Favorite Music Videos of 2018: Visuals Still Matter
Editor Note: This post was originally made on January 13th, 2019 but wasn’t published. Some edits were made and now its available.
Even though channels like MTV and VH1 are no longer the forward pushing machines for music videos, the art of adding visuals to music has not stop being a “thing” from performers to their audience. Why label it a thing? Since music videos became a common thing to do for musical acts, some have treated their videos as purely advertising for a new project. While there’s nothing wrong with using videos as advertising, you can take that opportunity to create something that goes beyond sales and actually say something. Does the message have to be deep? No. Does it have to make you want to dance? No. The important part is that it simply need to resonate with the viewer and make them think about it long after the video is done.
While premiering new videos are not as big of an event as years prior, we are still seeing great videos from amazing artists and directors. This year, we have seen great videos from directors like Dave Meyers (Sicko Mode by Travis Scott feat. Drake .) and artists like Kendrick Lamar (All the Stars from the Black Panther soundtrack). While videos with great production isn’t always the goal for some singers and rappers, we continue to see visual treats being released by artists that want to elevate their sonically rich art with visuals to match. Below are a few of those videos that stood out in 2018:
Til It’s Over by Anderson.Paak
(Directed by Spike Jonze and featuring FKA Twigs)
Til It’s Over by Anderson.Paak is an awesome example of vision being added to elaborate on the imagination that can be inspired from the music it is made for. Spike Jonze was comissioned by Apple to create a visual treat that helped highlight the auditory ride crafted by Anderson.Paak. FKA Twigs was casted to be the real person
One of the things I love about Spike is that he loves using practical effects when possible. So much of this video appeared to be digital because it’s so fantastical but so much of it exist in real space. On Spike’s website, he created a behind the scenes video about how he, along with a large team of extremely talented creators, created this elaborate video for “Til It’s Over” aka the Apple Home commercial.
Conception feat. Reek Ruffin by Black Thought and Salaam Remi
Directed by Morian Thomas
So many hip hop fans know Black Thought as the lyrical part of the legendary Roots crew while others know him as one of the front men of Jimmy Fallon’s house band. Tariq Luqmaan Trotter is undeniably one of the most talented lyricist in hip hop history and most emcees wouldn’t dare challenge him in a battle. The video for the track Conception on his album Streams of Thought Vol. 2 depicts the daily grind of a young couple in New York leaving day to day. At night, the go to where so many other young souls go after a hard day’s of work… the club to dance the stress of the day away.
This Is America by Childish GamBino
Directed by Hiro Murai
Donald Glover had an amazing 2018 with some of his musical releases and his groundbreaking show, Atlanta, on FX. Beyond the great strides he made, the single 4 minutes that he has created that has been seen around the world is his video for This Is America, a poignant look at our country when it comes to dealing with race relations, violence, and other systemic issues that continue to provide a divide among the citizen of the country. Glower has been reluctant to explain all the imagery of this video but that hasn’t stopped many sites and YouTubers from making their own analysis. The video is a hard watch at first but after multiple viewings, you are able to get beyond some of the shock factor and see the message that they are trying to convey in the video.
Made For Now By Janet Jackson
Directed by Dave Meyers
It’s been a while since we heard a new infectious beat from Ms. Jackson but she has returned with a track inspired by multiple genres, from Congolese rumba to Latin boogaloo. The song is also featuring Reggae-ton artist Daddy Yankee. From the zooming camera around the different neighborhoods to the vibrant colors adorned by the dancers, Made For Now is a very cheery video that keeps you dancing along with the music.
Many other great videos were released in 2018 and I hope to see more in 2019. What are some of your favorite videos? What make videos resonate with you? Share with us your thoughts on Facebook.