As a society, we definitely tend to judge a book by its cover even though we try not to. This translates into the music industry. Personally, if I really like a music video, I tend to like a song a lot more than I did before. The purpose of the music video is to bring the song to life, whether it’s a direct depiction of the song, or it’s a metaphorical interpretation. Here are my favorite music videos of 2016, one from each month.
January: “History” by One Direction
Let’s start with a band who’s just reached the one year mark on their hiatus. One Direction’s last video (so far) was a compilation of old videos of the boys, including ex-member Zayn Malik. The video starts with the moment that started it all: the band being put together on X Factor. It ends with Louis, Harry, Niall, and Liam going their separate ways to indicate the solo projects they would each embark on. Overall the video is cute, nostalgic, and a happy end to the band’s first era.
February: “Stone Cold” by Demi Lovato
The video for “Stone Cold” is as heartbreaking as the lyrics. Demi pours her heart out in a bathtub and belts on the top of a snow mountain. It’s dramatic, it’s emotional, and it’s sure to give you the chills. The visuals are bright, yet sorrowful, and Demi’s vocals are impeccable.
March: “Close” by Nick Jonas featuring Tove Lo
The tension in this video is crazy. There’s constant back and forth, reach out and pull back. Nick and Tove Lo strain themselves to stay apart as long as possible, until their obvious chemistry becomes too much to control. They slower get closer as they lose more and more clothing. It’s a great metaphor for learning to let your guard down and allow yourself to get close to someone.
April: “Hair” by Little Mix featuring Sean Paul
This version of Hair has an extra layer of rhythm to it thanks to Sean Paul’s verse and backing vocals. The girls have a fun sleepover where they dig into pizza and play dress-up all the while trying to distract themselves from their exes. Of course, there are some great hair flips and even better vocals. The video is vibrant and fun and makes you want to dance along with Perrie, Jesy, Jade, and Leigh-Anne.
May: “Into You” by Ariana Grande
This is by far one of Ariana’s best videos. There’s a story of two lovers running away into their own sanctuary, which happens to be the Honeymoon Inn. Ariana’s outfit and hair are on point, and male model Don Benjamin looks stunning as well. The two are a hot and dangerous couple. Ariana and Don become more passionate as the song gets more intense, making for an exciting video.
June: “Kill Em With Kindness” by Selena Gomez
Shot in black and white, this video showcases a simpler side of Selena. The video is taken in a style resembling a beauty shot. Selena looks elegant and portrays a clean, clear message.
July: “ Treat You Better” by Shawn Mendes
Shawn brings his song to life in this video. The apple of his eye is clearly in a very bad relationship with someone that doesn’t treat her right. Shawn calmly, yet frustratingly sings about how he would be so much better for her. The couple tries to wash away their problems, but they’re still evident. Shawn gets more and more irritated as the song progresses, and the relationship between the girl of his affection and her boyfriend gets worse. The video plays off the tension of the song perfectly.
August: “Tag You’re It / Milk and Cookies” by Melanie Martinez
Melanie Martinez is the queen of creepy videos. Her hair is flawless and she looks cute as a button as she sings about a man kidnapping her. There’s a wolf driving an ice-cream truck around the neighborhood who waves to kids on a passing school bus. Melanie looks erratic in a strangely beautiful way. “Tag You’re It” seamlessly goes into “Milk and Cookies,” showing the effects of what Melanie’s decisions in the first part caused.
September: “Starving” by Hailee Steinfeld and Grey featuring Zedd
Regarding the lighting, this is a pretty dark video. The tempo, however, is upbeat and fun. There are some great close-ups of Hailee and shots of her dancing. This video also breaks the stereotype of women in music videos wearing little clothing while men are fully clothed, as the men here are dancing shirtless.
October: “Body Moves” by DNCE
So this video takes on that stereotype that “Starving” tried to break, but it actually fits the song. The video showcases gorgeous women and handsome men and is shot to look like lost-footage at some parts. I could honestly listen to Joe Jonas scream “ow” all day long as he and his bandmates rock out to this upbeat funk-pop song. All in all it’s the perfect sexy video for a song about learning to move with someone else’s body.
November: “True Disaster” by Tove Lo
There’s a car on fire, Tove Lo dancing awkwardly in the street, and neon lights. The video shows how crazy and unpredictable relationships can be without actually showing the story of a couple. When Tove Lo realizes just how real the situation she’s in is, she runs. The video is a great metaphor for the lyrics in the song as it focuses on Tove Lo completely losing it, giving into her true disaster.
December: “Bad Things” by Machine Gun Kelly and Camila Cabello
This video is beautifully dysfunctional. MGK and Camila make one badass couple. The video tells a story of a couple struggling to make it work. There are quick shots followed by focused, stilled moments of the two holding each other. It’s as captivating as Camila’s whispery vocals and MGK’s upfront verses.
