it was either too profound for you to grasp or too daft for it to be taken seriously? I do. And I’m here today to share with you my top 5. They may be obscure, and they may give me this weird misty uncomfortable feeling, but they’re so visually stunning I can’t help but to watch them over and over.
So without further ado:
1. Daughters by We Were Evergreen (2014)
According to the lyrics, the song might refer to being stuck in a rut without the power to breakthrough, and of course the frustration that comes with it. The dancers in the video are always busy. They keep repeating the same routines which seems like daily life activities, in a monotonous yet somewhat irritable manner. I think this MV is about the stress of an extraordinary person who’s trapped in an ordinary life. But then again, my analysis is a total shot in the dark. Any ideas?
Directed by Dominique Rocher. And we love the…
- winsome dollhouse setting
- somber yet somehow calming color palette
- confusing hustle and bustle of all the characters involved
2. Animation by Young Juvenile Youth (2015)
Comparing the visuals with the lyrics (yes it’s bilingual, and yes I do speak a little Japanese #backdoorbragging), it is pretty obvious that this MV is telling us a story about a loner who have got to keep a straight face while the world inside of her head is driving her mad. I’m suspecting she’s also a sociopath, or a borderline psychopath.
Directed by Kosai Sekine. And we love the…
- minimal yet powerful constantly morphing surreal graphics in 3D
- protagonist’s eerie robot-trying-to-act-human expressions
3. Stole The Show by Kygo feat. Parson James (2015)
This one is actually a narrative. It tells us a story about a space alien who’s stranded on and trying to leave planet earth, and he is being chased by the authorities, whoever that is. He crashed a house party looking for his alien partner, did a pretty sick (in a good way) dance moves and then collapsed. Because, well why not? Anyway, his partner crashed the party, found him, and revived him minutes later (showing the power of loooove). They embraced each other and blasted off, probably back to their home planet.
Directed by Saman Kesh. And we love the…
- sick spacesuit dancing
- helmet! which is apparently made by the same company that makes Daft Punk’s
- haunting yet fun atmosphere with rural setting (doesn’t it remind you of the movie Signs?)
- adorable alien couple moment, aww
4. Off The Wall by Yuksek (2012)
Basically, it’s a mixture of different creative elements being brought together creating a trippy yet visually stunning video. There are also mirrored hands and colorful props with giant talking faces moving to the rhythm of the song. I don’t know what, but something about it is pretty addictive, or rather satisfying. I think it’s the synchronization.
Directed by Romain Segaud. And we love the…
- symmetrical mirror sequence
- jolly uplifting pastel colors
- ‘handmade’ (literally made out of hands) characters
- happy go lucky attitude
5. Handshake by Two Door Cinema Club (2013)
This last one also has a little bit of a story to tell, and honestly it makes me think about Dexter. It’s about a lonely guy living in a reality completely separate from ours, because wherever he is, it is okay to butcher other people’s heads to be used in bowling competitions. The lonely guy, unlike his bowling opponent, takes a nice (I’m not entirely sure nice is the right word here) care of his bowling ‘head’ and the head eventually helped him win. Even in a gruesome world where human heads are being tossed around as bowling balls, kindness will still get you far.
Directed by Sam Pilling. And we love the…
- dismembered heads used as bowling balls, duh
- fact that it’s so grisly and twisted (banned from MTV for this very reason) yet absolutely charming
- morbid topic delivered with such humor. what? it’s entertaining!
Savvy Wishes from Mrs. Fox, have a tastefully absurd week!
The Savvy Mrs. Fox 