‘Vous Avez Dit Bizarre’ N°708 – 2010s Music Videos

1 . LadBaby – We Built This City

LadBaby’s “We Built This City,” a playful parody of Starship’s iconic 1985 hit, swaps the original’s ode to rock ‘n’ roll for an amusing devotion to sausage rolls.

Released in 2018 under Frtyfve Records and produced by Christian Tattersfield, the track is more than just a novelty—it’s a charity-driven staple crafted to support the UK’s Trussell Trust food bank network.

Musically, it stays true to the upbeat energy of its predecessor while reworking the lyrical content into a self-aware, comedic narrative that doesn’t take itself too seriously.

Both ridiculous and endearing, the chorus transforms the stadium-worthy anthem into a humor-laden take on holiday cheer, embodying themes of familial fun and festive absurdity.

The accompanying music video showcases LadBaby’s knack for leaning into his everyman persona, featuring his family donning Christmas costumes while energetically moving to the parody anthem.

What makes this track noteworthy isn’t its sonic innovation but its ability to thrive as a cultural moment.

It secured an unlikely Christmas No. 1, launching a streak of similar festive chart successes for LadBaby in subsequent years.

Blurring the line between viral humor and philanthropy, it transforms what could’ve been a fleeting joke into a multi-year campaign rooted in accessible humor and charity.

Whether you find it infectiously charming or downright silly, the song’s impact lies in its ability to rally public goodwill for a cause, cleverly employing nostalgia, laughs, and holiday spirit.

Its legacy is less about artistry and more about how cultural absurdities and playful parody can translate into tangible good, marking LadBaby as a unique figure in contemporary holiday pop culture.

Lyrics >> More by the same : Official Site

2 . The Lonely Island – I Just Had Sex

The Lonely Island’s “I Just Had Sex,” featuring Akon, melds comedic absurdity with surprising musical polish, presenting romantic milestones through an over-the-top lens. Debuting on “Saturday Night Live” in 2010, the track gained traction as both parody and legitimate earworm, its bombastic chorus paired with Akon’s signature vocal style. The lyrics flaunt awkward sincerity, celebrating post-coital triumph in a way that’s both self-deprecating and knowingly juvenile.

Released on *Turtleneck & Chain*, the song’s cheeky delivery is underpinned by slick production from Akiva Schaffer. While it peaked at #30 on the Billboard Hot 100, the track’s true impact lay in its virality, bolstered by a star-studded music video featuring Jessica Alba and Blake Lively, who gamely poked fun at the premise. The video’s visual humor reinforces the song’s manic energy, transforming a private moment into an exaggerated public event.

By collaborating with Akon, The Lonely Island effectively blurred the line between satire and pop legitimacy. The track’s pulsating beat and exuberant chorus might easily pass for a genuine club hit if stripped of its comedic context. This mix of sharp parody and respectable production values highlights the trio’s ability to dissect and lampoon pop culture tropes while thriving within them. It’s equal parts parody anthem and unexpectedly slick musical achievement, capturing The Lonely Island’s knack for turning the absurd into the unforgettable.

Featured on the 2010 album “Turtleneck & Chain”.

Lyrics >> More by the same : Official Site

3 . Anna Kendrick – Cups

Anna Kendrick’s “Cups” is an odd little time capsule, born out of a blend of nostalgia and viral novelty, with a touch of 1931 Americana. Originally penned by A.P. Carter and later updated with a quirky percussion routine by Lulu and the Lampshades, the track’s cinematic reimagining became part of the 2012 film “Pitch Perfect” and somehow crawled its way up to No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2013. Not bad for a song about leaving town with a cup as its star.

The song is simple in structure yet heavy on charm, with its stripped-down acoustic vibe letting Kendrick’s voice feel both raw and refreshingly unpolished. But what actually catapulted this tune into viral status wasn’t its melody—it was the accompanying “cup game” rhythm. A kitchen-table party trick for the YouTube generation, it transformed the track from just another melancholic pop-folk tune into cultural shorthand for quirky, DIY fun you could replicate in your own dining room.

The music video leaned into theatrical whimsy, casting Kendrick as a diner worker dreaming of life beyond the clatter of dishes. There’s a certain comfort in watching her tap and flip that cup, a reminder that even pop culture moments can thrive on simplicity. The understated production, credited to Ali Dee Theodore, brushes lightly against themes of wanderlust and self-empowerment without overstaying its welcome. In another universe, this track could’ve stayed safely tucked into the annals of an indie coffee shop playlist, but its virality elevated it into something oddly mainstream.

Yet, there’s something undeniably strange about the song’s trajectory. It feels more like a meme than a masterpiece, more performance art than pop music. It’s also a little ironic that a track built on the promise of escape is so tightly associated with its repetitive rhythmic loop. And while its reign on the charts has long since waned, “Cups” remains eternally lodged in the public consciousness as a curious mix of novelty and nostalgia, a quick burst of rhythmic joy in the cultural churn of the early 2010s.

Lyrics >> More by the same : Instagram

4 . Corey Taylor – X-M@$

Corey Taylor’s “X-M@$” delivers a sardonic punch, railing against the excessive commercialism of the holiday season and injecting a sharp dose of cynicism into its festivities.

Released on December 12, 2010, as a standalone single, it didn’t grace any traditional album but became a curious gem in Taylor’s broader catalog.

