In the music world, videos are everywhere. And though many are good, few truly make the song better or give it more dimensions. However, singer-songwriter Dodie Clark - who goes by dodie - keeps churning out amazing music videos that really encourage artists to step up their game. Here's why I think her music videos are works of art.
1. They are thought-provoking.
There are lots of music videos that are more simple, with artists sitting in front of a background and singing or something of that nature. And those videos are fine, but they don't carry much weight. But dodie's videos always carry a deep message with artful cinematography.
The best example of this would be her most recent video for "Human." Through the jarring imagery of dodie literally making and taking apart a boyfriend, we might think to our own lives and how we try to shape and mold people into what we want them to be in our minds rather than getting to know who they really are. It's not an easy concept to tackle, especially without any dialogue, but it works beautifully.
2. They add multiple meanings to the songs.
The best example of this is Dodie Clark's first music video under the name "dodie" - "Sick of Losing Soulmates." In one of her YouTube videos, Dodie says that the song was written about a situation in which she dated her best friend, they broke up, and she wanted desperately to still be friends with him and didn't want to lose him. However, the music video tells a somewhat different story. I love how one song can take on different meanings depending on the context and on how the listener interprets it.
3. They are relatable.
I love the "6/10" music video because even if you don't have social anxiety, everyone can relate to the feeling of walking into a room and feeling like they don't belong or wanting to just go home. I relate to it even more because of my past battles with social anxiety. And dodie's videos always take those complex feelings and dilute them into something audiences can really feel and relate to.
4. They are just plain weird.
Whether literally creating a human, chasing people with paper mache heads around Paris, setting dolls on fire, or having a really weird wedding band, the videos are always just weird enough to make us think about what message is trying to be expressed.
5. They add more dimension to the song.
I know I touched on this when I said they were thought-provoking, but the deep meanings make the videos so thought-provoking.
For example, the "Intertwined" video is kind of disturbing. When listening to the song on its own, you really need to listen and pay attention to the lyrics to think of this song as anything more than a nice love song. However, the video tells us what the song is really about - wanting to use a relationship to cure your mental illness, but finding that when you try to do that, it only makes the situation worse for you and your partner.
6. They are really fun!
The videos that aren't disturbing and don't stare into your soul are just a lot of fun to watch and they come with the hidden bonus of having some sort of cute message at the end, like the video for "You."
