Music Videos and Their Increasingly Complex Role in Pop Culture

By Cori Carpenter

Music videos were at their peak in the late 80s and into the 90s as MTV had a tight grip on pop culture. But the millennial age has seen that wave come and go in the last decade as the height of music videos has declined. Although there are still very memorable music videos that have been produced in recent years, some millennials would even regard them as their favorites, it seems as though memorable music videos have become scarce. Certain artists like Beyoncé, Amine, Ariana Grande, and Childish Gambino have made big splashes with their music videos but many other artist’s projects have fallen flat in what many would regard as a lack of creativity.

The shift in the way music is consumed can be tied to the ways in which music videos have fallen off. The consumption of music has shifted from MTV and most recently, YouTube, into streaming services such as Apple Music, Spotify, etc. Popular shows like 106 & Park, which showcased all the new and exciting music videos have become nearly extinct.

Before today, music videos and the song itself were consumed simultaneously but now that is not the case and music videos often come following song releases. Unlike the 2010s and before, the visuals of a music video are not what will make a song more valuable because music is a lot more accessible than it used to be. After Beyoncé’s game-changing digital album release in 2013, streaming services became the new wave of music consumption and plenty of artists alike decided to hop on the same trend. In the years to follow, streaming services reached new heights in competition to lure in artists to release exclusively on their platforms which would intentionally lure in artists’ fanbases. In this era, music videos were put on a back burner and artists switched their focuses to album releases in order to maximize their streams, the new payout for artists aside from music sales. Now that the competition between streaming services has slowed from previous years, music videos are beginning to pick back up with more splashes of creativity.

Mainstream female artists have been carrying the music video industry these past few years, with their seductive cinematography and heavy sex appeal all while creating controversy while doing so. Megan Thee Stallion and Cardi B’s single WAP had already created quite a commotion because of its explicit lyrics but the hot visual is what really sent us into a media frenzy. Childish Gambino’s “This is America” visual brought about the connection of the music industry and social issues in a new way that sent his video to viral status and left chills amongst those who watched. The attention and conversations being had on music videos again is exciting for those like myself who are ready for them to have the same impact they did on pop culture as in the 80s and 90s.

My Top 10 Favorite Music Videos

10. Childish Gambino - Feels Like Summer 

9. Ari Lennox - BMO 

8. Masego - Tadow 

7. Ariana Grande - Thank U Next  

6. Rihanna - Bitch Better Have My Money 

5. Beyonce - Already 

4. The Internet - Roll (Burbank Funk) 

3. Amine - Compensating 

2. Doja Cat - Say So

1. Beyonce - Mood4Eva 

---

Thanks for reading! Make sure to follow us on Instagram to stay up on the hottest new music:

Major Key Alert: Dj Khaled Drops 11th Studio Album, “Father of Asahd,” as a Tribute to His 2-year-old Son

By Katie Kocher

Fans have been long-awaiting the drop of Father of Asahd since the title of the album was announced in March 2019 along with the single “Top Off.” Fast forward to this March, he announced the exact release date while promoting the album throughout various social media platforms, along with a trailer for the album. As expected, it serves as a sort of dinner party for distinguished artists to show case their unique sound and talent as opposed to a complete body of work. Khaled likes to make unpredictable pairings as evidenced by songs like “Celebrate,” featuring Travis Scott and Post Malone, “No Brainer” with Justin Bieber, Chance the Rapper, and Quavo, and “Higher” featuring Nipsey Hussle and John Legend. The music video for “Higher” was shot just before the rapper’s tragic death at the end of March. Khaled’s ability to connect various artists smoothly on a single track is unmatched, which serves as the foundation of his music industry success. 

Khaled is the son of Palestinian immigrants, and grew up in New Orleans, Louisiana. He started to learn how to Dj in his garage at the age of 13, meanwhile working in small record stores. He met Lil Wayne and Birdman in the beginning stages of their careers, and was able to network and promote himself, eventually getting a portion of a time slot on the local radio station Mixx 93. Finally he was brought on as a regular DJ and given his very own time slot and production credits. 

Some favorites on the album include “Just Us” featuring SZA, on which Khaled once again shows his love for sampling by grabbing Andre 3000’s hook from “Ms. Jackson” by Outkast. 

“Higher” gets quite a bit of attention because of it’s feature of the late rapper Nipsey Hussle and the melancholy that it is bound to evoke in its listeners. The late king of LA delivers two excellent verses in his first release since his passing. His first verse is uplifting and motivating as he raps about his grandparents and how he came to be in America. For the second verse, Khaled switches the beat to something less grand and more mischievous. Nipsey matches this instrumental perfectly and reflects on the harder parts of his life living in South Central. This verse is harder to listen to now that we know Nipsey’s tragic fate. Lines like, “Emptied out the clip, it was broad day/Fuck niggas always gotta learn the hard way” hit different when you’ve seen videos of the late rapper getting shot in the middle of the day. John Legend jumps in for the chorus, giving the track a sentimental touch. 

“Freak N You” combines the raw talent of a rap veteran Lil Wayne with Atlanta native Gunna, who made it big in 2016 from a feature on Young Thug’s track “Floyd Mayweather” and has since become a very sought after voice in the rap game. The track is infectious, catchy, and holds all the qualities of a hit.

“Top off” features the the holy trinity of Beyonce, Jay-Z, and Future and was one of the singles released last year as a prelude to the album. Although this record has gotten mixed reviews, it’s hard to deny that those three can deliver hard hitting lyrics and top notch vocals. 

Lastly, “Thank You” with Big Sean presents a classic mellow beat and smooth flow. It references Sean’s ex and one of the world’s leading artists, Ariana Grande, with the lyric “Plus I gotta thank my exes on some ‘thank u, next shit,’” stirring some questions about their relationship. 

Father of Asahd delivers a handful of radio hits (“No Brainer”), following in the footsteps of his previous albums, yet also throws in a few distinct  tracks that cut deep and are more personalized to certain audiences (“Higher”). As expected, it includes top artists across the hip-hop/rap genre, making it easy for listeners to enjoy at least one if not several tracks from this album. While the album lacks any kind of cohesion, unity, or themes, that should be expected with a DJ Khaled record and listeners should be able to take the collaborative album at face value and have fun with it.

Favorite Tracks:

Just Us (Feat. SZA)

Higher (Feat. Nipsey Hussle & John Legend)

Freak N You (Feat. Lil Wayne & Gunna)

Rating: 6

Listen to Father Of Asahd here:

Father Of Asahd, an album by DJ Khaled on Spotify

Thanks for reading! Follow us on Twitter and Instagram to get notified when we post:

Gallery Block

This is an example. To display your Instagram posts, double-click here to add an account or select an existing connected account. Learn more