Best Music Videos of the Month

Director: Jordan Fish

When a music video begins from the point of view of a puppy, you're off to a good start. So it is with the video for 2 Chainz' "Not Invited," in which the rapper's French bulldog, Trappy, leads us through a neon-lit lounge and luxurious pool party at a mansion in Atlanta.

Things get trippy when the puppy climbs atop a hoverboard, zooming through space and time before ending up at the feet of a Pomeranian. It's no secret that the rapper partnered with Hypnotiq for the video: it premiered on the liqueur brand's Instagram channel, and the iconic blue bottle pops up throughout the visual. But Trappy is the true star of the show—and between rap music and puppies, what more do we really need?

Director: Max Parr

Drake isn’t the only Canadian artist with a penchant for late-night phone calls and pastels. Canadian quintet Jaunt released their pink-washed, phone-call-themed video for “Hello” this month, but it’s definitely not a rework of “Hotline Bling.” The group’s psychedelic, two-minute visual takes place in a soft-focus dream-world that takes it back to the time of landline telephones.

In the video, two unnamed women nervously contemplate and eventually dial each other’s landlines, soundtracked by the song’s airy guitar and feathery vocals. It’s a continuation of their previous work when it comes to color and figures hiding behind thin, wavering sheets: their video for “Gentle Reminder” follows the same dreamy visual theme, sans telephone.

Director: M.I.A.

Recent controversy aside, when M.I.A. drops a new music video, we know we're in for something epic. At 41, the singer still manages to surprise us, and the video for the Skrillex and Blaqstarr-produced “Go Off” is another visual feast.

This time around, the visual includes no people at all—a far cry from the artist’s visceral video for “Borders” last year, which featured over 1,000 extras. But "Go Off" is just as political, albeit in a subtler way—we’re treated to a thrilling montage of explosions in various desert settings, one of which even knocks over the camera.

Director: Martin C. Pariseau

Allan Kingdom went all the way to Jamaica for the "Fables" video, and they made the most of their surroundings. “We were down there for a week soaking up the energy," Kingdom told us. "I think you’ll be able to feel it through the new video and sounds coming up.”

He's not wrong—"Fables" is an up close and personal interaction with Jamaica's national treasures, from the waves and waterfalls to the pouring rain. A beautifully shot video for a powerful song.

Director: Tristan Zammit

One of the best things about animation is its complete lack of restraints. You can create worlds with their own rules, spaces, and designs that flout the laws of gravity and perspective. Such is the case in the "Animated Ambition" video, where world leaders, cartoon characters, and featured artists alike get a psychedelic, kaleidoscopic twist.

There are plenty of split second moments for designers to drool over, like T.J. Detweiler's hat or the hilarious Trump cameo, but the best part is how the animation responds to and works with the music. It's a symbiotic relationship, and a win for all involved.

Director: Luis Perez

“Perfect,” Bibi Bourelly’s collab with Earl St. Clair, is not a song about perfection. While the track begins with lyrics about flawless hair, “brows on fleek,” and eight-inch heels, it ends with the imperfections of reality: cracked iPhones, short nails, and jacked credit.

The video's visualization of that concept is all-too-real and disturbing—an all-white room slowly disintegrates, until even the singers themselves start to peel and decompose. Unadulterated honesty has always been a theme of Bibi's, from her breakout track “Ego” to her new EP, Free The Real, and we’re glad to see the the singer finding new, creative ways to stay true to herself.

Director: aplus

ScHoolboy Q's Blank Face LP has plenty of hit songs over the course of its 17 tracks, but his videos have been just as impressive. We've already seen Kanye stunt for "THat Part" and suffered through the legal system alongside Q during his three-part saga, but "JoHn Muir" could be the best of the bunch.

The camera never leaves the side of a stolen car—we see the robbery first, at gunpoint, then follow the thieves through a whirlwind crime spree. It doesn't end well, butdon't expect the feeling to leave you anytime soon. Q knows how to make visuals that stick, and the snarling verses on "JoHn Muir" got the video they deserved.

Director: Jake Schreier

Bet you didn't know Bon Iver had the moves like that. But he does, and now we have the ethereal video for "Friends" to prove it. The setup itself is pretty bare bones—it's just Francis, an empty stage, a brief Kanye sighting, and some dance choreography. But the song is imbued with such golden energy that each flick of the wrist is heavy with meaning—even Kanye's droopy cameo seems to pop out of the frame. We could be friends...

Director: Ali Kurr

Connie Constance’s “Lose My Mind” is as bare-bones as music gets, layering the London artist’s fluttering vocals over nothing but sparse piano chords. But with the track’s accompanying video, Constance takes that rawness one step further.

It starts with the singer gently washing her hands and relaxing in a brass bathtub before having her hair tenderly washed by a companion. Watching the intimate scene is oddly therapeutic, as are the clips of colored dyes swirling in water that are spliced throughout. We’re used to Constance giving listeners her all, but here, we see the singer-songwriter at her most vulnerable.

Director: Nathan Smith and Hidji Films

When you’ve got a track as instantly successful as D.R.A.M. and Lil Yachty’s “Broccoli,” it can be hard to match it with an equally brilliant video.

But the results here are perfection. The video pairs the euphoric, head-bopping song with a montage of carefree partying: the rappers sway alongside twerking dancers, play piano in the middle of a lake, chug from solo cups, and even stop to pet a puppy. D.R.A.M. has some fun with the track’s title, posing with a headpiece made of broccoli (the vegetable kind) and Yachty plays a red recorder.

There's nothing overly flashy about this video, but it matches the song's energy perfectly—good vibes abound.