‘Vous Avez Dit Bizarre’ N°668 – 2010s Music Videos

1 . Alan Walker – Faded

“Faded” by Alan Walker occupies a peculiar space in electronic music, straddling the line between atmospheric introspection and radio-ready accessibility.

Built as a rework of Walker’s earlier track “Fade,” this 2015 single injects Iselin Solheim’s ethereal vocals into the mix, transforming a minimalist instrumental into a poignant, almost cinematic experience. Yet, it is not without its narrative baggage—the track doesn’t so much evolve as it loops, leaning heavily on its central piano refrain and looming bass to sustain momentum.

The production value of “Faded,” with contributions from Jesper Borgen and Mood Melodies, lends it a polish that belies its melancholic undertone. Released via Mer Musikk, the song’s success is staggering, with chart-topping performances across Europe and landmark certifications like 11× platinum in Sweden and double diamond in Poland. To call its reception a mere fluke would be reductive; global fascination is both calculated and deserved, though arguably at the cost of depth.

The accompanying music video, which amassed over 3.7 billion views as of late 2024, paints a post-apocalyptic vision. Yet, its visuals lack the narrative bite to match the song’s thematic brooding, leaving one to wonder whether its triumph lies more in its aesthetic sheen than its substantive resonance.

Performed live at the X Games in Oslo in 2016 with string accompaniment, “Faded” flexes its versatility in a real-world context, but again, its reliance on repetition somewhat exposes its limitations. This track ultimately defined Alan Walker’s brand of melancholia-meets-electronic-optimism, encapsulated further in his album “Different World” (2018).

While undeniably impactful, “Faded” treads dangerously close to the formulaic: a haunting vocal over predictable crescendos. It thrives within its lane but rarely ventures beyond—a tale, fittingly, of beauty fading into the ordinary.

Featured on the 2018 album “Different World”.

Lyrics >> More by the same : Official Site

2 . Billie Eilish – Bury A Friend

“Bury a Friend,” released on January 30, 2019, serves as the lead single from Billie Eilish’s debut album “When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?”—a title as unsettling as the song itself.

Written from the perspective of the monster under her bed, Eilish blurs the boundary between self-perception and metaphor, admitting that she is her own worst enemy. This introspection translates into lines like “What do you want from me? Why don’t you run from me?” These questions linger like a recurring nightmare, capturing themes of self-destructive thoughts and mental unrest with a precision that is both chilling and intimate.

Musically, “Bury a Friend” leans into haunting minimalism, with an ethereal yet weighty sound that feels uniquely tailored to the album’s brooding aesthetic. The track avoids excess, opting instead for a skeletal production that heightens the tension without indulging in melodrama. Notably absent are collaborators, signaling a tightly controlled creative vision between Billie Eilish and her brother Finneas O’Connell, who is known for co-writing and producing her work.

Chart performance underscores its cultural resonance, debuting at Number 1 on the Official Trending Chart before climbing to a peak at number 6 on the UK’s Official Singles Chart. Far from merely functional, these statistics point to how unsettlingly well the song connected with listeners willing to confront its dark allure.

Eilish, born December 18, 2001, arrived at this moment with a precocious clarity of vision, crafting a song that feels less like it belongs to current pop trends and more like it’s pulling from some shadowed corner of the subconscious. Whether that vision fully succeeds depends on the listener’s willingness to sink into the track’s tension, which never resolves so much as it lingers.

Featured on the 2019 album “WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?”.

Lyrics >> More by the same : Twitter

3 . Nicki Minaj – Fly

“Fly,” the eighth and final single from Nicki Minaj’s debut studio album, “Pink Friday,” is a curious mix of ambition and formula, blending Minaj’s flair for lyrical dexterity with a soaring hook from Rihanna. Released on August 30, 2011, and set to a key of B♭ major with a brisk 120 bpm tempo, the song walks a fine line between empowerment ballad and chart-friendly production.

Crafted by a team of writers, including Minaj, J.R. Rotem, Kevin Hissink, W. Jordan, and Clemm Rishad, the track benefits from polished production by Rotem and Hissink. The instrumentation is glossy yet somewhat predictable, with a chord progression of B♭–C7sus–Gm7–E♭ that feels more functional than inspired. Rihanna’s vocal delivery is undeniably emotive, but its grandeur occasionally overshadows Minaj’s verses, blurring the balance between the two artists’ contributions.

