It's interesting that the breakout new star from the 2016 is sombody who didn't perform on the stage, and who took about about half of the time that Kanye West had at his disposal. Meet Teyana Taylor, an actress/singer/dancer who takes a cue from Irene Cara and Jane Fonda, but updated with way more sexuality and booty — and, a shower scene with her real-life fiancee, basketball star Iman Shumpert, that's closer to soft core than a workout tape — in a video that West premiered during the VMA telecast.
Of course, KWest isn't presenting a straight-up dance video. There's an ending twist, that reveals the animalist side of the on-camera actors, and the way we gawk along like obedeient sheep.
If you missed it last night, you're only option (for now) is Tidal. So sheep on over to Tidal.com if you need your fix right now.
Welcome to the murky world of Desiigner where things are criminal, off-kilter and dangerously addictive (especially the desire to get a Mercedes X6, be it the black Phantom or the Panda white version).
A bold video — thanks in part to creative directors Kanye West and Paul Geusebroek — especially for a song that's become an unlikely pop smash.
And you thought owing money to Stitches was a precarious situation? That's nothing compared to what Rihanna is prepared to do when she comes to collect. In this case, an unlucky trophy wife gets subjected to various punishments that range from cruel to unusual, but that's nothing compared to what happens to the deadbeat and decadent accountant who's really the target of RiRi and her girl gang's dirty deeds.
Let's just say there will be blood, and boobs, so consider this one NSFW — unless you work in collections and need a role model.
PS: Wouldn't it have been cool if the 24 hour-long-version — still up in all its glory at 24hoursofhappy.com — had won Best Longform aka Best Music Video Film. (Not Spoiler Alert: That Grammy went to 20 Feet From Stardom
You bought a pack of smokes for your 18th birthday. Ella "Lorde" Yelich-O’Connor celebrated her's by releasing a hugely anticipated video for this new song off The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1. (And hey, maybe she also bought cigarettes, although I doubt it).
The video skips the usual movie clipjob in favor of a series of unexplained, yet surely not unrelated vignettes that bear several filmic influences, especially Kubrick.
Emily Kai Bock, director: "Ella emailed me during the summer while she was on tour with Majical Cloudz, who I made a video for a couple years ago. I was amazed that she would reach out to me directly. Usually with such a big-name artist, there is a team of people you have to go through, but she kept a close connection to me from start to finish - from feedback on the treatment to editing notes, we were in constant touch.
Ella is a true collaborator. She had sent me a reference video of Mae West being interviewed by Dick Cavett. In the clip, Dick Cavett walks across a massive airplane hanger to this tiny lit set, where Mae West is reclining in this chair - it's a really surreal interview setting.
I wrote her a treatment with a bunch of these kind of set ideas, of things that could live within a dark void of a large vacant space, under a singular light - a motel room, a confessional, a chandelier, a streetlamp, and so on - and she loved it. I was really excited about the idea of using black as a way to transition between the worlds, losing the context of what is exterior and what is interior.”
The second annual Prism Prize, celebrating the best Canadian music videos, took place last night in Toronto.
Director Emily Kai Bock took home the $5,000 Grand Prize for her masterful narrative Arcade Fire "Afterlife" video. Director Kheaven Lewandowski won the audience prize via online voting for The Belle Game "River" video.
Creative team Scott Cudmore and Michael Leblanc received the inaiugural Arthur Lipsett Award, established to recognize an innovative and unique approach to music video art; Director Floria Sigismondi received the inagural Special Achievement Award.
Do you have 24 hours to spare? If so, I want you to watch the new Pharrell clip "Get Happy," which is the world's first 24 hours video. Wisely, the intention here — besides getting those "holy shit, 24 hours!" headlines — seems to be for you to click along the circular timeline to explore different scenes, including interior dots that take you directly to Pharrell doing his thing as the song plays on repeat. You can then share that timecode — especlally if you happen to catch one of the video's famous guest stars, or other Easter Eggs — through a nifty tool.
He sells flowers on a streetcorner all day, comes home for a spaghetti dinner, prodding his youngest son to speak spanish and his eldest to spare him a drive to his friend's house. At nightfall they all mine different dreamscapes, but she's at the center of all of them — only existing in their thoughts until they hopefully meet on the other side.
