The Best Music Videos of 2013

Director: Tristan Jalleh

A late entry for consideration, this video for rising R&B artist Oscar Key Sung's bouncy "All I Could Do" is—plain and simple—a lot of fun. It follows a jogger moving through a computer generated fantasy word, replete with a trippy mish-mash of classic ad current imagery. Tristan Jalleh's video is very of the moment, and with digital art on the rise these types of videos may soon be the norm rather than the exception.—Constant Gardner

Director: Hiro Murai

Earl Sweatshirt is haunted. His is a mind capable of great and terrible things, and they begin to manifest in the video for "Hive." He's sweaty, uncomfortable, and hesitant to meet the camera's eye throughout the video, our reluctant guide through a nightmare.

Demons loom out of the shadows, wearing burlap masks and popping wheelies over the song's mournful choir and thick bass. Throughout promotion for Doris, Earl proved himself capable of building something bigger than just a collection of songs. Like his performances as "Mocha Desire," the video for "Hive" is delivered deadpan and is genuinely frightening at times. But it's all part of your journey with this artist, a Truman show for one of rap's prodigal sons.—Crax

Director: Garth Jennings

Thom Yorke doesn't need much more than a soundstage and a body double—as is the case in "Ingenue"—to hold an audience captive. First he gender-bends by working with a female double, then he body-bends with some slick tricks on the dance floor.

It's also an incredibly GIF-able video. Yorke is dancing to an empty theater in the onscreen, and you get the feeling he's not completely sure the cameras are rolling. Atoms for Peace is capable of some beautiful things both in the booth and in front of the camera. Don't be surprised if the supergroup comes out with edible music or some sort of instrument linked to your brain waves in the coming years.

—Crax

Director: Wolf Haley/Tyler, The Creator

If the name Tyler, The Creator has you assuming that this video will be based on shock-value or full of childish silliness, you're in for a pleasant surprise. The video for "Glowing" by a mystery artist (now revealed to be D.A. Wallach, once of Chester French) is—as with many of Tyler's videos—full of vivid colors, and memorable images. What's most interesting about this video is how far removed from Tyler's usual work it is, mixing found-footage of disasters and tragedies with images of a couple growing older together, idyllic even amongst the carnage. It's a touching, heartwarming video, a welcome addition to Tyler's fast-growing body of work.—Constant Gardner

Director: Isaiah Seret

For "Cool Song No. 2's" concept, director Isaiah Seret says he came up with the idea alongside his stylist Mindy during a 24-hour delay at an airport in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. This amidst a two-day safari, which no do doubt provided the inspiration for the video's agricultural theme. Rather than rely on MGMT's Benjamin Goldwasser and Andrew VanWyngarden to portray the story's two main characters, Seret enlisted the brilliant Michael K Williams (The Wire, Boardwalk Empire) and newcomer Henry Hopper for the roles.

As the villanous "Plant Hunter" at the helm of a massive drug ring, Williams turns in a stunning, emotional performance—the pained expressions that overwhelm his face as he commits acts of violence are just gutwrenching to watch. But top-notch acting, cinematography, and makeup effects (those prosthetic arms—wow) aside, the heartbeat of this quasi-surrealist, nuanced narrative rests in the love story between the "Plant Hunter" and Hopper's character the "Tree." As the "Tree" succumbs to the unexpected consquences of his lover's dirty work, it leads to one of the most devastating vignettes put to film in any medium this year. —Dee

Director: FKA twigs & Tom Beard

A cinematic display of erotica the likes of Madonna's Sex days, FKA twigs’ "Papi Pacify" is a visually arresting five minutes of discomfort for the viewer. It starts off silent with a loop of FKA twigs' mouth and throat being coddled by the hand of a muscular man, shot in black in white with deep plum undertones. At first, the scene appears aggressive but its edges smooth out with glimpses of her hands gently rubbing his, suggesting pleasure not pain in the situation. As the haunting track begins, his hand envelops her mouth—an image so disturbing, it lingers long after the video ends—before he releases her.

