‘Vous Avez Dit Bizarre’ N°665 – 2010s Music Videos

1 . Katy Perry – The One That Got Away

Katy Perry’s “The One That Got Away,” from her 2010 *Teenage Dream* album, is a mid-tempo pop ballad steeped in longing and regret, packaged in glossy production by Dr. Luke and Max Martin.

Released in late 2011, the song arrives as an ode to past love, blending polished hooks with a narrative worn more raw by time.

If “Teenage Dream” largely traffics in youthful optimism, this track offers a somber counterpoint with its wistful premise of missed opportunities and lingering what-ifs.

The music video, directed by Floria Sigismondi, adds layers, casting Perry as both a younger version of herself and a somber older woman revisiting a romance that feels as fresh as it is irretrievable.

Diego Luna steps in as the charismatic love interest, lending gravitas to fleeting moments of intimacy that the video spins out into decades worth of nostalgia.

The visuals flirt with melodrama at times, but they underscore the track’s themes of loss with enough restraint to avoid outright maudlin territory.

Released during her highly publicized split from Russell Brand, the song seemed to mark a shift for Perry, whose earlier, more irreverent singles rarely ventured into such emotive terrain.

The addition of a remix with rapper B.o.B aimed to push it to the top of the charts, but peak at number 3 it did, falling just short of making Perry’s album the first to yield six number-one singles.

Regardless, its success underscores her ability to distill heartbreak into polished pop, even if the emotional depth occasionally gets sidelined by her signature radio-friendly sheen.

Played live, particularly in acoustic settings, the track achieves a raw vulnerability that cuts through its studio polish, gaining traction as a poignant highlight from her discography.

Bridging mainstream accessibility with themes of unresolved longing, “The One That Got Away” secures its place both as an emotional centerpiece of *Teenage Dream* and a commercial force in its own right.

Featured on the 2012 album “Teenage Dream”.

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2 . Eminem – River (w/ Ed Sheeran)

“River,” the product of an unlikely pairing between hip-hop heavyweight Eminem and pop troubadour Ed Sheeran, is a study in contrasts.

Released in 2017, it manages to capture the melodrama of personal anguish while being musically calculated to dominate the charts, which it promptly did—hitting #1 in the UK and a slew of other European countries, only to peak just shy of the very top at #5 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Eminem, with his rapid-fire self-lacerating bars, serves as the confessional; Sheeran, wielding his acoustic-tinged vocals, steps in as sorrow’s chorus.

The track’s structure—rap verses unraveling regret tethered to a melody primed for radio—caters as much to playlists as to your tearing-up-in-the-backseat moments.

Thematically, we’re in familiar Marshall Mathers territory: guilt, relationships fractured as easily as they were formed, and the kind of regret that lands a bit differently when packaged with Sheeran’s smoother delivery.

The accompanying music video, released on Valentine’s Day 2018, doubles down on the melodrama, weaving footage of apparent relationship therapy with shadowy, tumultuous romance that somehow stops just short of parody.

While undeniably polished, the track drew mixed reviews; some listeners found it emotionally resonant, others dubbed it formulaic, with *Spin* notably skewering it for being all style, no substance.

That said, “River” remains a commentary on Eminem’s ever-crafty ability to pair vulnerability with chart-topping ambition, while Sheeran comfortably proves his ubiquity in yet another genre intersection.

As a musical moment, it doesn’t rewrite any rules but succeeds as a vivid postcard from the turbulent waters of personal accountability and pop spectacle.

Featured on the 2017 album “Revival”.

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3 . Panic! At The Disco – Emperor’s New Clothes

“Emperor’s New Clothes” is a jarring cocktail of theatrical flair and edgy ambition, pulled from Panic! at the Disco’s fifth studio album, *Death of a Bachelor*.

The track veers into rock-opera territory with its grandiose production, combining dance-rock, alternative rock, and a pinch of electronic swagger to craft a sound that feels both melodramatic and confident, mirroring Brendon Urie’s lyrical declarations.

