Some music videos just have a really strong story to go along with the track itself. Whether it’s the effects or the theme, some videos really just help to take a song to the next level.
See below for our top seven choices for the best storytelling music videos.
“You Belong With Me” – Taylor Swift
Probably the cutest one on our list of music videos, this video takes us back way before the Reputation era, when Taylor Swift was dominating the charts with her album Fearless. The video features actor Lucas Till as the love interest. We see in the video that he and Swift are next-door neighbors and talk to each other via their bedroom windows with paper and markers. Just like the song, the video shows that the boy has an unfriendly girlfriend and ultimately leaves her for Swift at the prom.
“Hey Look Ma, I Made It” – Panic! At The Disco
The newest video featured is one of the latest songs from the pop-rock group, Panic! At The Disco off their latest album Pray For the Wicked. The video depicts the life of a musician and all the ups and downs that come with that. Oh, and Brendon Urie is depicted through a puppet. Girls, drugs and riches are everywhere until Urie wakes up from the craziness to focus on what he knows best: music.
“Dusk Til Dawn” – ZAYN
The former One Direction member has really taken a liking to visuals in his work. “Dusk Til Dawn” was the first of multiple videos that tell a thrilling story. Complete with a crazy villain, a secretive suitcase and a beautiful girl, we get to see ZAYN save the day.
Ride – Lana Del Rey
Lana Del Rey has many visually appealing videos. Picking only one was tough, but this video tells a real story about freedom and the open road. The video shows lots of imagery with motorcycles and the men who ride them in the video become Lana Del Rey’s saving grace.
Telephone – Lady Gaga (feat. Beyoncé)
While the lyrics on this track would have you expecting a music video to be based at some club, the actual video couldn’t be further from that. It’s been said that Lady Gaga wanted to create something bigger and more meaningful from something that seemed so shallow on the surface. It represents the power that the youth has, as many people take them as shallow people. The use of telephones in the video is meant to be seen as how we can easily be entrapped by modern technology. A strong video for young people and women.
In The End – Black Veil Brides
This track is off a visual album, so naturally, it makes a perfect choice for this list! The entire album, Wretched and Divine show the struggle of darkness within and others who want to keep you down. This song’s video specifically stands out thanks to the high energy from the band and it cultivating the turn of the entire visual story. It is the victory lap against the enemy.
This Is America – Childish Gambino
When this video debuted, it made headlines everywhere. There was a strong passion backed behind the lyrics and the video followed the same suit. A number of topics are covered: gun violence, racism, the livelihood of people in this country at this time. It’s an important and meaningful video. It managed to get many people talking, which is the key inspiration of the song and video alike.
Any music videos we missed?
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