The video's carnal nature plays with elements of BDSM, such as role-playing and voyeurism, as FKA twigs' doe-eyed gaze shifts from her partner to directly into the camera while she begs the man to both pacify and clarify their love. It then juxtaposes her petite body draped in shimmering glitter against more shots of her placed in submissive positions, further solidifying FKA twigs' reputation as one of the strangest, most fascinating figures in modern R&B. It also demonstrates director Tom Beard's ability to effectively interpret understated-yet-captivating songs; he has since added Denai Moore's "The Lake" to his portfolio.—Dee

Director: Jim Demuth

Django Django went to India for "WOR." They had been drawn there by the Well of Death riders, young Indian daredevils who ride their motorcycles and cars perpendicular to the ground in a tight wooden ring. They developed a piece that was as much journalism as it was music video, creating characters and narrative to match the song's whipcracks and wild west guitars.You get a real feel for the town, the sport, and the influence they have on one another.—Constant Gardner

Director: AG Rojas

There's something beautiful about getting a glimpse into other people's realities—ones that you don't usually get to see. Instead of putting on a big show and using camera tricks and flashing lights for their video, Portugal. The Man goes deep into the belly of America for some gorgeous shots of every day life for a diverse and interesting group of people. Plus, there's a cow birth in here, and if that alone is not reason to include this in best videos of the year, you're not judging videos correctly.—Confusion

Director: Fleur & Manu

After Gesaffelstein dropped the eerie/excellent clip for "Pursuit," I wasn't sure what I'd expect when I saw that "Hate or Glory" hit the Internets. There was definite confusion at the intro, one which found two guys arguing in the middle of nowhere. It had an odd The Wire feel to it, especially when one of the guys kills the other, robbing him of his jewelry. As the story progressed, we saw his downright obsession with gold soar to new, unheard of heights (well, unless you've seen old Bond films). It brought a new perspective to the title "Hate or Glory." Is the obsession with acquiring the most jewels a way that people glorify their achievements ("of course he's balling, check out how he's shining!"), or is there some element of self-loathing there, making you look even more foolish with each new rope? Who knows. There's something more brewing with this piece, and even though a torrid tale of inner city thug life is the basis of this, it could've been told in a number of different settings with the same result. And for that, dance music wins.—khal

Director: Director X

If you don't love the "Started From The Bottom" video, then you just don't love Drake. Dressed in all white and dancing alongside a white Maybach rolling through the snow, Drake is at his Drakiest in "Started From The Bottom." It's full of Drake-isms and nods to Toronto, and it even features the rapper bowling with his team and dancing in a grocery store aisle. Is it iconic? That's up for debate, but it's certainly 110% Drake, and in 2013, he stayed winning for a reason, so embracing the character he has become seems to be working out.—Confusion

Director: Eric Wareheim

Ray Wise is one of those character actors that you recognize instantly but will never place. He's been active for 44 years, but has done some of his best work late in the game. Wise teams up with once again with director Wareheim to lead a cult in Beach House's "Wishes." It's a stadium celebration of some sort, complete with fireworks and horse masks. Gloriously creepy.—Crax

Director: Nabil Elderkin

Just Blaze and Baauer linking up on a track while we were living in a "Harlem Shake" world was crazy enough. Flipping the same samples from Just Blaze's instrumental for "U Don't Know" into a beefy trap cut was brilliant, and for a movement like this, which helped signify that Just Blaze was truly a part of the new dance music scene in America, it needed something big. How about a video that had fuck-all to do with Just Blaze and Baauer, but looks into the life of Kalaripayattu warriors, both big and small, training and preparing for life's battle. It's an intriguing look into their routines, and is one of those tales that no one was really checking for... but slaps you out of nowhere with it's beauty.—khal

Director: Yoann Lemoine

Yoann Lemoine, the man behind Woodkid, never disappoints with his self-directed music videos. His aesthetic is as unique as it is astonishing, and "I Love You" once again takes things into epic territory. There is beauty and struggle throughout, but at around four minutes, this video goes even further to cement Lemoine as, hands down, one of the best music video directors of our time.—Confusion

INTERVIEW: WOODKID

Director: Anthony Dickenson

In four short minutes, this video tells two people's stories, which start off seemingly seperate, but become ever more intertwined. There are beautiful, high-definition, slow-motion nature shots, a building suspense, and a sudden, surprising ending.

Of the video, director Anthony Dickenson explained:

I was interested in those times when you think you're totally alone in your thoughts and something unexpectedly disrupts that, snapping you out. The characters in the film have very different stories but I wanted to create distinct parallels, bringing them closer and closer until they actually intersect in a single defining moment.

