The Art Of Music Videos

Music videos continue to innovate new ways for people to tell their stories. It has become more than just a part of our consumption of music, art and entertainment but a tool that’s used to add another dimension to projects. With different elements of animation, design and effects we are able to spend a few moments in a world the artist has created, where the story told becomes more than something we listen to but a moving concept. Every detail put into creating these visuals - from the location and design of the set, the styling of the artists and extras, the way each shot transitions into the next, down to the colour grading - all play a part in our overall experience. I’ve found that while some artists may choose to take the animated route in their videos, there are many who call on artistic direction and styling to be a strong part of how their message is delivered and expressed. Artists like Kojey Radical and Mereba are just a few names of people who I feel are an example of this, who also include poetry and choreography to examine the real world around them or the world they have chosen to build. On the other end of this there are also artists like Travis Scott who create videos filled with allusions and trippy effects but it doesn’t take away from the experience we have through this form of storytelling. 

Below are a few more examples of videos that I’ve found where artists have created visuals that uniquely bring to life what is experienced in the song. 

Oscar takes a sentimental and candid approach to creating what seems to be a homemade video to accompany a song about passion and settling down with that special person. 

This video is a series of smooth-rolling shots that displays both artists being romantically involved with the same guy, and through subtle choreography he manoeuvres his way between them. 

This video is nothing less than a dream-like kaleidoscope. We see how much design and effects has played a part in this project as Greentea leads us in and out of vivid futuristic greenlands and concrete city structures while singing about her longing to be in the sun. 

Travis seems to have created his own matrix filled with ill-shaped buildings and floating faces. There’s even a moment where he goes from being interrogated by masked thugs to fighting a cyborg where it soon ends with his head surrounded by clouds made of women.

In these last two examples we see the artists combining different art forms to maximise the way in which their story is told, FKA through dance and Mereba through her poetry weaved in between each new concept she introduces.