Its release on October 21, 2015, came paired with a visually arresting music video, where Urie undergoes a grotesque physical transformation into a horned demon—a continuation from the narrative in “This Is Gospel.”

The metaphor here isn’t subtle; it’s a power grab, a reclamation of one’s darker, unapologetic self, crowned in vanity and ambition.

The references to Hans Christian Andersen’s fable add a veneer of self-awareness, acknowledging the façades we wear, though in Urie’s case, he’s baring all by donning his proverbial crown.

The track finds its pulse in cascading synths and booming percussion, a fitting match for the bombastic swagger Urie channels throughout.

The song hit modest chart positions, peaking at 85 on Billboard’s Hot 100, but its cultural footprint is arguably larger, thanks partly to a music video that has surpassed 300 million YouTube views by 2023.

The visual spectacle won “Video of the Year” in a *Rock Sound* readers’ poll, supplementing its status as a standout entry from the album.

Although “Death of a Bachelor” garnered broader acclaim with its iHeartRadio win for Alternative Rock Album of the Year in 2018, this track remains a fan favorite within concert setlists and streaming archives alike.

In essence, “Emperor’s New Clothes” splits listeners down the middle—part spectacle, part self-indulgence, but undeniably meticulous in its execution, a reflection of Urie’s penchant for balancing charisma with chaos.

Featured on the 2016 album “Death of a Bachelor”.

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4 . Fall Out Boy – The Last Of The Real Ones

“The Last of the Real Ones” by Fall Out Boy emerges as a pulsating blend of pop rock, synth-pop, and electronic rock, embedded in their 2018 album *Mania*, showcasing the band’s turn towards experimental energies.

Released as the third single on September 14, 2017, the track channels an intense, almost obsessive narrative of love, described by Pete Wentz as a twisted devotion and unwavering fixation.

Jesse Shatkin’s production infuses the song with lush electronics and sharp, percussive beats, while Patrick Stump’s fervent vocals carry the weight of unrelenting passion reminiscent of cosmic desperation.

The music video, directed by Mccoy | Meyer, introduces a bizarre world involving weapon-wielding llamas and dark undertones, juxtaposing the emotionality of the lyrics with absurd visual irony.

The track climbed to No. 5 on the US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart and became a feature on the *NBA 2K19* soundtrack, securing its pop culture imprint.

A Bülow and MadeinTYO remix followed in 2018, amplifying its footprint with a genre-bending reinterpretation, cementing the band’s willingness to embrace the unpredictability of their sonic metamorphosis.

Featured on the 2018 album “Mania”.

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5 . Ed Sheeran – Drunk

Released as the fourth single from Ed Sheeran’s breakthrough album “+,” “Drunk” takes heartbreak and drapes it in acoustic pop melancholy with a side of inebriated humor.

The track, produced by Jake Gosling, finds Sheeran navigating post-breakup disarray through bar tabs and blurred nights, a relatable narrative that feels both raw and slightly tongue-in-cheek.

Charting at #9 in the UK, Ireland, and Australia, “Drunk” blends a catchy guitar riff with Sheeran’s signature conversational lyrics, cementing his knack for turning personal missteps into communal anthems.

Its accompanying music video, directed by Saman Kesh, leans into absurdity, introducing a sardonic, life-coaching cat who cushions Sheeran’s existential stumble amidst flashbacks of his ex, played by Nina Nesbitt.

The video’s charm lies in its mix of bittersweet nostalgia and surreal comedy—a strange cocktail but one that suits the song’s mindset of muddling through sadness and vodka shots.

Commercially, “Drunk” racked up certifications worldwide, including Platinum in the UK and Australia, reflecting an audience that likely saw some of their own misadventures mirrored in Sheeran’s self-deprecation.

And while the track may not hit the narrative or melodic high notes of others on “+,” like “The A Team” or “Lego House,” its straightforward vulnerability is undeniably part of what made Sheeran’s debut resonate.

If anything, “Drunk” showcases Sheeran’s gift for wrapping mistakes and miseries in a melody light enough to carry the weight—a trick he’s still perfecting a decade later.

