Trey Songz may look sad in the intro, but don't worry. He cheers up real fast when he hits the set with a posse of beautiful women who are more than willing to join the party. 

How can you not be intrigued about a video that opens with the question, "Are you afraid of death?" Things live up to that question as we see mortality in all its myriad ways — the bug zapper, the drink, the smoldering love — but stay enigmatic enough to align with the lyrical motif of being dead inside.

“We don’t view [music videos] as promotional materials for the ‘real’ thing, the song. To us the song is the real thing when you’re listening to the song and the music video is the real thing when you’re watching the music video.” - Damien Kulash, OK Go [source]

I moderated a panel the other week at the New Music Seminar where a big part of the discussion was about how in an era where people are consuming music via devices with screens attached — computers, mobile devices, TVs — there needs to be a visual for every song. And ideally that visual should be a video, and it should be compelling. It should either reinforce the meaning and appeal of the song, and it should inspire you to stay tuned, rewatch and share it with others. That's a lot to accomplish, especially if you're deaing with the typical budget and timeline of a music video production.

OK Go have certain luxuries and attributes that should make other bands envious — none more so than a relentless commitment to creativity — but it's still awe-inspiring that "The Writing's On The Wall" checks off every need from my usual video wishlist. It's the kind of video that you can appreciate without knowing anything on the "how'd they do that" tip, but becomes all the more impressive the more you see the moving parts behind it all (some of which are provided in this Making Of)...

The writing is indeed on the wall. You need a video for every song. Nielsen may proudly boast that radio is still the primary means by which people "discover" music, but even they also note that the #1 source for teens is YouTube. And just watch those numbers continue to flip over the next few years... If your potential fans are initially experiencing your music through a visual platform, then shouldn't the visual be prioritized?

Ever wonder what's going on under the water during a synchronized swimming routine? Here's a hint: It's NSFW. And it's probably not how Esther Williams used to do it.

There's not usually a fine line between reality and fantasy in a music video. If anything, most music videos are highly distanced from reality — unless you care to pretend that even the most mid-level artist can like like Hugh Hefner. But things are quite blurry for the lonely woman in this new Arctic Monkeys video, who finds that she's not just passively watching her favorite band on TV, but actually communicating and connecting with them as if they are actually right there with her.

PS: I'd be willing to bet that more people would be into this than 3D TV. 

If Gal Volinez wants to be in a Britney Spears video, then he will be in a Britney Spears video, bitch. Behold this revision of "Work Bitch" where Valinez replaces Britney with himself via some crude, yet oddly perfect editorial skills. Bitch.

When the reflection reveals someone different and you're in a duet with yourself... So it goes in this modernist piano performance by Birdy which nails the emotions of The Fault In Our Stars without subjecting us to random film footage.