MUSIC VIDEOS MAY not be as important as they once were, but reports of their demise have been greatly exaggerated as the following thirteen videos will attest.
1. Sia – Chandelier
Perhaps the most distinctive/meme-ified music video of the year featured 11-year-old Maddie Ziegler from Dance Moms prancing around the place in a short blonde wig. Don’t lie: you’ve tried to recreate it in your bedroom.
2. Taylor Swift – Shake It Off
In which Taylor Swift owns her awkward dancing and dips her toe into every genre of dance imaginable. Whether it makes you want to die of embarrassment or have an energetic bop, it certainly ranks among the pop videos of the year.
3. Nicki Minaj – Anaconda
Basically the polar opposite to Shake It Off. Where Shake It Off features T-Swift dressed as a clumsy ballerina, Anaconda shows Nicki Minaj thrusting the floor, chopping up bananas (symbolism!) and is basically just one big celebration of butts.
4. Tiga – Bugatti
Mildly trippy, but completely hypnotising.
5. St. Vincent – Digital Witness
Bright colours, Annie Clark’s mad barnet and very mild moshing. What more could you want?
6. Squarehead – 2025
Hands down the dotiest video of 2014 features home video footage of Domhnall and Brian Gleeson as children interspersed with footage of the actors as adults.
Will make your heart burst/give you nostalgia pangs. (The song’s pretty good, too.)
7. Blood Orange – “You’re Not Good Enough”
Directed by Gia Coppola, this scaled back video features dancers bopping around a rehearsal space. Low-key and will make you want to bust a move.
8. Arcade Fire – We Exist
Starring Andrew Garfield as a transgender woman, the video for We Exist almost plays out like a short film. It’s positively cinematic and offers powerful commentary on gender identity. A+.
9. Jamie xx – Sleep Sound
Gorgeous, understated video features deaf people from Manchester Deaf Centre dancing to Jamie xx’s soothing club jam. Completely singular.
10. Iggy Azalea – Fancy
In Fancy, Iggy Azalea taps into pop culture’s obsession with Clueless and channels Cher Horowitz in this clip that is basically internet candy. All together now: “AHM SO FANCY”.
11. Beyoncé – 7/11
Unlike the videos made to accompany her eponymous album, 7/11 lacks polish and possesses a distinctly DIY feel. But if you ask us, there’s nothing better than watching Beyoncé dance around a hotel suite in lounge wear.
I KNOW YOU CARE.
12. Flying Lotus feat. Kendrick Lamar – Never Catch Me
The video for Never Catch Me may start off at a funeral, but it quickly takes an uplifting U-turn when two children commence dancing in the church. The combination of stellar choreography and stunning visuals makes it nothing short of joyful.
13. Duke Dumont – I Got U
Warning: may make you pine for summer/want a virtual reality headset.
