I have been questioned on more than one occasion for my devout music video viewing. When discussing music with friends, if a song pops up that I love in the conversation, I usually follow with "Have you seen the music video? It's [incredible, life-changing, a work of true art, etc.]!" And they respond with a no and "Who still watches music videos?"

For me, though, music videos enhance the art of a song tenfold. The intense meanings of lyrics can come through or be complicated based on the visual imagery that accompanies it. It gives me a better understanding of what the artist intends their work to be and how they interpret it themselves, an insight that I treasure in its impact on my knowledge of their body of work as a whole.

It seems, however, that most people simply don't watch music videos as often because they are unaware of their production; unless an artist is publicizing the video or it catches on in a viral way, it can pass by unnoticed. The one exception to this rule seems to be videos by mega-pop/hip-hop stars. I actually thought about discussing Beyonce's video for her new song "Formation" but in the week or so since it has been released, there have already been innumerable think pieces written about its visual content (and to be quite honest, pissing off Beyonce fans scares the crap out of me). More than anything, though, I was deterred from meditating on her work because literally everyone has seen it.

But the world of music videos in the underground (and simply less mainstream) of really any genre is fascinating at the moment. There is so much amazing content being crafted all the time, so I thought I would showcase two videos that show the disparate directions that such creativity allows for highly different musical styles: "River" by Leon Bridges and "FloriDada" by Animal Collective.

First, there is Leon Bridges, an up-and-coming artist who sounds as if he was plucked directly from the 1950s-'60s, bringing into the contemporary conscious old-school blues and soul in a highly nostalgic way. When he first performed the above song (one of his debut album, "Coming Home," standouts) on "Saturday Night Live" a few months ago, the live version was deeply emotional -- I actually prefer the audio from this performance better than the original recording now. The song wrestles a man's desire to experience a baptism of sorts in order to cleanse him of his sins and bestow him with new knowledge. It is powerful in the most base sense of the word. So when I saw that a music video was released earlier this month, I was excited to see what sort of story of repentance he would chronicle. What he depicts is a raw series of life experiences interwoven with contemporary footage of Bridges singing. The potential flashbacks (as I will call them since some of the images seem to be insinuated as moments in his own past) are representative not only of an individual's experience, but also seems to be speaking to some of the struggles that black individuals experience in their life, alongside moments of pure humanity. It's poetic, contemplative, and reflective, questioning life and its meaning and pathways, and bringing an already impactful song into new territory of human emotion.

Animal Collective could not be more different than Bridges, this foursome--and now threesome--has been making music for going on 20 years. And this genre of music is incredibly difficult to pin down, although it's easiest to label it as simply "experimental" (despite the fact that depending on what era of their work you're listening to it could be classified as pop, freak folk, alternative rock). Full disclosure, they are my favorite band and I could not be more excited for their new album to drop because I have been a fan for almost half of my life, and am well-versed in their full discography and various sonic transitions. So when they dropped their first single, "FloriDada" from their upcoming album "Painting With," I was stoked. And when a music video was released last month I couldn't wait to see the way the imagery reflected their new sound and differed from visual portrayals from their past (including their feature-length film/album "ODDSAC"). What they have concocted is a hyper-stylized acid trip of sorts, full of bright colors--that compose tropical backdrops, our galaxy orbiting, and the state of Florida dancing--and semi-human forms who (possibly) conceive a child in the process and subsequently also dance about, ebbing and flowing to the tune. The visuals are so overwhelming that a seizure warning is even placed at the beginning. However, working within the themes of painting, as suggested by their album title, and experimental art practices such as the Dada movement they reference, this disjointed visual overload is quite apt. Additionally, the band identifies that have a reference to Florida in the title of the song was an attempt to glorify the weirdness of Florida that is often criticized nationally, figuring it as part of the state's unique charm.

So there you have it, two awesome but very different music videos that shows just a peek of the vast array of musically-driven art being created in the world now. Hopefully it will inspire you music video non-enthusiasts out there to give these complex art forms another shot and check out some visual works from your own favorite artists. It may just make you like them even more than you thought was already possible.