Chart performance reflects the song’s mainstream appeal. In the U.S., it peaked at number 19 on the *Billboard* Hot 100 and landed within the top 20 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Mainstream Top 40 charts. “Fly” also found success internationally, reaching the top 20 in Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, and the UK, with a notable peak at number three on the UK R&B Chart. By December 2014, the song had sold over 1.5 million copies in the U.S., embodying its commercial viability despite its artistic compromises.

The music video, directed by Sanaa Hamri and filmed at Universal Studios Hollywood, places Minaj and Rihanna in a post-apocalyptic setting. While visually striking, the video’s thematic connection to the song feels tenuous, more focused on aesthetic spectacle than narrative cohesion. Its premiere during the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards pre-show added a layer of promotional sheen, but it doesn’t quite anchor the song’s message.

While “Fly” showcases Minaj’s capacity for genre versatility, especially when paired with Rihanna’s undeniable star power, it occasionally feels like it’s taking flight on borrowed wings. Despite its earnest attempts to convey resilience and triumph, the track seems more suitable for playlist padding than lasting resonance. As the final chapter of “Pink Friday,” it closes with polished, if not entirely groundbreaking, precision.

Featured on the 2010 album “Pink Friday”.

Lyrics >> More by the same : Official Site

4 . Dua Lipa – Swan Song

“Swan Song” operates as an ambitious crossover, tying Dua Lipa’s polished electropop edge to the action-packed universe of *Alita: Battle Angel* while juggling the lofty thematic aspirations of empowerment and resilience.

The production, spearheaded by Mattman & Robin and Tom Holkenborg, melds muted electronics with cinematic horns and orchestral stabs, creating a textured if slightly mechanical backdrop that underscores the song’s connection to the film’s futuristic aesthetic.

Operating in C minor with a restrained tempo of 96 beats per minute, the track strikes a careful balance between anthemic and introspective, though its mechanized beat occasionally leans into predictability.

Thematically, the song draws on both the film’s narrative and the activism of the 1980s AIDS group ACT UP, deftly merging calls for change with a message of personal renewal.

Vocally, Lipa delivers with her characteristic clarity, though the emotional resonance of her performance doesn’t always match the weight of the lyrics.

Mixed by Serban Ghenea and recorded across global locations from Conway Studios in Los Angeles to Wolf Cousins Studios in Stockholm, the track reflects its multinational team’s technical polish, though at times feels more tailored to cinematic requirements than standalone artistry.

The accompanying music video, directed by Floria Sigismondi, visually underscores the song’s sci-fi flair, embedding Lipa into *Alita*’s dystopian world—but while stunning, it occasionally prioritizes style over substance.

Charting moderately at number 24 in both the UK and Ireland, and earning a silver certification from the BPI, “Swan Song” achieves commercial success without fully cementing itself as a genre-defining moment for Lipa.

The acoustic version and remixes EP extend its shelf life, but they offer limited reimagining of the song’s core identity. It’s a crafted effort, but one that perhaps leans too heavily on its cinematic role at the expense of deeper originality.

Featured on the 2019 album “Soundtrack: Alita: Battle Angel”.

Lyrics >> More by the same : Official Site

5 . Lauv & Troye Sivan – I’m So Tired…

“I’m So Tired…” by Lauv and Troye Sivan is the kind of song that feels like a sigh set to music, a carefully constructed lament about both the ubiquity of love songs and, ironically, their enduring pull.

Released on January 24, 2019, and nestled within Lauv’s debut album “*How I’m Feeling*,” the single flips the script on Valentine’s Day schmaltz by dropping a track drenched in melancholic exhaustion just as the holiday looms.

There’s a self-aware irony to releasing a song about fatigue with romantic clichés while embracing them through title drops of Coldplay’s “Hurts Like Heaven” and Lorde’s “Buzzcut Season.”

The collaboration itself, labeled an “accidental duet” by Lauv, hinges on the undeniable chemistry between their voices—conversational as they weave between airy verses and the resigned weight of the chorus without overplaying the sentimentality.

