August has been an emotionally draining month in music videos. That's mostly thanks to Frank Ocean, who ended four years of silence with an experimental video stream. The floodgates really opened, however, with Frank's video for "Nikes," the only song off Blonde to receive the visual treatment. Run The Jewels, meanwhile, had some fun at the expense of the American political trash fire—they guested on DJ Shadow's "Nobody Speak" and stuffed their lyrics into politicians' mouths.
In between, we were treated to an antebellum drama from Mick Jenkins, another great visual from clipping., and more psychedelic animation than we knew what to do with. Here are August's best music videos.
13. YG ft. Drake & Kamaiyah - "Why You Always Hatin"
12. Salute - "Storm"
11. Jabbar ft. Snubnose Frankenstein - "Riches"
10. Night Lovell - "Contraband"
9. Kanye West ft. Post Malone & Ty Dolla $ign - "Fade"
8. Angel Olsen - "Sister"
7. Clipping. - "Air 'Em Out"
6. The Avalanches - "Subways"
5. A.CHAL - "Round Whippin'"
4. Mick Jenkins ft. BADBADNOTGOOD - "Drowning"
3. DJ Shadow ft. Run The Jewels - "Nobody Speak"
2. Frank Ocean - "Nikes"
Director: Tyrone Lebon
"Nikes" was our first assurance that Frank Ocean would be sharing more than that Endless live stream. It was a huge sigh of relief, proof that Frank hadn't abandoned his pop sensibilities.
The video is a peek inside the mind of a real glitter boy—Frank and his co-stars are coated in the stuff, and the artist is often surrounded by his beloved rare cars. It's a beautiful collage of faces, home video, costume, and color. The video functions like a memory—it comes in flashes, pieces of a whole scene serving as the only real proof it happened at all. "Nikes" is equal parts fantasy, nightmare, and diary, and we've never seen anything like it.