Pressure waxes and wanes like the phases of the moon as co-directors Childish Gambino (aka actor Donald Glover) and Calmatic show us Jhene Aiko balancing the high life with normal life...
Not only does Tennis legend John McEnroe star in this music video for newcomers Future User, but he actually gets tortured and waterboarded — despite winning his match, I might add. This provocative video peppers in lots of news footage of police and other brutality, while the universally known (and loved, i think) McEnroe serves as the example for thehashtag rallying cry: #WhatIfThisWasSomeoneYouLove.
File Under: Way more dangerous than his ice bucket challenge. And a nice reminder that the spirit of Negativland lives on...
What if the man of your dreams suddenly appeared outside your bedroom window, cruising on a Waverunner in your swimming pool and looking damned fly with that parka and backwards cap and ready to whisk you away on a romantic day with water guns, french fries and bunny rabbits? In that case, you would likely be a boycrazed teen, like the star of this Billon video.
Behold, the most delicious lyric video ever made — and one which gets extra points for admitting that "Dillon Francis Pees Sitting Down" (aka: how champions go).
You would think August would be a slow month, with everyone (except you) on vacation or otherwise distracted. But, August was VMA time this year, so there's an onslaight of bigstar and big-budget and big POP videos, led by Taylor Swift and rounded out by nearly everyone else who graced MTV's annual showcase. That's not to say there's not headier fare to be had — Paolo Nutini "Iron Sky" is a challenging gem, and director Hiro Murai has two dark masterpieces that should have him far in the lead for your Director of the Year honors — but Summer is a fine time for brighter pleasures, and those are the videos that will get those VEVO Certifications and will be remembered by the masses.
Also:
There's two clearly NSFW videos, from the R-Rated The Weeknd "Often" and the X-Rated Movement "Ivory" — use common sense for when/where you watch them. And protection, if need be.
The Deech "Get Better Boss" video is not on YouTube, so you can't watch in the embedded playlist below. So, watch it separately. (Same will likely go for Movement, since that video will likely get removed by the time you read this).
Otherwise, here are the best videos from August 2014 as featured on Video Static...
If you're gonna tape over a dead man's last message, you best make sure you put it to good use. And even though this is super lo-fi and cheesy — all on purpose, as you'll realize immediately if you're familiar with director Ian Pons Jewell it's definitely a good introduction to Brazilian trio Pearls Negra.
That Pomeranian from the Katy Perry "Dark Horse" video just entered the Guinness Book Of World Records as the World's Fastest Dog On Two Legs. In fact, little Jiff actually broke TWO world records, in both the 5- and 10-meter races.
Jiff also has 1.5 million Twitter followers, which I only bring up to reinforce the point that this anklebiter is likely more accomplished than you.
The visual metaphors don't paint a positive picture for Nick Jonas and his girlfriend — drowning, being dragged and generally embattled — but damned if he doesn't seem to miss her when she's gone...
“Blood on the Leaves” is one of my favorite songs. It’s great. He’s just ridin’ the wave and not takin’ no for an answer. We almost worked together, but I never got the ideas. I feel I let him down a little bit. I was going to do the music video for “Blood on the Leaves,” but it never happened. I didn’t come up with any ideas that I thought he would like. Kanye came up to the house one day. Kanye’s a good guy, and a great musician. I loved the song, and that’s what brought us together, but I couldn’t come up with ideas that thrilled either one of us."
Here's the problem with almost any "Most Expensive Music Videos Ever Made" list: It's all a guessing game unless you were the one signing or receiving the check.
The numbers, when adjusted for inflation in 2013 dollars, range from a paltry $6.9 million for Michael Jackson's "Black Or White" to $10.7 million for his "Scream" collaboration with Janet Jackson.
Are these numbers close? Who knows. Except maybe Mark Romanek, who directed two of these videos — including the apparently apocryphal #1 Most Expensive Video Ever Made:
@flytetymejam The info presented as fact in this article is way off -- by millions. "Scream" was never the most expensive video ever made.
There's a sinister On To The Next One vibe to this artful b&w video that may be chock-full of Illuminati or just a stream-of-consciousness journey into symbolism.
The parade of women in varying states of NSFW undress has got The Weeknd dizzy. And you might be a bit dizzy too, after you follow the hypnotic and graceful camera moves that pull you through just another night after night after night in his hotel suite.
LMFAO may be done, but Red Foo is keeping that same vibe alive in his solo work, but with a saxier twist. (And yes, I mean saxy, not sexy). Longtime LMFAO director Mickey Finnegan is on-board here, delivering a dance extravaganze that looks like it takes place in the "Party Rock Anthem" street corner, but on a day when it's not besieged by the shufflin' masses.
How do you follow-up a debut hit like "Selfie" — which is over 200 million views and played a small/large part in making Selfie part of the lexicon (and the OED)?
In what could be the best use of cardboard in a video since Lushlife "Magnolia" — note: this will never be a VMA or other award category — Kawehi places a "beat box" on her head and then proceeds to blow your mind by pulling off the same trick for every other instrument on the track.
It's the little things that make Grimes compelling: There she is in what looks like a Fantasy set-up, complete with sword and a mini-Stonehedge background, yet she's wearing what looks like a pair of Flip-Flops.
