Music Video Roundup: As sun sets on summer, season’s best music videos still shine bright
(Kaylen Ho/Daily Bruin staff)
By Aisosa Onaghise, Reid Sperisen, Jeannie Kim, Alexandra Crosnoe, and Puja Anand
Sept. 21, 2024 4:27 p.m.
Before the season changes to fall, it is time to look back on summer 2024.
To accompany the releases of their songs – whether they be singles from new projects or hits from older bodies of work – several artists across various genres released entertaining music videos this summer. With palpable storytelling, vivid imagery and intricate choreography, the summer’s short-form music visuals elevated their sonic accompaniments to new heights.
Read on for the Daily Bruin’s recap of some of the summer’s most memorable music videos in this “Music Video Roundup.”
“Alright” by Victoria Monét
In her latest music video, Victoria Monét proved that this summer was better than “Alright.”
Almost a year after her third single “On My Mama,” Monét returned with the fourth single off her 2023 Grammy-winning debut album “JAGUAR II.” The “Alright” video premiered June 10, featuring homages to renowned entertainers and flaunting cool-toned visuals to pair with the track’s heart-thumping KAYTRANADA production.
The video opens with Monét striking poses in a silver bodysuit and studded hoodie before illuminating the visual’s symbolic blue eye. Through most of the song, she switches between fluid movements under silver rainfall and reversed, lusty motions against an ocean-colored backdrop draped in white cloth. The singer-songwriter then uses the post-choruses to unveil tributes to the iconic Jackson siblings. Monét channels Michael Jackson through his signature dance stylings, fedora and arm strap, while her lighting-striped suit and the track title are reminiscent of Janet Jackson’s own 1990 “Alright” music video. Monét’s video finishes with her and her dancers flicking fiery sparks from their hands and voguing drenched in the rain as Monét makes a jaguar growl in reference to her album.
Monét’s smooth moves and refreshing aesthetics in “Alright” attest her artistry as worthy to be legendary.
– Aisosa Onaghise
[Related: 24th BET Awards celebrate Black culture with energetic musical performances]
“Not Like Us” by Kendrick Lamar
With another knockout music video, Kendrick Lamar is one step closer to cementing himself as the king of rap.
The 17-time Grammy winner released the visual accompaniment for his chart-topping Drake diss track “Not Like Us” on July 4, a fitting date thanks to the video’s celebratory tone. Lamar raps with confidence throughout the nearly six-minute clip while engaging with several pieces of imagery that suggest he has emerged victorious in his ongoing feud with the Canadian rapper. Notably, scenes where Lamar destroys an owl piñata or taunts a caged owl each serve as representations of superiority to Drake and his OVO Sound label, which uses owl iconography.
Just as easily as he presents easter eggs or innuendos for Drake’s fall from hip hop’s podium, Lamar also responds to criticisms made by the “God’s Plan” rapper earlier this year. To challenge the notion that his relationship with his fiancée is abusive, Lamar’s family is shown joyfully dancing in “Not Like Us.” Likewise, the crediting of Lamar’s friend Dave Free as a co-director of the video stomps out rumors that Free fathered one of the Compton rapper’s children.
Even as Lamar’s feud with Drake appears set to roll on, the explosive video for “Not Like Us” put a ferocious exclamation point on the track’s fiery bars.
– Reid Sperisen
“XO (Only If You Say Yes)” by ENHYPEN
It’s hard to say no when ENHYPEN is asking for an “XO.”
On July 11, ENHYPEN released the music video for “XO (Only If You Say Yes)” – the lead single of the K-pop group’s album “ROMANCE : UNTOLD.” The LP is the sophomore studio effort for the seven-member band – which is composed of JUNGWON, HEESEUNG, JAY, JAKE, SUNGHOON, SUNOO and NI-KI – and its first release since the mini album “ORANGE BLOOD” in November.
As the tune begins, each member of the group is portrayed in ordinary locations waiting for someone the audience can assume is their lover. The tone then shifts abruptly as the hues of the video transition from a soft pastel palette to dark colors and sinister imagery that create a mysterious ambiance. In alignment with the eerie aesthetic, the members suddenly appear with black wings, revealing their supernatural identities. Altogether, the music video adds another dimension to the song’s lyrics, which express confessions to a loved one by conveying one’s desire to be accepted despite their extraordinary traits.
With the video for “XO (Only If You Say Yes),” ENHYPEN validates the emotions associated with love and romance – even those that are untold.
– Jeannie Kim
“I Can Do It With a Broken Heart” by Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift is reminding audiences to try and come for her job.
Swift surprised the final European show of her record-breaking “The Eras Tour” by releasing the “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart” music video to an ecstatic Wembley Stadium audience Aug. 20. A single off her 2024 album “THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT,” “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart” contains lyrics that seemingly refer to Swift grappling with the pressures of touring through heartbreak.
Capturing an array of backstage moments from “The Eras Tour,” the video lets fans in on the practice and precision demanded by the highest-grossing tour in history. From intimate rehearsals to her signature dive into the stage, “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart” provides a look at the innumerable moving parts that Swift and her crew must coordinate for a successful show. However, the video’s behind-the-scenes clips contrast lyrics that indicate Swift initially struggled behind closed doors in the throes of heartbreak, with her smiles and laughter suggesting a revival of joy in her craft. With an upbeat melody, the song easily matches the depiction of Swift’s newfound cheer, showing audiences that it is possible to grow, change and take on new meanings.
Regardless of whether her heart is shattered or intact, the video captures the grit and dedication required of Swift to perform for her fans in rain, heartbreak or shine.
– Alexandra Crosnoe
[Related: Music preview: Summer sound landscape encompasses multiple genres, incoming, revered superstars]
“Taste” by Sabrina Carpenter
This summer brought a taste of murder in Sabrina Carpenter’s latest music video.
On Aug. 23, Carpenter released the music video for her single “Taste,” the latest hit off her chart-topping album “Short n’ Sweet.” Featuring a hilarious appearance from “Wednesday” star Jenna Ortega, the video is a horror film crash course neatly wrapped into a feminist message. From its opening parental advisory warning to its bloody conclusion, the visuals elevate the song’s biting lyrics and Carpenter’s storytelling craft.
With weapons ranging from machetes to voodoo dolls, the video sees Carpenter viciously attacking her ex-boyfriend’s new girlfriend, played by Ortega – a gruesome sequence that unfolds to the song’s comically upbeat rhythm. Inspired by the 1992 black comedy “Death Becomes Her,” the women finally kill their ex-boyfriend and join forces in the ultimate girl-power move. In addition to Carpenter and Ortega’s viral on-screen kiss, the song is rumored to represent Carpenter’s brief stint with ex-boyfriend Shawn Mendes and his subsequent reconciliation with Camila Cabello. The casting is oddly familiar, from Ortega’s brunette curls and petite stature to the ex-boyfriend’s sandy hair. Whether the premise of “Taste” is literal or not, the video proves that Carpenter is not one to be messed with.
If the deadly triumph of “Taste” is any indication, Carpenter’s success will be far from short and sweet.
– Puja Anand