This week we've got new videos from Lykke Li, Stars, Hooray For Earth, Son Of Kick, and Jargon. A few of the videos I really liked last week had strong actresses stealing the show. Lykke Li does the same here, holding her own in this video with well-regarded Swedish actor Stellan Skarsgård. One thing I like about Lykke Li is that her natural, real-life drama makes her a good actress, and one of the few non-big-pop stars that has the charisma to pull off this kind of performance (for another committed female performance, check out the Stars clip). The video from The Chase is a few weeks old, but I like the ridiculous animation style, it reminds me of another cut-and-paste-and-paste-and-paste favorite, Cyriak Harris.
Lykke Li - "Sadness Is A Blessing" (Dir. Tarik Saleh)
Take in her other video with director Tarik Saleh and you start to see a pattern emerging -- he and Lykke Li are making cinematic, narrative videos that make you feel as if you've been dropped into the middle of a story already in progress.
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Son Of Kick - "Playing The Villain" (Dir. The Glue Society) (NSFW)
After posting so many videos that celebrated rape, murder, and robbery, I do believe this is the first anti-stealing clip to be posted in this column. I found this discussion of the video at a Brit design magazine website interesting -- the commenters talk about how the UK is head over heels for royalty again, while working class kids get abused and humiliated in this clip. The ending is over-the-top, but I didn't find it exploitative like they did. (via Antville)
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Hooray For Earth - "True Loves" (Dir. Young Replicant)
L.A.-based production team Young Replicant has directed videos for M83 and Baths. Their Hooray For Earth video reminds me a little of the fantasy sequences in The Song Remains The Same. Not a bad thing. I'm guessing the band and directors didn't have a huge budget, which only adds to how impressive the floating effects, costuming, and photography are here.
Beyonce - "Move Your Body" (Dir. Melina)
I'm biased because I love the original video for "Get Me Bodied," but I also just love this video/PSA for Michelle Obama's anti-obesity campaign, where Beyoncé leads a school of kids through the song's "missions." It's a fun video mixed with some cameraphone-like footage (to support the other part of the iniative, to sponsor "flash events" to this song in schools). There are also instructions for the choreography on YouTube.
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Honorable Mention:
Jefferson Fox - "My Brother's Keeper" (Dir. Tim Gill)
(via Antville)
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Jargon - "Disappoint You" (ft. Tinie Tempah) (Dir. Ian Pons Jewell)
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The Chase - "I Like U" (Dir. L’Ogre)
(via Promo News)
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NSFW Video Of The Week:
Stars - "Changes" (Dir. Jaron Albertin)
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