Visually stunning and with an engaging narrative, this video enchants and draws you in with both beauty and emotion.—Constant Gardner

Director: FKA twigs & Jesse Kanda

FKA twigs has full control of her artistic destiny. With two videos/songs on this list, she has transcended the title of "musician" and moved into some hybrid space, too good at both music and video to choose just one. Born Tahliah Barnett, FKA Twigs delivers another dose of hypnosis with "Water Me.

A distorted vision of her faces stares back at the viewer, eyes bulging, ticking and tocking into frame. When the lyrics start the focus changes, and we're introduced to an iconic image: the nose ring, pigtails, and double earrings of one of R&B's most exciting young artists. She wants you to see her, but see her on terms she sets, just distorted enough to blur the lines of what's real.—Crax

Director: Nabil Elderkin

Foals’ videos for ther 2013 album Holy Fire were all impressive, from the interesting new take on the "live show" video that was "My Number" to the creepy "Out Of The Woods" visual, but by far the best was "Late Night." Directed by Nabil, and shot in Romania, the vivid, NSFW video sees the band playing in the dreary bar of a shabby hotel whilst a grimly moving, sometimes shocking circle of life occurs in the rooms above them. It's a beautiful and heartbreaking video, and one of the year's very best.—Constant Gardner

Director: Anton Corbijn

Not only did Arcade Fire deliver a brilliant album with Reflektor, they built up to it with one of 2013's more interesting album roll-outs. Just one part of that roll-out was this video for "Reflektor," one of two videos for the same song, both released September 9, around three weeks before the album came out. First, the band shared a link to an interactive video which used the viewer's webcam to put them into the video, but what followed was something even more impressive.

The non-interactive "Reflektor" video saw legendary photographer and director Anton Corbijn taking charge, and using reflective surfaces and masks (that played a continued part in the release strategy) as a central thread to subtly explore ideas of identity and self. Whether or not you take any deeper ideas from the video, though, it is a monochrome masterpiece, full of striking, beautiful images from both day and nighttime.

Corbijn has built long and fruitful working relationships with many bands, but especially U2 and Depeche Mode (the only other artist he directed a video for this year), and hopefully he will do the same with Arcade Fire, because the results are just wonderful.—Constant Gardner

Director: Roxy Farhat & Kakan Hermansson

Swedish electronic duo The Knife returned in 2013, after a seven year hiatus, with a highly political, experimental one hour thirty minutes of often uncomfortable noise. The duo stated explicitly that this album was influenced by the feminist and queer theory that they had been reading, and never is this more clear than in the "Tooth for an Eye" video, a simple but perfectly executed deconstruction of gender roles. The young girl who emerges as leader puts in a magnetic performance, staring dead into the camera and asking if you can let go of your inhibitions and learn from her as the men in the video have.

A Tooth For An Eye" deconstructs images of maleness, power and leadership. Who are the people we trust as our leaders and why? What do we have to learn from those we consider inferior? In a sport setting where one would traditionally consider a group of men as powerful and in charge, an unexpected leader emerges. A child enters and allows the men to let go of their hierarchies, machismo and fear of intimacy, as they follow her into a dance. Their lack of expertise and vulnerability shines through as they perform the choreography.

—Constant Gardner

Director: Wolf Haley/Tyler, The Creator

Tyler, The Creator has very specific visions for the video accompaniments to his music. Under his alter ego, Wolf Haley, Tyler, The Creator took the lead on the video for "IFHY," enlisting producer Tara Razavi to help bring his ideas to life.

The concept is fairly simple—a couple of waxy looking dolls, one of which is Tyler looking creepy as hell, in a doll-house, being manipulated by a hand. But, as with all Tyler videos, there's a look and feel to this video that is another fascinating look into the carnival-like mind of the OFWGKTA ringleader. Earlier this year, Tyler bashed the YouTube Music awards for not nominating "cool creative videos" and instead awarding artists who don't come up with their own shots or concepts. Watching videos like "IFHY," it's clear that not only does Tyler have creative control over his own art, but he's got the vision, imagination, and ability to bring his ideas to life.

The YouTube Music Awards gave Best Video of the Year to Girls' Generation. We're gonna go ahead and give it to Tyler, The Creator.—Joyce