Six Iconic UK Music Videos You MUST Watch

People often like to undermine music videos as merely promotional tools used to push and promote singles even further, but for some artists they can be an extension of the vision attached to their music. However, with the rise in financial constraints, from budget cuts by labels and independent artists not always having large amounts of money, sometimes the execution of these videos can be quite mundane. That's not to say that all artists end up falling into producing half hearted videos. Here we collate some incredible videos put out by some of our favourite UK artists.

Bree Runway - APESHIT

Bree Runway is an artist you can count on to put out a high art-esque music video and with her new single APESHIT she did not disappoint. The video contains the chessboard backgrounds, choreography and fisheye lens that were ever so prevalent in the 90’s era of hip hop videos, however, there is a unique grit and punk ambiance that gives it a Bree Runway flair. In an interview with i-D, Bree claims “I just wanted a space to WILD THE FUCK OUT” something evident even in the style, hair and makeup choices, where we see her donning a mullet, plenty of leather, heavy chains and footwear.

Sam Wise - Towndown

Nothing short of innovative, Sam Wise’s visuals for his single Towndown taken off his debut solo EP, is a vibrant, fun and light hearted watch. Wise seems to have tapped into his inner child for this video, with the references to the mother in Tom and Jerry, playful animations and a bath made of fruit loops. The visuals make the song itself even more of a bop.

Ama Lou - Dawn, Day, Dusk (DDD)

To accompany Ama Lou’s 3 song EP DDD, Ama put together a tryptic 13 minute short film that she wrote and directed herself. The film follows “a younger in Los Angeles crime ring (played by Ama) and their journey over the course of a single day.” Each song is set at various times of the day and she takes us through her escapades across the city, from motel rooms, meetings with drug lords and the scenic setting of LA.

Gbnga - Cherry B

With a Belly inspired scene, Gbnga’s visual for Cherry B, is a smooth and aesthetically pleasing visual on the eye. The central theme of the video, focuses on a group of beautiful women playing a game of poker surrounded by an array of drinks. Gbenga also embellishes the video with a bunch of film stills, adding even further to the aesthetic measure of the video. It's hard to believe the video doesn't have a large label funded backing since it is so high quality.

Jorja Smith - On Your Own

The video for this track sees a girl reading a scrapbook, that contains collages of Jorja performing the song through a variety of different forms. There is a nostalgic element to it but one that is futuristic as the book contains videography, maybe playing on the way we experience the past in the future. The director Rashid Babiker, even says “I channelled imagined-nostalgia from the perspective of a girl, a fan of Jorja, who’s living in an intentionally anachronistic world where these video books exist and cassettes are the new.”

Kojey Radical - Water

Kojey Radical much like Bree Runway is an artist that continues to excel in his artistry, sonically and visually. One stand out visual of his, is the short film created to accompany his song Water. Starting off with a performance of his poetry by Michaela Cole over enchanting imagery of two young Black girls, that then transitions into a verse from his song If Only You Knew and ends with Water - ft Mahalia, we viewers are blessed with encapsulating dance performances, beautiful cinematography and 9 minutes of genuine greatness.

For those of you that are interested in the inner workings of music videos from extremely talented filmmakers - New Wave will be supporting an event in West London titled Audio/Video, an exploration of contemporary music videos by 6 directors that have consistently made an impact over the past few years in UK music video production. Presented by Alia Hassan and Allegorical, a brilliant production company in their own right, they are invested in bringing the general public an informative event that will enlighten many about the creative process and more.

Get your free tickets here: audiovideo.eventbrite.co.uk