Top 10 Music Videos of 2020

2020 was a great year for MVs, and my top 10 are extremely strong. I hope you enjoy reading.

10. Dua Lipa - Break my Heart

Hallucinate also had a great MV, but in the end, the nod went to this modern hit. Over the top, yet still fun, the strong CGI usage eventually seals the deal.

9. Rain x J.Y. Park - Switch to Me

Released on the last day of the year, Switch to Me speeds into the list. It feels like what the J.Y. Park and Sunmi collaboration's MV wanted to be. It is unabashedly goofy, but knows what it wants to be, and succeeds at that. The helicopter and Psy scenes put a smile on my face.

8. BTS - ON

Many people believe that The Weeknd's Blinding Lights is the year's most cinema-inspired MV, I feel the need to note this one instead. I love a good "rise from defeat" story, and that is what ON conveys. Elements of famous films are seen (such as Narnia and Lion King ).

7. Lee Suhyun - Alien

Face it, the young days are nostalgic. There are always moments of youth to miss. Alien catches one of them. AKMU has always been known for great MVs, and Alien is no exception. The comic book captions and scenes feel like they are from a cartoon network show, just better.

6. Everything Everything - Big Climb

Everything Everything is barely noticed, and thus they have an extremely low budget for their MVs. Still, this has forced creativity to lead the charge. Big Climb is an attack at the terrible effects on nature by this corporate climate. Cleverly used shots, and disturbing images of destruction, show the message. Still, the corporate shots, and the pain on the band members' expression seals the deal.

5. Agust D - Daechitwa

The music video is great if you see it on its own, but is much better if you research Korean research to further appreciate the storyline (Agust D from D-2 might be time-traveling to kill his predecessor/ancestor Agust D from D-1). Along with the cultural references, there are several references to BTS's story.

4. Little Big - Hypnodancer

This Russian party band was supposed to go to Eurovision this year, and they certainly acted like that. Hypnodancer is a wacky song in its own right, but the MV made it wackier. You can't spend hours analyzing this one, it is pure, stupid, fun. The overacting, and over-usage of pencils and Uno, made it better. The "dance" break at 2:58 might be the best non-musical musical moment of the year. Warning, the MV is really, really, weird.

3. Dimash Kudaibergen - Qairan Elim

Cinematic and with a massive budget, Qairan Elim-'s budget is appropriate for a mega-star's homage to his homeland. Still, all that budget would be a waste without good MV direction. Just like the song, the tension in the MV escalates with the song. The piano on fire shots might be some of my favorites from the year. 

2. Official Hige Dandism - Laughter

Higedan's modern masterpiece had a great MV supporting it. Rather than an elaborate love story, or a rebel, Higedan simply showed two friends working together. The nostalgic and dreamy shots supported the song's lyrics and themes greatly. Some shots suggest that perhaps one of the two was just dreaming of the support needed to go on (something Higedan have done before), and either interpretation works great.

1. Pentagon - Basquiat

A slightly odd pick, as its MV was technically a performance MV, but by far still an incredible visual performance, and the best this year. I love it when a dance or play tells a story with a message without words. The choreography of Basquiat showcases a rise with perfect ambition. In a year where many of us were tired of corruption and treachery by leaders, Basquiat was an old rebellion storyline perfectly showed in modern times. The dance worked great, while the camera angles support the message instead of going against it. It is an old-school play or broadway performance, made better by its message.