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
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