The 20 Best Music Videos of 2012

Directors: Joe Pelling & Becky Sloan.

"Feels Like We Only Go Backwards" is driven by the most euphoric, head-in-the-clouds melody of the year, and to match that the Australian rockers pair it with one of the most mezmerizing videos of 2012. Playing out like an orchestra of colors and swirling paint, the video is psychedlic done right, and with a simple, vintage look, it had our eyes spiraling like a cartoon trance any time we pressed play.

Director: Jennifer Neis

If there was any doubt left that Rhye's "Open" helps set a certain kind of mood, the video completely erased it. The clip features a rotation of couples making love, each fading into the next; providing the perfect accompaniment for the sultry and sensual nature of the song. Yet where many videos showcasing similar material can boarder on tactless, Rhye's expertly transforms the NSFW matter into a collection of stunning scenes that dare the viewer to look away.

Director: Rik Cordero

A video befitting of a larger than life personality, Action Bronson's “The Symbol” is an outlandish, stylized ode to blaxploitation. Cartoonishly violent, hedonistic, misogynistic, and beautifully debauched, "The Symbol" perfectly sutis Action’s penchant for uniquely descriptive lyrics and the Alchemist‘s sample-based production (itself a nod to the era that inspired the video). "The Symbol" isn't precisely groundbreaking, but it is always entertaining.

Director: Yoann Lemoine

A far cry from Lana's early videos of vintage-looking found footage, the Yoanna Lemoine-directed "Born To Die" is a crisp, luxurious look. Opening with that instantly iconic American flag scene and then cutting to Lana in Cathedreal, seated in a throne, with tigers lying at her side, this was a bold, much-needed, and beautiful departure that would only propel the polarization that Lana caused in 2012.

Director: Lil Internet

The premise of Diplo and Nicky Da B's "Express Yourself" is simple and time-honored: asses. Asses shaking. Everywhere. As a tribute to New Orleans' homegrown Bounce, "Express Yourself" turns the twerking up to 11 and takes viewers on a tour of Nola's streets, maxing out on gluteous maximus and casual shots of Diplo hanging out, smoking, and generally trying to look like all that ass is not a big deal. It's a big deal.

15 THINGS YOU DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT DIPLO

Director: AG Rojas

Gorgeously, gleefully nihilistic, the video for Jack White's "Sixteen Saltines" follows a troupe of rebellious teens (and little kids) who drink, skate, smash, steal, face tatoo, and burn their way to freedom. Like a high gloss take on Odd Future's "Earl" (unsurprisingly, AG Rojas directed both videos), "Sixteen Saltines" encapsulates the song's themes, concepts, and aesthetics to the letter.

Director: Melina Matsoukas

A fun romp with Solange and friends in Cape Town provides the loose core concept for "Losing You." Director Melina Matsoukas captures the younger, hipper Knowles sister dnacing and frolicking with some extremely sharply dressed South Africans and generally enjoying the hell out of herself. Solange said of the vidoe, "It was sort of a grab a camera and let’s go moment. I knew I wanted to capture a couple things: the vibe of our friendship and all of the crazy escapades we’ve gotten ourselves into all over the world, and the abstract and elegant Le Sape Society (Society for the Advancement of People of Elegance) formed in the Congo which was documented by Daniele Tamagni in his Gentleman of Bacongo book." Mission accomplished.

Director: Nabil Elderkin

While it's certainly not as extravagant as some of Kanye's other videos, "Mercy" relies on slick style and a neat visual trick (the seamless spin around a continuous space) to craft a straightforward ode to G.O.O.D. Music's style and car of choice. It feels like a B.E.T. Cypher in the coolest garage in Dubai.

Director: Cyriak

If you've ever gotten the feeling that Flying Lotus' music is meant to soundtrack a future dystopia in which robots devour one another, you weren't alone--FlyLo agreed. For "Putty Boy Strut," the celebrated producer rollwed out a gorgeously animated video detailing the exploits of ravenous robots rampaging through a city. Beautiful, fitting, and surprisingly fun.

Director: Hiro Murai

After an involuntary leave of absence in the midst of Odd Future's ascension, cornerstone emcee Earl Sweatshirt returned with impressive single "Chum." To match the track's melancholic maturity, Earl delivered an affecting black and white video, a simple presentation with touches of surrealism that showed a young rapper moving away from the shock tactics that made him an internet sensation. A promising glimpse into the future.

Director: AG Rojas

Despite being sonically dreamy and light, this Shrines standout's visual component is so ominous. The video for Purity Ring's "Loftcries" tells the tale of four different characters; each confronted with various surreal encounters yet each reacting seemingly unaffected. Beautifully directed by AG Rojas, the clip is a comment on the stoicism of today's society. And that's what makes it so special- in a world where the music video is becoming increasingly obsolete this one begs you to watch more than once.

