Solo cups, the Toronto thug life, wolves and a tear-jerker: Here is a sampling of music videos floating around today, from Jason Mraz, The Drums, Lil Jon, Tyga and Atmosphere. Check out Skrillex’s new video for “Bangarang,” too, posted here.
Jason Mraz’ “I Won’t Give Up” is the stuff of United Way and SPCA commercials, and the video in the same vein as the Boss’ “We Take Care of Our Own.” You’re supposed to want to cry, you big lug:
The clip was directed by Mark Pellington — who’s worked with heavy-hitters and song-makers like Nine Inch Nails, Foo Fighters, U2 and Bruce Springsteen himself. It’s the first single from Mraz’ “Love Is a Four Letter Word,” due April 17.
I’m not generally a Drums fan — there’s a lot there I’ve heard before, and done with a better vocalist — but this psych-poppy number “Days” is like brain-gum in how hard it sticks. Check out their subject, who puts on some eyelashes along the way, plays some keys and then he was a she:
The cut’s from the band’s “Portamento,” released in the fall last year. They made their late night TV debut on “Fallon” just this week.
If you like wolves, and songs about wolves, or “Hungry Like the Wolf,” then we have a pretty easy one for you. Atmosphere‘s astoundingly elementary fable-narrative about his dog-slash-ex-girlfriend in “Became” is pretty, at the very least:
Atmosphere – Became from MSB Richfield Creative Media on Vimeo.
“From October 2011 to January 2012 a music video was collaboratively made for the song “Became” by Atmosphere. The goal was to create an engaging educational experience with students as the focal point,” reads a description of the clip. It “became” a collaborative effort between students and professionals at the Minnesota School of Business, MTS Digital Media Academy, Alex Horner Pictures and Hickey Photography.
The cut is from Atmosphere’s 2011 album “The Family Sign.”
Tyga’s “Rack City” may still have your head spinning, but his new music video for “In This Thing,” literally, may hurt your head even more:
Ah, the evergreen pleasures of getting crushed like a Solo cup. The track is from the Young Money rapper’s current mixtape “#BitchImTheShit,” which may take the cake when it comes to the inane hashtag-as-title trend. I hope you hear me, will.i.am.
Speaking of getting crunk, here’s the King of Crunk, Lil Jon on “Drink,” which is a near carbon-copy of “Shots,” only featuring LMFAO and the elderly folks doing hilariously un-elderly things:
“The director [Ballard C. Boyd] had the conception for a bunch of old people wailing out and I said, ‘That”s cool but disgusting at the same time,” but I don”t think it is as bad as it could be,” Lil Jon told The Huffington Post. “I think it makes them seem cool as hell.”
And if you thought Skrillex’s lost boys in “Bangarang” were thug life, check out the rough streets of… Toronto, in K’Naan and Nas’ “Nothing to Lose”:
The track’s from K’Naan’s EP “More Beautiful Than Silence,” out now.
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