Music videos used to feel like moments. Not just something you throw on in the background or scroll past five seconds later. They felt intentional. Like their own little worlds. Almost like mini films that gave the song a second life. The best ones did not just show the artist performing. They deepened the feeling of the song. They made it sharper, more emotional and gave you visuals you could not unsee once you heard it.
That is why the shift now feels so obvious. Everything moves so fast, and so much content is made to be consumed and forgotten. So when a music video actually slows you down and makes you sit with it, it feels rare. Almost indulgent in a good way. A strong video does not just sit next to the song. It interprets it. It adds personality, meaning and texture. It gives you something to come back to.
Two videos that always stand out to me are Tyler, The Creator’s “See You Again” and Beyoncé’s “Hold Up.” Completely different energies, but both commit fully to their vision. “See You Again” feels surreal and soft but also kind of unsettling. It pulls you into this dreamy, almost floating feeling that makes the song hit harder. “Hold Up” is the opposite. It is loud, emotional and unapologetic. Beyoncé turns heartbreak into something powerful and almost theatrical. The imagery stuck so much that people still reference it. It became bigger than the song itself.
And honestly, this connects to some of my earliest memories with music. I used to watch music videos with my cousin, just going back and forth showing each other different ones. It felt personal. Like we were sharing something, not just watching it. It was not about who had better taste. It was about experiencing it together. That made music feel alive in a different way. Like it was something you lived in, not just listened to.
That shared experience is part of why music videos used to feel so culturally important. A really good one could become a reference, a style, a whole mood people recognized instantly. It shaped how people saw the artist and how the song existed in the world. It was entertainment, but it was also storytelling.
Now, a lot of videos feel a little empty. There is more focus on looking good, going viral or fitting a trend than actually saying something. Not all of them, but enough that you notice. The good ones still exist, they just stand out more now because they are not the norm. When a video actually builds a world or tells a story, you feel the difference immediately.
That is why people talk about music videos like they are a lost art. They are not gone, but the intention behind them is different. It used to feel expected that a video would add something. Now it feels optional.
But when it is done right, it still hits the same. A music video can turn a song into a memory. It can give you a visual for a feeling you did not know how to explain. And sometimes, like with “See You Again,” “Hold Up” or those moments watching videos with my cousin, it becomes part of your life in a way that just listening never could.
Jazmyne Morgan is a 4th Year Philosophy Major with a minor in Political Science. JM1001692@WCUPA.edu