July’s Top 10 Music Videos: Editor's Picks

Each month, I'm running down excellent music videos and valuing artists who are breaking new territory with their visuals or choreography.

Released Date: July 1, 2020

Title: decide to be happy

Artist: MisterWives

Director: Matty Vogel

MisterWives's "decide to be happy" music video from the "SUPERBLOOM" album was written and produced by Mandy Lee and directed by Matty Vogel. The music video from the American indie pop band can honestly speak for themselves. It is packed with humor, flowers, and warm tones, beautifully complimenting the song's message.

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Released Date: July 10, 2020

Title: My Man

Artist: Becky G

Director: Pedro Paulo Araujo

Becky G melds her regional Mexican roots and reggaeton-pop swagger in her new single, "My Man," inspired by Jenni Rivera's feminist band anthem, "La Gran Senora."

In the music video, directed by Pedro Paulo Araujo of 2 Wolves/SOTA, Becky G is the heroine of an 8-bit video game — co-starring her long-time boyfriend, Sebastian Lletget. The video was shot at their home in Los Angeles, where Becky and Sebastian have remained quarantined.

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Released Date: July 10, 2020

Title: Love Me Land

Artist: Zara Larsson

Director: Viivi Huuska

"Love Me Land" comes with a simplistic, addictive music video, directed by Viivi Huuska, with Zara Larsson in a big black room with this square light shining down on her. The intricate and complex choreography it's, no doubt, captivating.

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Released Date: July 16, 2020

Title: Daydreamer

Artist: Aurora

Director: Samuel Douek

AURORA interprets music with fluid dance steps and meets the light that enters the environment through a large window on the "Daydreamer" music video. Directed by Samuel Douek, it is said to have been made back in November 2019 but was scrapped due to schedule problems.

However, they cut some snippets of the original video and made what can be considered a visualizer. But it's perfect in the same way, don't you agree? "Daydreamer" is the fourth track on the album "A Different Kind of Human - Step 2", released by AURORA in 2019.

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Released Date: July 16, 2020

Title: Bitting My Tongue

Artist: The Veronicas

Director: The Veronicas (Jess and Lisa Origliasso)

The Veronicas "Biting My Tongue" music video marks Jess and Lisa Origliasso's directorial debut and the Australian pop duo from Brisbane, the first material of 2020. The clip was filmed in the UK before the COVID-19 pandemic and featured the sisters in addition to acting twins Bud and Aidan Brennan Williams.

In a statement, The Veronicas described the process behind their directorial debut. "Taking on the role as directors gave us a chance to add another level to the character development that we love about creating music videos. When we found Aidan and Bud, we were thrilled to create a concept that would bring to our fans the chemistry and closeness of twinship. It gives a deep and intense view of the love and threat of that bond."

"Biting My Tongue" is lifted from The Veronicas' forthcoming album, "Human."

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Released Date: July 24, 2020

Title: Slow Motion

Artist: Charlotte Lawrence

Director: Tyler Shields

For "Slow Motion's" mesmerizing music video, Tyler Shields took on the role of director, creating a cinematic accompaniment to Lawrence's most recent song, all within the confines of quarantine. The trio made a beautiful, intense passion project with Tiadora Rivera's choreographer.

"Slow Motion" is about the struggle to find closure following a failed relationship.

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Released Date: July 24, 2020

Title: Cardigan

Artist: Taylor Swift

Director: Taylor Swift

Accompanied by the release of her project written and recorded during the lockdown, "cardigan" is the lead single from Taylor Swift's eighth studio album, "folklore."

The enchanting music video, which was written and directed by her and shot during the COVID-19 pandemic, finds Taylor shifting through different places by the magic of playing the piano. As part of the music video production, a shout out to the cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto and producer Jil Hardin.

Taylor ends the video by protecting herself in a cardigan that's now on the piano bench. And as Taylor sits, wrapped in the cardigan, back from her trip down memory lane, it's clear that despite the ups and downs of past relationships, she's made it to the other side just fine. A magical clip. But what are the doubts?

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Released Date: July 30, 2020

Title: Who's Laughing Now?

Artist: Ava Max

Director: Isaac Rentz

In the music video, directed by Isaac Rentz, Ava Max has to deal with a boss who fires her and a boyfriend who cheats on her before teaching them the lesson of "what goes around comes around."

"Who's Laughing Now" is the latest one of Ava's upcoming "Side B: Hell" of her debut studio album "Heaven & Hell," to be released September 18th, 2020.

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Released Date: July 31, 2020

Title: ALREADY

Artist: Beyoncé, Shatta Wale, Major Lazer

Beyoncé's "Black Is King" explodes into existence with a bit of help from a brutal music video. After dropping her new visual album on July 31, on Disney+, Beyoncé released an accompanying clip of the project's tune "ALREADY," featuring Major Lazer and Shatta Wale.

The video sees the American singer changing from stylized indoor locales to sprawling outdoor environments, including a scene where she's perched in a tree covered in vivid body paint.

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Released Date: July 31, 2020

Title: Cry Dancing

Artist: NOTD, Nina Nesbitt

Multi-platinum Swedish production duo NOTD and rising Scottish-Swedish singer and songwriter Nina Nesbitt leave tears on the dancefloor with the incredible music video on "Cry Dancing."