Every other week, writer Mara Hyman takes a look at the buzzworthy short films coming from the music video universe. Here's her picks for this week:

Taylor Swift – “Begin Again”

On October 23rd, Taylor Swift released the video for her second single “Begin Again” off of her fourth album “Red.” The song definitely has more country/folk elements than her last single “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together.” The song describes how she ended a relationship with someone who didn’t quite understand her and watched her love life “begin again” in a café with a new man, which many fans assume was Jake Gyllenhaal. The music video has a very vintage, classic vibe with toned-down colors, interesting fashion choices and several nature shots in Paris, France. Is this video an improvement stylistically from her last one or is it simply a nice change of pace for Swift?

Pentatonix – “Aha!”

On the same day, “The Sing Off” A Cappella Champions released their music video for the song “Aha!” which is a cover of an Imogen Heap classic. Released in time for Halloween, the cover has a very eerie, creepy feel with even stronger emphases on the bass and percussion sections than the original. The five parts that make up the group each blend together seamlessly and work together. The video has a creative storyline as the group tells a scary story at a campfire through song which cuts to them as zombie-like killers kidnapping an innocent couple at their house. At the end we realize that the story is “real” and that they are the actual kidnappers when a shot pans to their car nearby with a hand coming out of the trunk trying to escape. Is this song too creepy among the more lighthearted repertoire of Pentatonix or is it a cool concept?

Green Day – “The Forgotten”

Green Day’s newest single, “The Forgotten,” comes off of the “Breaking Dawn – Part 2” soundtrack for the end of the Twilight franchise. However, for all of the non-Twilight fans, the song stands on its own as a smooth rock ballad with powerful lyrics. The video showcases clips of the last Twilight film, which one might expect for a song off of the soundtrack, mashed together with images of Green Day performing. The cinematography of the video has an old rock feel almost similar to that of Beatles concerts, especially in the beginning of the video. Do the song and video link themselves too closely to the Twilight franchise and detract from Green Day’s performance, or would the song have been as successful otherwise?

Snoop Lion – “La La La”

Snoop Dogg is back! Well, not exactly…the rapper formerly known as Snoop Dogg, Snoop Lion, released his single off of his next album “Reincarnated,” called “La La La.” The song is a very different change of pace for Snoop with a distinctively reggae feel. He also sings in most of the song which is different for the rapper. In the beginning of the music video, a couple of kids who are dancers in the video ask Snoop behind the scenes why he changed his name to Snoop Lion, highlighting the general media craze surrounding his name change. The video shows a colorful set with people dressed as animals all around him. In the middle he has a makeshift funeral in which he steps into a coffin and reemerges in a lion costume, representing the death of Snoop Dogg and his “rebirth” as Snoop Lion. He sits on a throne and holds a staff like he is the king of the jungle now that he is a lion. What are your thoughts on the video and Snoop Lion’s new reggae style? Do you like his name change or should he have kept the name Snoop Dogg for consistency?

Borgore feat. Miley Cyrus – “Decisions”

Israeli dub-step DJ Borgore recently released the video for his latest hit “Decisions,” but it seems like the person who has been getting the most attention for the song is Miley Cyrus as it’s her first major song appearance in a couple years. The song could be compared to Rihanna’s “Birthday Cake,” but this time it is actually about, you guessed it… cake! While the lyrics may be a bit lackluster, the chorus is pretty catchy and will be stuck in your head immediately after listening to the song. The video shows a big cake being dragged through the streets of Los Angeles to a club where the partygoers eat a lot of cake and have fun. Donning her new hair cut, Miley is shown in the video eating cake, making out with a person with a horse head, smearing cake all over Borgore, and more. It’s safe to say that Miley’s “Hannah Montana” days are officially over. What are your thoughts? Are you surprised by Miley’s portrayal in the video or is she just having fun?

Reach Staff Reporter Mara Hyman here.