Top 10 Best Music Videos of 2020 (So Far)
#10: "John Redcorn"
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SiR It’s been said that imitation is the most sincere form of flattery, but what SiR does with this music video goes way beyond homage or parody. “John Redcorn” is animated in the style of “King of the Hill” and casts SiR and a few other familiar faces in the roles of the show’s characters. In case you don’t recognize them, Boomhauer, Hank, Dale and Bill have been replaced by Jay Rock, Kendrick Lamar, Ab-Soul, and ScHoolboy Q respectively. SiR plays the part of John Redcorn, revisiting an alternate version of the character’s long-running affair with Nancy, identified as “Neicy” in the video. Though only a little over 3 minutes long, the music video makes a full episode’s worth of emotional impact.
#9: "The Box"
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Roddy Rich Barely into his twenties, Roddy Ricch has already made his mark on hip hop. 2020’s “The Box” saw the young star claim the #1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 for the first time in his career, and the song remained there for an impressive 11 weeks. Given the track’s colossal success, it deserved similarly epic visuals. The video begins with Rich living out the ultimate “Fast & the Furious” fantasy, complete with a victory. The action then moves to a basketball court, where Rich again takes home a big win. Throughout the video, we’re treated to a wide variety of scenes inspired by the lyrics of the song. The unifying theme? Roddy Ricch is thriving in every environment, finding success wherever he goes.
#8: “No Glory in the West”
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Orville Peck This unconventional and mysterious country music star seemingly came out of nowhere. But with the release of his critically-acclaimed 2019 album, Pony, he quickly found massive success— all the while refusing to confirm his actual identity. Orville Peck can keep his secrets, just so long as he continues to deliver more great music accompanied by beautiful music videos such as this one. “No Glory in the West” is a thoroughly lonely little narrative that sees the star riding across an unforgiving and desolate but undeniably stunning winter landscape. What exactly it is that he’s looking for is unclear, but the journey he’s on certainly fits the title. It’s a simple video made up of beautiful little moments.
#7: "Level of Concern"
Twenty One Pilots Who says you can’t do great things during quarantine? Just look at what OK Go were able to make for "All Together Now". Twenty One Pilots similarly never misses an opportunity to pair their unique genre-bending style of music with evocative visuals. Though the production value might not be quite as high as their other recent offerings, “Level of Concern” is all the more charming for its DIY elements. The video finds Josh and Tyler performing the super catchy quarantine anthem from home with the help of their respective partners. Switching between grainy video and more high quality footage, it works as a music video, a “making of” and an adorable glimpse into the personal lives of the band members.
#6:"Watermelon Sugar"
Harry Styles Released during the pandemic, “Watermelon Sugar” begins with a dedication “to touching”. And boy is there ever a lot of it going on! Styles begins the song on a beach by himself, teasing the viewers with a slice of watermelon. When he finally takes a bite, the floodgates of sensuality are thrown wide open as Styles finds himself joined by over a dozen women. Sexually-charged imagery is commonplace in music videos these days, but “Watermelon Sugar” is cut from a different cloth. Much like the outfits worn by Styles and the women, the entire video has a very vintage, nostalgic quality to it. This feels more like a bacchanal, a celebration of the senses like they used to enjoy in Ancient Rome.
#5: "cardigan"
Taylor Swift The pandemic may have caused musicians around the world to cancel tours, but if there’s a silver lining, it’s that many of them used the quarantine to produce new music in record time. Released just 11 months after Lover, Folklore is a return to Taylor Swift’s earlier sound, albeit elevated by her growing maturity as an artist. “Cardigan” was released as the lead single, and the music video is a perfect summary of the album’s dreamy, imagination-driven tone and themes of love. After sitting down at a piano in a small cottage, Swift’s character is carried away to various surreal environments by the magical instrument. As fans have pointed out, the video contains a number of easter eggs relating to her life and the rest of the album.
#4: "Rain on Me"
Lady Gaga & Ariana Grande Can we just appreciate how epic it is to have these two powerful artists on a track together? They both consistently deliver show-stopping music videos, and this combined effort, directed by Robert Rodriguez, does NOT disappoint. Gaga opens the video in one of her trademark elaborate and edgy costumes, and she’s brought enough to share with Ariana and the backup dancers. In a throwback to classic pop music videos, the focus is on a group dance routine. What makes this video so thematically and visually interesting however, is the mirror image that’s being set up. Gaga and Ariana seem to simultaneously exist in parallel realities, and halfway through Gaga dons the latter’s ponytail, while Ariana lets her hair down. It’s just a lot of fun!
#3: "Godzilla"
Eminem feat. Juice WRLD Despite making very different types of hip hop, these two artists had the greatest of respect for one another. It would’ve been amazing to see them come together to shoot this music video — a legend-in-the-making sharing the screen with one of rap’s GOATs. Sadly, following Juice WRLD’s tragic passing, Eminem was left to star in the video alone, but he still made sure to pay tribute to the young rapper who delivered him this kaiju-sized chorus. Not only is the video dedicated to Juice WRLD, but the late rapper’s albums can also be seen floating in the air. From start to finish, “Godzilla” is a visually-chaotic music video, jam-packed with references and sight gags. In short, it feels like classic Shady up to his old tricks.
#2: "Life is Good"
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Drake & Future In 2020, Drake’s given us a few great videos. “Toosie Slide” saw Drake taking us on a masked tour of his home; it was understated, but undeniably compelling, especially the dance moves. But “Life is Good”, which pairs Drake with frequent collaborator Future, is both artists at their best. Two songs and two music videos for the price of one, it follows the hip hop icons as they work a variety of everyday jobs as garbage men, fast food employees and mechanics. It’s a simple concept, but strangely captivating. There’s even a quick cameo from 21 Savage. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions. "Me in 20 Years" Moses Sumney “I Know the End” Phoebe Bridgers "WAP" Cardi B & Megan Thee Stallion "Hard to Forget" Sam Hunt "Break My Heart" Dua Lipa
#1: "Blinding Lights"
The Weeknd With “After Hours” The Weeknd elevated his visual identity to a whole new level. In case you missed it, we actually did a deep dive into the “Snowchild” music video, an animated retrospective of the artist’s career. “In Your Eyes” is similarly excellent. Our top spot, however, goes to “Blinding Lights”. A truly cinematic clip, it’s the heart of the musical journey that The Weeknd is taking us on with the music videos for this album. It’s kind of reminiscent of “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas” but sexy, gleeful and with more of a glossy finish. The Weeknd (who is an avid cinephile) fully commits to the performance, and the end result is a music video that we keep coming back to for repeat viewings.