Featured on the 2011 album “+”.

Lyrics >> Review >> More by the same : Official Site

6 . Post Malone – Candy Paint

“Candy Paint” by Post Malone offers a flashy ode to excess, blending slick melodies with vivid imagery that screams luxury.

Released in 2017, the track initially surfaces on the soundtrack for *The Fate of the Furious*, seamlessly tying its glitz to the franchise’s adrenaline-fueled obsession with fast cars and opulence.

Lyrically, it lounges in Malone’s trademark themes—cars dripping in “candy paint,” Lambo doors gliding skyward, and watches sparkling with unattainable price tags.

The term “candy paint,” referring to richly pigmented car finishes pioneered by Joe Bailon, gives the song an anchor in automotive culture, reinforcing its synergy with *Fate of the Furious* while celebrating customizations that glimmer with wealth.

Produced by Louis Bell and Post himself, the sonic palette combines slow-burning bass lines and laid-back rhythms, building a hypnotic backdrop for Malone’s half-sung delivery that blends swagger with a tinge of melancholy.

Commercially, it punches hard, peaking at number 34 on the Billboard Hot 100, boosted further by its appearance on Malone’s *Beerbongs & Bentleys* as a bonus track. The album itself became a juggernaut, debuting at number one and snagging a coveted Grammy nod.

Thematically, “Candy Paint” doesn’t stray far from Malone’s usual. Braggadocio and insecurity walk hand-in-hand, reflecting opulence while slyly side-eyeing its emptiness. There’s a self-aware undertone that keeps things from feeling wholly indulgent.

Yet, it’s not without its contradictions. For all its luxurious bravado, the repetition of these motifs might feel somewhat hollow, its introspective moments eclipsed by the gleam of surface-level triumphs.

Production-wise, it glides easily, though it doesn’t push genre boundaries, relying instead on Malone’s effortless charisma and the allure of his heavily auto-tuned delivery to maintain appeal.

While far from groundbreaking, its alignment with pop culture moments—be it a blockbuster film or chart-dominating album—ensures its place as a shiny artifact in Post Malone’s rise to megastardom. It may not have depth, but it has polish in spades.

Featured on the 2018 album “Beerbongs & Bentleys”.

Lyrics >> Review >> More by the same : Official Site

7 . Lady Gaga – Marry The Night

“Marry The Night” is Lady Gaga’s sonic love letter to her own resilience, stitched together with the glitz and grime of New York City’s nightlife.

Released in 2011 during the *Born This Way* era, this track masquerades as a dance-pop anthem but sneaks in electro rock, Italian disco, and American rock influences, making it more than a club banger—it’s an audio scrapbook of Gaga’s obsessions and ambitions.

The song flaunts a pounding beat and synth-heavy production that nod to the church of pop religion Gaga has spent her career constructing, complete with metaphorical “bells” for her loyal disciples.

Lyrically, it’s a declaration of defiance, a refusal to let setbacks—like her infamous firing from Def Jam Records—dim her fire.

The sprawling 13-minute video, equal parts deeply personal memoir and fever dream, amplifies this narrative with its raw aesthetic and over-the-top melodrama.

While it didn’t crash the upper echelon of the Billboard Hot 100—stopping at #29—it cemented its place within Gaga’s iconography, ironically falling short of the pop heights one might expect from her but thriving on dance floors worldwide, notably topping the Hot Dance Club Songs chart.

Promotional stunts like premiering the track on FarmVille affirm Gaga’s uncanny ability to blend art with commerce, though by 2017 it was the Platinum certification from the RIAA that truly echoed her staying power.

The track’s appearance on *Glee* and its live performances—such as on the *X Factor UK* finale—further underlined its versatility, even if its chart performance didn’t match Gaga’s earlier singles.

More than a single, “Marry The Night” feels like Gaga turning her failures into glitter—one shimmering track at a time.

Featured on the 2011 album “Born This Way”.

Lyrics >> Review >> More by the same : Official Site

8 . Camila Cabello – Havana (w/ Young Thug)

Camila Cabello’s “Havana” feels like a cinematic postcard from the artist’s Cuban upbringing, laced with sultry beats and a groove that’s impossible to ignore.