Though an earlier version leaned into a four-on-the-floor beat, this iteration dials it down, avoiding the mislabeled remix territory while opting for a more pensive, organic resonance.

The track struck a chord commercially, peaking at number eight on the UK Singles Chart and climbing to the top 5 in Ireland, top 10 in New Zealand, and top 15 in Australia, bolstered by its streaming success with over 229 million plays on Spotify.

The video, with its Valentine’s Day release, complements the song’s subdued irony by juxtaposing their subtle yearning against the obliviousness of a dating couple, capped off with a jarring car alarm that nods to the dissonance in modern love.

Performed live on *Jimmy Kimmel Live* to critical approval, it earns descriptors like “snappy cut” from *Rolling Stone* and a “reflective, sobering listen” from *Consequence of Sound.*

Yet for all its polish, the track’s wistfulness risks monotony, relying heavily on its hook without fully transcending the thematic weariness it seeks to critique.

Featured on the 2019 album “How I’m Feeling”.

Lyrics >> More by the same : Official Site

6 . Marcus Butler – I’m Famous (w/ Conor Maynard)

Released as a digital download on 22 January 2016, Marcus Butler’s “I’m Famous,” featuring Conor Maynard, occupies an ambiguous space between parody and vanity project.

The track, co-written by Butler and Brett McLaughlin (who previously contributed to Butler’s self-referential “I’m a Rapper”), seems intent on poking fun at celebrity culture while simultaneously indulging in it. The juxtaposition of Maynard—a seasoned pop vocalist celebrated for early-2010s hits like “Can’t Say No” and “Vegas Girl”—with Butler, a YouTuber-turned-musical-dabbler, is as intriguing as it is uneven, almost like pairing a seasoned sprinter with someone trying out jogging for the first time.

The chorus bears McLaughlin’s hallmark, its polished sound nodding to his commercial songwriting credentials, but the verses lean heavily on Butler’s spoken-word delivery. Whether this blend achieves a cohesive identity is debatable, though it undeniably adds to the tongue-in-cheek tone the song strives for. The single’s chart performance—a fleeting peak at number 85 on the UK Singles Chart—mirrors its ephemeral cultural impact, effectively in and out in the blink of an eye.

The music video, hosted on Butler’s YouTube channel, offers a visual extension of the satire, drawing nearly 5 million views and leaning into the over-the-top trappings of fame it ostensibly critiques. Yet, if the goal was to provoke a deeper commentary, the execution lands closer to a light jab than a knockout punch.

“I’m Famous” is less akin to Maynard’s chart-dominating *Contrast* and more of a novelty item—a brief intersection of online celebrity and mainstream pop polished enough to hold interest but not strong enough to linger.

Lyrics >> More by the same : Instagram

7 . Justin Timberlake – Filthy

“Filthy” by Justin Timberlake is a slick fusion of electro-funk and R&B, a lead single that announces *Man of the Woods* (2018) with a mechanical strut and a knowing smirk.

Produced and co-written by the ever-reliable Timbaland and Danja, alongside Timberlake himself, the track embraces industrial textures, snaking basslines, and shape-shifting guitar riffs to craft a neo-funk that leans more synthetic than soulful.

The vocal range—spanning from Eb3 to Ab4—ensures that Timberlake’s performance doesn’t lack energy. Yet, for all the confident falsettos and modulated tones, there’s a calculated distance that some might call clever and others might call clinical.

The futuristic tech-conference setting of the music video mirrors the song’s ambitions, with Timberlake playing demo magician to a gyrating robot that steals both the spotlight and a bit of the humanity out of the experience.

Chart performance seems respectable but not groundbreaking—the song peaked at number 9 on the *Billboard* Hot 100 and climbed to more modest heights on other international charts.

Jessica Biel’s cameo outro might intrigue deep listeners, but it feels peripheral rather than essential.

The ambition is evident; *Man of the Woods* seems to gesture at taking Timberlake somewhere new. But “Filthy” could leave you wondering if the gleaming machinery outweighs the heart underneath it all—or whether that’s even the point.

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

Lyrics >> More by the same : Official Site

8 . Twenty One Pilots – Stressed Out

“Stressed Out” by Twenty One Pilots, plucked from their 2015 studio effort *Blurryface*, finds Tyler Joseph crafting a deeply personal and strikingly millennial lament within the confines of a mid-tempo alternative hip hop and rap-rock structure.

