Trend Analysis
January 6, 2025
Charli xcx via the "360" music video.
Music videos have long been a cornerstone of the music industry, serving as a visual extension of an artist’s creativity and a powerful tool for fan engagement. Their execution has evolved alongside shifts in technology, culture, and consumer behavior - we’ve gone from the launch of MTV in 1981 with The Buggles’ video for “Video Killed The Radio Star,” to viral DIY videos on YouTube by bands like OK Go. Once a dominant force for reaching new audiences, music videos have now taken on a more niche role, reflecting the priorities of superfans rather than the masses. Today, with the rise of social media platforms like TikTok, the music video’s place in the industry is changing - but its legacy as a unique art form endures.
In the MTV era, music videos were a marketing tactic that aimed to hook new fans and expand a song’s reach by generating popular conversation beyond its lyrics and music. Even now, every time “Thriller” by Michael Jackson plays, people’s wrists bend at 45 degree angles as their arms flail left and right, recreating the iconic music video dance scene that hooked popular culture when it was released in 1983. Similarly, the music video for “Scream” by Michael and Janet Jackson captured audiences as the most expensive music video ever made at the time, costing upwards of six billion dollars.
It can be said that Charli XCX’s “Apple” dance was 2024’s “Thriller,” but there’s one major difference - its dance moves were not created by a famous choreographer for a music video, but instead by the TikTok community. The marketing advantages of producing music videos have, to some extent, been supplanted by investing resources into social media and its trends. For example, "360" and "Von dutch," the only two solo tracks from Charli's BRAT album that received music videos, underperformed compared to "Apple," which peaked at number 8 on the UK Official Charts. In contrast, "360" only reached number 11, and "Von dutch" peaked at 26.
This trend extends beyond Charli XCX. Some of 2024’s biggest songs, such as Chappell Roan’s “Good Luck, Babe!” and Morgan Wallen’s “Lies Lies Lies,” were released without accompanying music videos. Roan explained to Rolling Stone that she opted out because “[she] was tired,” and the song was already “a hit without a [music] video.”
In contrast, Billie Eilish’s “Birds of a Feather” and Hozier’s “Too Sweet” only received music videos after their viral success, primarily in response to fan demand. However, both releases were met with backlash, as fans felt the videos fell short of their expectations. Eilish’s fans took to TikTok and X to voice their frustrations, criticizing the video for lacking creativity and failing to align with the song’s perceived tone. This highlights the declining role of music videos in driving a song’s popularity, while also underscoring the heightened pressure and risks involved in creating a video after a track has already gone viral.
Despite this, YouTube remains one of the most popular platforms for both music streaming and discovery. According to a blog post by the platform’s global Head of Music, Lyor Cohen, over 2 billion people use YouTube to watch or listen to music videos - nearly six times Spotify’s 320 million users, making it essential for record labels and musicians to continue uploading their music in video form on the platform.
However, as music videos increasingly serve as a means for streaming rather than storytelling, many artists and labels opt for lyric videos or visualizers. These lower-budget alternatives pair the song with simple visuals without attempting to narrate a story. Notable examples include the visualizers for Djo’s “End of Beginning,” Beyoncé’s “Texas Hold 'Em," and Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy).” Simpler videos that lack dialogue and complex visuals facilitate the streaming experience, thus incentivising streams in platforms like YouTube.
Music videos now serve as a nod to super fans who are interested in being completely enmeshed in the artist’s world and far less of a marketing tool to reach new listeners. Many artists now prioritize quality over quantity for their music videos, taking different avenues to start conversations amidst their fans. Taylor Swift includes “easter eggs” to keep fans engaged, interested, and speculating about her next move, while others like Sabrina Carpenter in “Taste” focus on keeping fans on their toes as the story takes unpredictable turns. Another strategy is to use a stunt cast of celebrities to both increase promotion, but also to increase talking points amidst fans like Charli xcx in “360” and Role Model for “Look At That Woman." These approaches not only engage loyal fans but also create moments that sustain cultural relevance.
While music videos may no longer dominate the industry like they did in MTV’s peak years, they still hold a unique place in music culture. Whether through a high-budget visual masterpiece or a creative lyric video, they remain a way for artists to connect with fans on a deeper level. In today’s world of short-form content and shifting priorities, music videos are no longer about mass appeal and marketing—they’re about creating something memorable for those who care the most.
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