The month of May ended out with a pretty solid collection of new videos from Major Lazer, Big Boi, Travis Scott, Radiohead, Mike WiLL Made-It, and more. Check out everything I rounded up below, along with my reactions.
Major Lazer – Know No Better
Major Lazer is quickly becoming one of my favorite producer groups out there. You can’t really tie them to any specific genre as they can cover everything from pop to reggae with equal levels of proficiency. They’ve got a great ear for sound so it’s no surprise that so many big name artists want to work with them. “Know No Better” is their latest single and I can already tell you that it’s going to be a hit. The video is really just a POV documentation of them traveling around the world promoting the single but it works.
Mura Masa – All Around The World
Desiigner still hasn’t released his debut album yet and proven me right, but he’s keeping busy and keeping his name out there with various singles and now this surprise collab with the dope Mura Masa. I didn’t know what to expect from the collab but it’s actually pretty fucking dope and shows that he has a pretty wide range. The video, while simple, manages to capture the vibe of the song pretty well.
Arcade Fire – Everything Now
I haven’t heard a ton of Arcade Fire in my life but I do know that they’ve got a new album dropping here shortly. This is the first song I’ve heard from that project and I’m really liking what I’m hearing, they’ve got some really interesting instrumentation going on and I love the light-hearted tone. I’m not really sure what message the video is trying to ultimately convey but the beautiful shots out in the open range really evoke the airy feel of the song.
Yelawolf – Row Your Boat
I loved Yelawolf’s last album, Love Story. In general, I’d say that country music and rap do not go well together but on that project he somehow made it work and pieced together some really great sounds on there that really set him apart from everyone else for me. He’s been relatively quiet since that release but he’s gearing up for his next album to drop this fall. Sounds like he’s gonna keep pushing these unique combinations and I’m glad to hear it; “Row Your Boat” is a sick slow burn of a song that I think really compliments his style of singing/rapping.
Mike WiLL Made-It – Perfect Pint
I’m not gonna lie, out of all the songs on Mike WiLL’s latest album, “Perfect Pint” was probably the most disappointing. It’s not a necessarily bad song, I just found it to be pretty safe and bland for the unique combination of guest features he had. What’s crazy is for how bland I found the actual song to be, the video is absolutely fucking zany with all kinds of random things going on. BOh and I read somewhere that it’s actually a 3D video for all two of you out there with 3D displays. Meh.
Radiohead – I Promise
I’ve never went out of my way to listen to Radiohead but I do recognize that their name does carry meaningful weight in music, and everything that I have heard from them I have generally liked. I don’t know where this is from but I like this one too. It’s got a somber tone that gets elevated by it’s accompanying video that takes an odd turn at the end.
Travis Scott – way back
Travis Scott is this generations ultimate hype man. Whether that’s on stage, behind the boards, or on his own records, he always brings that signature energy that’s set him apart. So why wouldn’t his latest single from Birds In The Trap serve as the hype soundtrack for his hometown’s superstar, James Harden, as he goes one-on-one against himself. It’s definitely an unexpected direction for a video, but it came out really dope and I like how Houston gets represented to the fullest. As for the song, what more is there to say about it, it’s pure fire.
Big Boi – Kill Jill
I wasn’t feeling Big Boi’s last single all that much but this right here…I can get jiggy with this! I don’t know who’s idea it was to sample Hatsune Miku for this track but they’re a fucking genius. The beat on this shit goes sooo hard and her vocals gives me vibes of the opera shootout in The Fifth Element, and that’s a very good thing. Then you have Killer Mike (who I haven’t heard a bad verse from yet) and Jeezy to really set this one over the top. Alright I’m back hyped for his album. I thought he’d tap into Kill Bill for the video but what they came up with still has some really dope visuals.
What’d you think about this week’s videos? Which ones were your favorites? Did I miss any that I should check out? Let me know in the comments below and be sure to subscribe to stay up with all the new content.
