Each week, writer Mara Hyman takes a look at the buzzworthy short films coming from the music video universe.

“Gangnam Style” by PSY

With over 180 million hits and almost 2 million “Likes” on YouTube, “Gangnam Style” has become a mega hit! While it premiered on July 15th, the song and video are still going strong and continue to receive millions of views. Compared by many to LMFAO’s “Party Rock Anthem,” “Gangnam Style” has a very catchy beat, and while it is mostly in Korean, it has achieved extreme popularity and has been parodied in several other YouTube videos all over the world. The video itself is very funny, driven primarily by PSY’s moves as we see him on a tennis court, a boat, a party bus, on the street, in a sauna, and more. PSY describes his signature dance move as riding on an invisible horse, as we see him in a horse stable towards the beginning of the video. 

“We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” by Taylor Swift

As Taylor Swift’s newest single in about a year, “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” first hit YouTube on August 31 and has already received over 22 million hits. The song is certainly a shift from her “Teardrops On My Guitar” days with a much stronger pop sound and less country influence. From hand-knitted walls in Taylor’s room to a band of woodland creatures jamming out to the chorus, the music video has a fun, quirky vibe. The sarcastic but carefree lyrics of the song fit the video very well, which was all done in a single take and shows Taylor in an array of different scenes dancing with her band and friends. Overall, the song shows a side of Taylor that we haven’t quite seen – perhaps it is a snippet of what her upcoming album will sound like in late October?

“Anything Could Happen” by Ellie Goulding

Ellie Goulding’s newest single, “Anything Could Happen,” has a very futuristic vibe with echoing sounds and a slow, steady beat. The video strays a bit from the British singer’s style as it has a lot more shock value. Goulding is surrounded by crashing waves on the beach and futuristic, silver balls that float all around her. She appears very angelic and almost ghostly in the video, as the man portrayed is killed and she proceeds to drip in blood as well. Is this video too creepy or is it an interesting visual motif of elements of her past?

“Sorry” by Ciara

Ciara is back!  Her latest single, “Sorry,” shows a much more vulnerable and soft-spoken side of the singer with a slow beat and strong R&B vocals. The video uses shadows and dark hues to mirror the emotions of the song, accompanied by several black and white images of Ciara and the leading man in the video. It appears like much of the video was shot at sunset as the sun streams through at eye-level reflecting onto Ciara dancing outside. What are your thoughts on the video? Are you excited to see more of Ciara and her upcoming album?

What you think of the following songs?  Are there other recent music videos that stand out to you?

Reach Mara Hyman here.