If a picture is worth a thousand words, then imagine the kind of story you can tell with thousands of them in motion. With that philosophy in mind, a truly great music video can elevate a song to new heights, and sometimes even transcend beyond the song itself to become an iconic work of art in its own right. Whether echoing big budget cinema, or built from the ground up with nothing but ingenuity and elbow grease, there’s been no shortage of memorable visuals this year. So, before we delve into our favourite music of 2024, let’s take a moment to celebrate the best videos of the past twelve months.

10. Luvcat – Dinner @ Brasserie Zédel

Luvcat seemed to emerge fully formed from the ether with a clear vision and aesthetic already in mind. The sultry gothic charm captured so deftly in their first three singles has extended quite naturally into the accompanying visuals. While ‘Matador‘ and ‘He’s My Man‘ were both worthy contenders, they were pipped at the post by the band’s latest track. I love Sophie’s transition from waitress at a greasy spoon to her leopard-printed Luvcat alter ego, along with the moody candlelit atmosphere.

9. Rag’n’Bone Man – Pocket

For the most part the severed head is so unintentionally creepy and uncanny that I wouldn’t be at all surprised if you told me that it was your new sleep paralysis demon. Definitely loses a few places for that. Even so, the concept itself is still so fun and inventive that I simply had to give it a shout out. It’s undeniably unique and memorable, plus the moment when the head gets booted over a car park gets me every time.

8. Soccer Mommy – Abigail

What better way to accompany a love letter to a romanceable NPC in a video game than with visuals inspired by the game itself. Between the various moments of screen-capped Stardew Valley footage edited together to form a cohesive love story – from meet-cute to marriage – to the charming way the lyrics pop up in little dialogue boxes, everything about this project is just so heart-warmingly wholesome.

7. Griff – Miss Me Too

Getting Griff to dance in a music video is just a no-brainer at this point; she kills it every single time, and ‘Miss Me Too’ is no exception. She fits in perfectly with this talented group of professional dancers. The choreography has such an interesting ebb and flow to it, the synchronicity is impressively polished throughout, and yet there are these moments where the audio of their footfalls can be heard over the music which manage to make it all feel real and grounded.

6. Natalie Shay – All The Time

This wistful daydream about a whirlwind romance with a celebrity crush could have faltered in a hundred different ways, but in the capable hands of Belwood favourite Natalie Shay it is simply overflowing with charm. It has such an endearing quality to it, buoyed by Natalie’s relentlessly effervescent energy. Fantastic cinematography and direction too. The high contrast lighting, haze, and dark backdrop really work wonders. A masterclass in doing a lot with relatively little. 

5. Coldplay – All My Love

Dick Van Dyke is an absolute treasure, and this delightful celebration of his life and work over the decades is enough to leave anyone teary-eyed. Dancing around the way he does here at ninety nine years old is simply remarkable. He has the spirit of someone a fraction of his age, and seeing the boundless love he and his family share for each other is truly heart-warming to see. He does here what he has always done: bring joy to one and all.

4. Coheed and Cambria – Searching For Tomorrow

The animation here is just out of this world (pun intended). This gory, balls to the wall, dimension hopping adventure, chock full of Easter eggs for attentive fans, really plays to the strengths of the medium. Constantly shifting between different worlds and perspectives, fully embracing the fantastical in every detail, and telling a larger than life story in a fun and colourful way. Easily the best animated video I have seen this year.

3. Bleachers – Tiny Moves

Proof that sometimes less is more. Margaret Qualley’s magnetic performance is one part balletic grace, to three parts Ally Sheedy’s manic flailing in The Breakfast Club. Instantly iconic. Every time I hear this song there are parts of her dance routine that I can’t help but picture in my head step for step. I daresay this video could well linger in my memory long after every line and melody of the song itself was left long forgotten.

2. Charm of Finches – Cleat Cut

This Night at the Museum style story of a security guard haunted by mannequins coming to life around him is pure brilliance at every turn. The costuming and make-up punch well above their budget, the torch carried by our lead offers some interesting lighting opportunities, and the spooky marionette like choreography absolutely nails the assignment. I adore everything about this video, and in any other year this would have taken the top spot, were it not for…

1. Sabrina Carpenter – Taste

What a wild ride! Drawing inspiration from Death Becomes Her, ‘Taste’ sees Sabrina Carpenter and scream queen Jenna Ortega star as two rivals constantly killing each other as they fight over the same guy. The surprisingly over the top gore, impressive practical effects, delightfully dark humour, and the pair’s fantastic on-screen chemistry, make for a flawless mini horror comedy. I could quite happily watch a feature length version, but I suppose I’ll just have to settle for watching this on repeat instead.