Produced by Mike Elizondo, the track leans on a blend of alternative rock grit and psychedelic shimmer, tied together by Joseph’s rapped introspection and a Caribbean-tinged keyboard line that carries an air of subdued malaise.

By personifying “Blurryface”—the album’s central figure embodying self-doubt and anxiety—Joseph transforms his personal struggles into a universal narrative for a generation under constant pressures of adulthood. His wistful yearning for a time “when our mom would sing us to sleep” rolls off the tongue with the kind of resigned nostalgia rarely heard in mainstream alt-rock, granting the song a sharp, relatable edge.

The music video, shot in their Columbus hometown, pairs the lyrics’ escapism with visuals of childhood homes and surreal scenes, grounding their sentimentality in the very essence of their suburban roots. Predictably, the video’s location—Josh Dun’s childhood home—has since become a pilgrimage site for fans.

Musically, the song’s structure is almost deceptively simple, revolving around a chord sequence that evolves just enough across its 85 BPM backbone to keep listeners locked in. Joseph’s vulnerable vocal range, spanning E3 to A4, mirrors the mix of anxiety and nostalgia embedded throughout the lyrics.

While “Stressed Out” climbed high—reaching a peak of No. 2 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and lifting *Blurryface* into the upper echelons of the industry—its success is less in its charting numbers and more in its ability to articulate an emotional narrative without pandering.

Still, there’s a risk of the track appealing primarily to those already inclined toward on-the-nose reflections of millennial unrest, leaving others to view its central metaphor as heavy-handed. Yet, that very bluntness, for better or for worse, remains part of its charm.

Featured on the 2015 album “Blurryface”.

Lyrics >> More by the same : Official Site

9 . 5 Seconds Of Summer – Lie To Me

“Lie to Me” by 5 Seconds of Summer, tucked within their 2018 album “Youngblood,” trades in bombastic pop-rock theatrics for a more restrained narrative on heartbreak.

The song features Luke Hemmings’ plaintive vocals gliding over sparse instrumentation, a stripped-down aesthetic that stands in contrast to the punchier anthems elsewhere on the album.

Produced by Andrew Watt and Louis Schoorl, the track leans into muted melancholy, with an aching intimacy that feels deliberate, though seldom groundbreaking.

Lyrically, “Lie to Me” wavers between evocative and perfunctory, sketching out the familiar territory of post-relationship disillusionment without ever hitting the gut-wrenching poignancy it seems to aim for.

Chart-wise, its modest peak at number 99 on the UK Singles Chart mirrors its quiet execution—more an echo than a roar, especially when measured against the commercial juggernaut that was “Youngblood.”

No high-profile features or flashy collaborations propel the song; instead, it exists in its own minor key, a low-stakes lament unburdened by grand ambitions.

For a band that first found fame opening for One Direction, this feels like a calculated pivot toward emotional heft, albeit one that lands unevenly.

“Lie to Me” may not grab headlines or awards, but it underscores the more introspective threads 5 Seconds of Summer are capable of weaving—a gentle tug rather than a forceful pull within the broader fabric of “Youngblood.”

Featured on the 2018 album “Youngblood”.

Lyrics >> More by the same : Official Site

10 . Mike Posner – I Took A Pill In Ibiza

“I Took a Pill in Ibiza” showcases Mike Posner confronting the hollowness of fleeting fame through two starkly different sonic lenses.

The original version, rooted in folk pop and set in B♭ major, relies on acoustic guitar and introspective lyricism. Its stripped-down arrangement evokes the confessional tone of a diary entry, though the sparse instrumental framework risks feeling static. The opening admission—taking a pill in Ibiza to impress Avicii—unfolds into a self-aware narrative of disillusionment, highlighting Posner’s knack for unvarnished storytelling. The understated musicality, however, struggles to sustain the song’s emotional weight across repeated listens.

Enter Seeb’s tropical house remix, written in G minor and driven by buoyant beats at 102 BPM. This version infuses Posner’s introspection with a paradoxical sense of euphoria, translating his personal reckoning into a global earworm. The production’s sleek, atmospheric touches elevate the song’s accessibility, but they also blur its sincerity, turning the confessional tone into something more digestible for mainstream consumption. Yet, it’s this reinterpretation that propelled the track to peak positions in 27 countries, including a four-week stint atop the UK Singles Chart.