Director: Emily Kai Bock

At first when you hear the concept behind the video for Grimes' single "Oblivion," it may not make total sense. But when you see the clip, you suddenly realize just how perfect it is. The video features Claire Boucher singing along to her song in unlikely places ranging from a football game to a men's locker room. She is utterly enthralling and endearing in a way only Boucher can be, as she happily bounces around, beaming with charm. At its most complex, it's a statement of female empowerment in otherwise masculine environments; and at its most simplistic, it's just Grimes being Grimes. Either way, it's one of the year's best.

THE 15 BEST GRIMES GIFS

Director: Yoann Lemoine / Iconoclast

A list of best music videos wouldn't feel complete without an original Woodkid. The director/artist Yoann Lemoine (who also directed "Born To Die") has developed a dramatic trademark style, and there's nothing else out there like it. "Run Boy Run" is another epic, dream-like set of visuals that puts Woodkid's genius on full display.

Director: A$AP Rocky

A$AP Rocky's modus operandi on "Goldie" should be evident from the title: pure opulence. Riding through the streets of Paris with A$AP Yams, rocking expensive clothes, and generally making good use of that RCA advance, "Goldie" is a simple concept executed well. It isn't high concept, but it's not supposed to be, and the A$AP crew's understanding of aesthetics turns even a simple concept into one of the cleanest, most effective videos of the year.

Director: Melina Matsoukas

The first time you watch this one, you realize shortly into it that it's not what you expected. Not that you really had any idea what was happening, but this relationship is pretty odd. It's a twist on the typical commentary on relationships, and it makes more sense once you've heard the director's explanation: “As a child, all we want is love and attention and that story never grows old, it just takes a different form as we age. So it’s not so much about ‘all men are boys,’ but just [that] all of us are forever young. Old habits never die.”

19 ARTISTS TO WATCH FOR IN 2013

Director: John Ryan Manning

There are some videos that take the straightforward route, some videos that get creative, and then some that just make you say, "What the fuck?" This Cloud Nothings video is the third kind. The band put out a Craigslist ad for "an older actor, male or female, who looked between 40 and 65. And they had to be able to really act." They got Mike Gassaway, and he delivers a brilliant performance which is possibly the best piece of subtle facial expression-only acting we've ever seen. And the ending? We're still scratching our heads.

Director: Joseph Cahill

Fiona Apple paints a vivid picture with her cutting words, so it's fitting that this video is packed with not-so-subtle imagery. Coming back from a seven year break from music-making, Fiona Apple needed to do something big. She got the ball rolling with "Every Single Night", noted for being the first single off her album, as well as being one of the best songs of the year. To accompany such a song, it's only fitting to craft a video that stands out, and there's no doubt that this video did just that.

THE 50 BEST SONGS OF 2012

Director: Director X

Drake dropped "Take Care" and "HYFR" on the same night. "Take Care," directed by Woodkid in a stunning black and white was by far the more artistically mature, visually striking video. Woodkid employed all his usual techniques to a great result, but it was "HYFR" that really grabbed everyone's attention. Without a doubt the most fun video of the year, it showed Drake and his buddies recreating a second Bar Mitzvah for an instant classic in kind of corny but ridiculously awesome music videos.

Director: Greg Brunkalla

With the release of Danny Brown's debut album, XXX, the rapper quickly created a reputation in the hip hop world as devious as the LP's title suggests. The video for his single, "Grown Up," however shocked the music industry in an entirely new way. Instead of scantily clad women, drug use and excessive partying, Brown chose to cast a little kid to play the younger version of himself. The mini-me flawlessly channels Danny's signature style, hair and even gap-toothed grin while he raps along to the song. The clip is- dare we say, oddly adorable- but still manages to encompass that trademark swag we've come to know of the talented rapper.

THE 10 BEST MUSIC VIDEOS STARRING KIDS

Director: Romain Gavras

Every so often, an artist and director form a special union, visuals perfectly accenting and expanding on music. Like Chris Cunningham to Aphex Twin, Spike Jonze to Björk, Romain Gavras (son of legendary Greek director Costa Gavras) provides M.I.A. with the perfect artistic counterpart. After teaming up for the epic social satire "Born Free," the duo returned for the equally subversive "Bad Girls," featuring stunning car tricks and M.I.A.'s usual brand of norm-challenging girl power. It's in your face without being didactic, entertaining and thoughtful. Coupled with one of M.I.A.'s best recent songs, the video for "Bad Girls" made it one of the most memorable of the iconoclastic singer's entire career.