Ain’t no recap of a year without a proper listing of the finest music videos of the past months. And by now you should have definitely accepted the fact that the age of music videos isn’t over with the death of music television. Creative new talents celebrate the joy of audiovisual art in the world wide web, whether it happens with the help of a large budget or something a little more delicate. Aside from the all buzzing DRAKE and TAYLOR SWIFT videos of the year we took an extended look back on all the wonderful clips that landed on our screens in the last months. Enjoy NOTHING BUT HOPE AND PASSION‘s selection of the best music videos of 2015 right here.
Blur – ‘Lonesome Street’
What is it with elderly men dancing that is just so great? We don’t really know but it just is. BLUR might not have created an original video but its ultra fun non-the-less. From the sort of chicken dance at the beginning to then being joined by a whole dance team, the Lonesome Street video is far from a lonely affair and can’t help but paint a smile on your face.
Travis – ‘Everything At Once’
Maybe a little confusing to begin with, this video has a children’s talk show featuring a very suave German actor Daniel Brühl in a smoking sexy red leather jacket and TRAVIS lamenting their missing lead singer that somehow got lost swinging on a giant swing. Huh what? Okay maybe it’s still a bit much but oh TRAVIS, it is good to have you back.
Will Butler – ‘Anna’
Anything with Emma Stone is destined to be a success. ARCADE FIRE singer WILL BUTLER definitely chose his protagonist wisely for his solo work. Outcome? A crazed Emma Stone dancing around a boat to the some sharp beats is simply ace. And a video you can’t take your eyes off.
Battles – ‘The Yabba’
Quite rarely you stumble upon such perfectly choreographed clips like The Yabba by New York art rock heroes BATTLES. Technical perfection meets physical urgency, resulting in a hypnotic trip that goes way beyond an ordinary performance clip. Everything is at place.
Disclosure feat. Gregory Porter – ‘Hold On’
DISCLOSURE have moved into the big league – musically and clearly also video wise. A mini movie, this video has everything a thrill seeking heart could want. A mysterious lady, military surveillance, shady locations and fast motorbikes all set in a parallel universe. Plus the fact that DISCLOSURE teases further videos like this – what’s not to love?
PINS – ‘Young Girls’
PINS look just like the kind of cool neighborhood girl group you’d have like to joined when you were a teenage girl. Rebellious, ultra cool and untouchable. But these girls have a secret. It’s like Pretty Little Liars just darker and so much more wicked. And packed into a three-minute video.
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis – ‘Downtown’
If you decide to go over-the-top you’d better do it good. MACKLEMORE & RYAN LEWIS were quite aware that their comeback video needed to be on the Thrift Shop level at least. And boy, they clearly don’t disappoint with their opus Downtown. It’s a megalomaniac amount of craziness, a hip urban version of Mad Max and something you just have to watch from start to finish to actually believe it exists.
Krista Paptista – ‘Modern Girlhood’
When we first wrote about this support-worthy video clip by London-based pop newcomer KRISTA PAPISTA it caused us and the artist a bit trouble since Facebook decided to delete the post due to naked female breasts in the article image. What better proof of our strange society rules could there be? Later, KRISTA PAPISTA also wrote a highly recommendable guest article for us about feminism, censorship and equality in nudity. Read it right here and enjoy the clip once again below.
The Very Best – ‘Makes A King’
Quite often the right vibe can make all the difference. Makes A King by British/Afrcian pop group THE VERY BEST might not be the most artistic music video of 2015 but it’s one that is just destined to put you in a good mood. The clip was made in collaboration with the community organization and collective Ethiopia Skate who actively supports the youth in Ethiopians capitol Addis Ababa by giving them skateboards and organizing events in the area. They truly make a different and the music video for Makes A King documents that in the loveliest possible way.
METZ – ‘The Swimmer’
Earlier this year our beloved Canadian grunge rock outfit METZ releases its second LP II via Sub Pop and it didn’t fail to excite us. One reason might be the intense music video for The Swimmer which perfectly underlines the raw urgency of the track. Director Scott Cudmore picked a shaky and trippy style that almost looks like a collage of short GIFs. Set in a gloomy neighbourhood the desperate baptism attempt is one of the more spookier videos of 2015.
Tyler, The Creator – ‘Fucking Young’
Okay, fair enough… most of the time music videos by TYLER, THE CREATOR are a wild visual ride. Fucking Young makes no exception, possibly because it was directed by the man himself. Expect bizarre settings (including quick changes between them), colourful images and a lot of comic relief all bound together by the simple story of TYLER and a girl who are forced to break up because she’s … well, too fucking young.
David Bowie – ‘Blackstar’
Basic rule of the music industry – never give up DAVID BOWIE since he’ll most likely prove you wrong sooner or later. We already knew that he still got all the fire in the world with his 2013 comeback record The Next Day. But now it looks like the follow-up Blackstar might be even more ambitious, especially after this ten-minute long music video that shows that Mr. BOWIE is still on top of his artistic game, even with 68 years. We are more than impressed.
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