A fusion of Latin pop and R&B elements, the track refuses to be pigeonholed, moving seamlessly between salsa-inspired rhythms and mainstream chart flair.

Young Thug’s verse adds a chaotic charm, though it occasionally feels like a garnish on a dish that was flavorful enough without it.

Cabello’s vocal delivery oscillates between breezy and commanding, lending the song an air of playfulness without losing its underlying swagger.

The song’s narrative, equal parts romanticized nostalgia and modern-day attitude, is bolstered by a music video that cries out for attention with its telenovela absurdity and over-the-top self-awareness.

While the track’s homage to Cuban culture might stop short of profound, it injects a refreshing exuberance into pop’s often stagnant landscape.

The Daddy Yankee remix offers a bilingual twist that amplifies the track’s global ambitions but doesn’t fully reinvent the wheel.

Winning accolades like MTV’s Video of the Year and earning a Grammy nod, the song is undeniably a heavyweight in Cabello’s discography, its commercial success nearly overshadowing its artistic merit.

It doesn’t so much ask for your attention as it demands it, straddling the line between homage and self-promotion with surprising deftness.

As an entry point into Cabello’s solo journey, it lands somewhere between a confident debut and a calculated bid for pop dominance, solidifying its place as a radio staple with a pulse.

Featured on the 2018 album “Camila”.

Lyrics >> Review >> More by the same : Official Site

9 . Justin Timberlake – Supplies

Justin Timberlake’s “Supplies,” from his 2018 album *Man of the Woods*, straddles social critique and R&B swagger with mixed results.

The track reunites Timberlake with The Neptunes, marking his first collaboration with Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo since 2003, but the magic isn’t fully recaptured here.

A steady rhythm and sitar-esque melody provide the backdrop for Timberlake’s vocal delivery, which blends proclamations of empowerment with a somewhat sterile sense of rebellion.

The accompanying music video, directed by Dave Meyers, introduces a dystopian visual narrative filled with heavy-handed imagery and moments of cultural commentary, featuring Eiza González and a cameo from Pharrell himself.

While the visuals aim for provocative and relevant, the execution feels more like a patchwork of borrowed motifs than a cohesive statement, leaving the viewer with flashes of imagery that don’t fully connect.

Chart performance was another mixed bag, with the song peaking #71 on the US Billboard Hot 100 but failing to sustain any significant traction elsewhere beyond niche rankings like the New Zealand Heatseekers charts.

“Supplies” thrives more in concept than execution, with its attempt to pair modern activism and artistry weighed down by an air of detached calculation.

The track’s live performances during the *Man of the Woods* tour show Timberlake as a capable showman, though the song itself doesn’t quite command lasting resonance.

Both lyrically and thematically, “Supplies” claws at relevance yet fails to deliver the kind of punch its ambition demands, leaving it as a curious but ultimately forgettable piece in Timberlake’s discography.

Featured on the 2018 album “Man of the Woods”.

Lyrics >> Review >> More by the same : Official Site

10 . Harry Styles – Sign Of The Times

“Sign of the Times,” released on April 7, 2017, signals Harry Styles’ departure from boyband polish and his migration toward rock grandeur.

The track, a moody pop rock anthem, feels like a love letter to British ’70s rock, with echoes of Bowie and Queen woven into its DNA.

At over five minutes, it’s unapologetically indulgent—cello swells, cinematic piano lines, and falsetto cries building to a theatrical climax that feels destined for stadium encores rather than bedroom playlists.

Thematically, it pitches itself as a quasi-apocalyptic lullaby, captured through the lens of a mother’s final words to her child, though cynics may argue the lyrics lean more melodramatic than profound.

The production, helmed by Jeff Bhasker alongside Alex Salibian and Tyler Johnson, envelops Styles’ voice in a dense, lush soundscape that amplifies its emotional heft.

Chart-wise, it stormed to number one in the UK and Australia, while cracking the top five in the United States, signaling international appeal beyond former One Direction fans.

