Music videos are still being made. I had no idea. I guess the last time I sat down to watch a new video it was that Lazarus thing from the David Bowie Black Star swan song. I listened to the songs before checking out the accompanying visual statements, and I suppose I should share my thoughts on what I saw, as this is the Best Music Video category.
First up to bat is 1-800-273-8255 from Logic Featuring Alessia Cara & Khalid. I don’t know who any of these people are, and I didn’t know why the title of the song was a phone number. I listened to the version on a Now That’s What I Call Music compilation, because I sometimes have music playing in the car when my 9-year old is hearing the tunes, and the NOW comps have the clean versions.
At first blush, this song is another in a long line of oddly whiny pop hits flooding the airwaves. I have small brushes with top 40, and lately I’ve noticed a lot of the songs are sad, dramatic mid-tempo minor-key affairs. A few years ago Ke$ha was brushing her teeth with Jack Daniels, now she’s moping around being a Debbie Downer. Most of the Top 40 I hear, including the hip-hop, is mopey and sad. This fits right in. I was ready to brush it off as lightweight fluff (which it is, musically), with an oddly out-of place hook of Logic shouting “Can you relate, wooo!” after every verse. Then I saw the video.
Logic has some serious movie star friends who are willing to appear in his video. Don Cheadle, Matthew Modine, and Luis Guzman all appear. WTF? I assumed the lead character in the video was Logic, but it isn’t. Needless to say the video gives the song an entirely new meaning and is fairly powerful. I recommend taking a look – not for the song, which is nothing to write home about, but paired with the video it’s got something. I predict this one will win.
Humble. by Kendrick Lamar was a very entertaining video – but as is the case with almost everything else I’ve heard by him, I have no idea what he’s talking about. He has been credited for being a more socially conscious rapper, but this song’s chorus is littered with the dreaded B word – and it’s tired. Plus points for the video – all the bald dudes, the hair on fire, the last supper, and especially the mustard. The song had a good beat and I could bounce to it. Minus points – so many B words, couldn’t play it with my youngin’ in the room.
The Story Of O.J. by JAY-Z was a ho-hum musical experience on my first listen. With a title like The Story of O.J. I was expecting a blistering social commentary like Chuck D used to bring. Instead I got a really rich guy giving real-estate and investment advice. O.J. comes up once in the song, but it feels like JAY-Z had other things he needed to get to that day, and writing lyrics for a song would have to remain in their first draft. BUT THE VIDEO HOLY WOW. I’ve been thinking about this video since I watched it last night. I’ve been talking about it on and off all day long. The creators of the video really made a great piece of social commentary from JAY-Z‘s nothing of a song. I’m assuming you’re going to watch these videos, so I don’t want to spoil it. This one and the Kendrick Lamar are definitely NSFW btw. I listened to the clean version of the JAY-Z but I bet I can guess what words the ‘Parental Advisory’ version use. The video made me appreciate the song more – maybe he’s just a minimalist.
Makeba by Jain is my favorite song in this category. So bouncy, fun, and coherent. The video is also great, but the song does fine without it. I don’t know who she is, where she comes from, what language this is in, but it doesn’t matter. It makes me want to dance AND listen to more of whomever this is. Is this about Mariam Makeba? I DON’T KNOW and I DON’T CARE! TURN IT UP and DANCE
Up All Night by Beck is from a fairly recent release that came and went with no real fanfare. This one sounds like a lost Beck hit from the 90s, and the video was typically silly without any Beck in it. I’ve been enjoying Beck’s boring phase since Mutations, thankful that he was willing to age and mellow with me. But here he is again putting on his Beck hat. It’s not great, it’s not terrible.
the lee show 