The remix’s popularity, amplified by nominations at the 2017 Grammy Awards and the MTV Video Music Awards, underscores the tension between commercial appeal and artistic intent. Posner’s lyrical candor survives the remix’s sheen, but whether it thrives or dilutes depends on one’s appetite for tropical house slickness over raw acoustic vulnerability. Ultimately, the song lives at the crossroads of personal reflection and pop marketability, straddling poignancy and plasticity with uneven results.

Featured on the 2016 album “At Night, Alone.”.

Lyrics >> More by the same : Instagram

11 . Foals – Exits

“Exits” by Foals, the lead single from their fifth studio album “Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost – Part 1,” feels like a labyrinth of moody urgency wrapped in a sharp indie-rock sheen.

Its nearly six-minute album version leans into sprawling textures, with Yannis Philippakis infusing every line with a kind of breathless conviction that matches the song’s frenetic undercurrent. It’s as though the band’s perennial energy has been recalibrated, aiming more for simmering intensity than sheer explosiveness.

The backdrop of bassist Walter Gervers’ 2018 departure makes this a significant marker in the band’s evolution. “Exits” manages to retain Foals’ signature rhythmic intricacy, while the absence of Gervers finds them navigating slightly murkier waters. It’s a reset, not a reinvention, and whether it lands depends on your appetite for existential lyrics paired with relentless grooves.

Among the track’s many lives, the George FitzGerald trance remix released in March 2019 adds a new electronic layer, sidestepping the urgency of the original in favor of hypnotic repetition. Charting modestly at No. 70 in the UK and hitting various rock and alternative charts in the US, “Exits” paints a mixed picture of its commercial reach—unremarkable but persistent.

Meanwhile, Albert Moya’s surreal music video featuring Christa Théret and Isaac H. Wright sharpens the song’s dystopian themes, capturing fencing academy vignettes that play out more as dreamlike gestures than narrative anchors. Filmed in Budapest, its art-house tilt mirrors the band’s knack for combining cerebral impulses with raw emotion.

For a group lauded for their visceral live shows, “Exits” provokes an inward turn, holding just enough tension for the collective push-pull that Foals thrives on. It might not crack their pantheon of standout singles, but it refuses to stay in the background, whispering its discontent across every measured beat.

Featured on the 2019 album “Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost Pt. 1”.

Lyrics >> More by the same : Official Site

12 . Bazzi – Mine

“Mine” by Bazzi represents a curious intersection of understated craft and viral propulsion.

Its origins, scribbled into a July 5, 2017, voice memo where Andrew Bazzi alternately whistled, beatboxed, and jotted lyrics, lean toward the unvarnished immediacy of inspiration.

But by the time it hit the digital pavement on October 12, 2017, that simplicity was repackaged as a polished pop artifact, thinly veiled in the guise of intimacy.

The track’s ascension to the upper tiers of pop visibility—charting at number 11 on the *Billboard* Hot 100 and amassing multiple platinum accolades across regions like the United States, Australia, and Sweden—owes less to its structure and more to Bazzi’s melodic instincts.

Built atop a swirl of SpaceX-level production sheen, “Mine” manages to sound both featherweight and self-contained, like an algorithm’s answer to bedroom pop.

When Taylor Swift adds you to her “Songs Taylor Loves” Spotify playlist, it’s hard to argue you didn’t resonate at some level, and when BTS co-signs your work, even the skeptics start paying attention.

Still, strip sentimental value from its Snapchat “hearts” filter viral fame, and what remains is a decently tuneful rendering of affection that treads the shallow end of poignancy.

The track’s subsequent inclusion on Bazzi’s 2018 debut album *Cosmic* feels less like an artistic cornerstone and more like savvy file management—ensuring a proven digital hit bolsters a broader commercial platform.

As pop singles go, “Mine” is the sort you forget you’ve heard until it loops again, seductive not for what it articulates but for what it imitates—an abbreviated connection masked as timelessness.

Featured on the 2018 album “COSMIC”.

Lyrics >> More by the same : Twitter