Its accompanying video, directed by Yoann Lemoine and shot on Scotland’s breath-stealing Isle of Skye, offers a visual spectacle—complete with Styles defying gravity, soaring through desolate skies.

While undeniably grandiose, the visuals verge on atheistic art-house territory, adding to a duality of spectacle and slight absurdity.

Critics have often grappled with its ambition, with many applauding its boldness while questioning if grandeur alone creates resonance.

Performed live at high-profile gigs such as *SNL* and the Brit Awards, the song has cemented its place as a career-defining pivot.

Chart-topping accolades aside, “Sign of the Times” is as polarizing as it is well-crafted—either a poignant piece of grand pop-rock melodrama or a bloated war cry of self-seriousness, depending on the listener’s mood.

Featured on the 2017 album “Harry Styles”.

Lyrics >> Review >> More by the same : Official Site

11 . Florence + The Machine – No Light, No Light

“No Light, No Light” by Florence + The Machine blends theatrical intensity and unapologetic grandiosity, which suits the band’s penchant for drama.

Embedded in their 2011 album *Ceremonials,* this track layers baroque pop with art rock, producing what can only be described as the auditory equivalent of a storm gathering.

The production, helmed by Paul Epworth, stuffs the arrangement with tribal drums, harp glissandos, and soaring choir sections that aim squarely for the rafters—whether it reaches them depends on your tolerance for maximalism.

The lyrics grip at the edges of longing and despair, unraveling the fragility of human relationships like twisted threads from a tapestry Welch seems determined to rip apart.

Her voice is, predictably, irrepressible, scaling from restrained murmurs to E5 explosions as though she’s battling unseen forces—and occasionally winning.

The infamous video leans heavily into ritualistic and religious imagery, sparking debate and accusations of cultural incoherence, yet its hyper-stylized aesthetic mirrors the music’s cinematic aspirations.

Though it charted modestly at number 50 in the UK, its staying power has less to do with its performance on the radio and more with its role as an unrelenting anthem in the Florence + The Machine live arsenal.

Whether performed on a grand stage or dissected in a quiet moment, the song hammers its presence into your consciousness with theatrical fervor, leaving space for both awe and fatigue depending on the listener’s mood.

Featured on the 2011 album “Ceremonials”.

Lyrics >> Review >> More by the same : Official Site

12 . Knife Party – Internet Friends

Knife Party’s “Internet Friends,” released in 2011 as part of the *100% No Modern Talking* EP, plays out like a chaotic social media meltdown set to pounding beats and serrated synths.

Crafted by Rob Swire and Gareth McGrillen, former Pendulum members, the track injects electro house with a gleeful dose of dubstep aggression, turning its melodrama into a darkly comedic spectacle.

The lyrics might read like a digital-age novella of passive-aggressive stalking—centered around the infamous line, “You blocked me on Facebook, and now you’re going to die”—but they ride comfortably over an impeccably engineered bass assault.

This isn’t an earnest cultural critique of social media; it’s a tongue-in-cheek exorcism that simultaneously mocks and harnesses the toxic possibilities of online relationships.

Initially released as a free download, “Internet Friends” didn’t need a chart-topping debut to infiltrate the dance music underground, from club floors to festival stages, where its relentless hook and kinetic pulse cemented its staying power.

The VIP remix, included in 2013’s *Haunted House* EP, only sharpened the edges, amplifying its chaotic energy like a software upgrade no one asked for but all EDM fans secretly wanted.

Ironically, its maximalist production and sardonic tone have outlasted many of its genre contemporaries, earning a BPI Silver certification and even popping up in surprising places like *The Walking Dead.*

“Internet Friends” thrives in contradiction—mocking internet culture while embodying its viral spread, delivering absurd melodrama with razor-sharp electronics that refuse to apologize for their intensity.

A cornerstone of the 2010s EDM boom, the track doesn’t beg for analysis but dares you to survive its over-the-top chaos, one murderous bass drop at a time.

Featured on the 2012 album “100% No Modern Talking”.

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