The lyrics, laced with wit and expletives, paint a blunt portrait of frustration with cheesy traditions while reflecting the chaos and irreverence Taylor revels in outside his main projects.

The song benefits from the production of Chris “Zeuss” Harris, who amplifies its gritty, hard rock edge under the umbrella of Roadrunner Records.

Coupled with a cheeky animated music video, the track’s humor traded subtlety for bold satire, making it a fitting anthem for the disillusioned during the holiday season.

Notably, “X-M@$” made a modest entry on the UK Rock Singles Chart, peaking at #37, and all proceeds were directed toward the Teenage Cancer Trust—an unexpected token of goodwill for such a brazen track.

Though not as widely recognized as Taylor’s work with Slipknot or Stone Sour, the song has since carved out its own niche, finding a home on various alternative holiday playlists.

It’s a piece that thrives in its contradictions: festive yet defiant, humorous yet biting, proving Taylor’s unique ability to merge rebellion with introspection in even the most seasonal of settings.

Lyrics >> More by the same : Official Site

5 . Flux Pavilion & Doctor P – Superbad

Brash, loud, and unmistakably in-your-face, “Superbad” is the sonic equivalent of a gut punch delivered with a smirk.

A joint effort between Flux Pavilion and Doctor P, two architects of early dubstep, this track refuses to sit in the background—it demands attention, dragging listeners into a world of screeching synths and seismic basslines.

Released in 2011 under Circus Records, the song emerged during a pivotal moment for dubstep, when the genre was shedding its underground roots and gearing up for global dominance.

“Superbad” thrives on its unrelenting energy, characterized by precision-engineered drops and meticulously layered production flourishes that highlight both artists’ mastery of their craft.

It’s as if chaos had a blueprint, translated here into pulsing rhythms and thunderous momentum.

The track earned its place on the compilation album *Circus One*, a fitting nod to the label’s burgeoning influence during dubstep’s ascent.

While it didn’t break into mainstream airplay or climb conventional charts, “Superbad” carved a niche on festival stages, where the booming systems gave its low-end frequencies room to breathe, or more accurately, to throb violently through crowds.

The accompanying music video clocked millions of views on UKF’s Dubstep channel—Stamp of approval enough for fans invested in the genre’s louder, flashier eras.

But beyond the visceral adrenaline hits it delivers, the track tips its hat to rebellion, energy, and the kind of audacity dubstep proudly embraced in its formative years.

Where restraint might have tempered its madness, “Superbad” instead doubles down, capturing a moment in time when electronic music felt disruptive, unpredictable, and, above all, unapologetically brash.

Lyrics >> More by the same : Official Site

6 . The Big Pink – Dominos

“Dominos” by The Big Pink serves as an anthemic declaration of chaos and consequence, wrapped in a larger-than-life production reflective of late-2000s indie rock indulgence.

The track’s unapologetically colossal chorus, anchored by the chant “These girls fall like dominos,” thrives on its brash simplicity, delivering a hook that burrows into your brain whether you like it or not.

Released as part of their debut album *A Brief History of Love* in 2009, it sidesteps subtlety entirely, diving headfirst into themes of power, destruction, and unruly passion.

With Paul Epworth—a producer equally at home crafting delicate ballads for Adele as stomping bangers for Florence + The Machine—behind the mixing console, the track’s polished bombast is both its selling point and its critique.

Its placement on the *FIFA 11* soundtrack and TV advertisements cemented its ubiquity, nudging The Big Pink into a fleeting mainstream consciousness they never quite recaptured.

The production is sharp, the energy palpable, but for all its swagger, one can’t help but sense it leans heavily on a single idea stretched thin across its 3+ minutes—a hit defined less by depth and more by sheer force of repetition.

Still, in a swirling indie landscape desperate for ear-catching choruses, “Dominos” delivered precisely that, achieving a chart peak at number 27 in the UK while staking its claim as the standout track from an otherwise uneven debut effort.

Featured on the 2009 album “A Brief History of Love”.

Lyrics >> More by the same : Official Site

7 . David Bowie – Where Are We Now?

David Bowie’s “Where Are We Now?” feels like flipping through a faded scrapbook of Berlin in the late ’70s. The track, released unexpectedly on his 66th birthday in 2013, was Bowie’s first in ten years—an introspective return that sidesteps grand comebacks in favor of subtle melancholy. As a lead single for *The Next Day*, it offers more than just nostalgia; it quietly revisits the Berlin Trilogy era, pairing fragmented memories of Potsdamer Platz and the Bösebrücke with a tender reflection on time’s toll.

The minimalist arrangements and wistful tone underscore Bowie’s vulnerability here, a choice that feels both deliberate and disarming. Tony Visconti’s restrained production steers clear of overdramatizing, leaving ample room for Bowie’s plaintive delivery. His voice, tinged with age and wear, anchors the track in a human fragility often absent from his chameleonic transformations.

Despite the understated approach, it garnered attention, peaking at No. 6 in the UK and breaking into several international charts. Unlike the bombast of his ’80s hits, this one is haunting, personal, and unburdened by the need for immediacy. Its release not only reasserted Bowie’s relevance but laid the groundwork for *The Next Day*, an album that would prove more biting and exuberant than this deceptively quiet opener.

Featured on the 2013 album “The Next Day“.

Lyrics >> More by the same : Official Site

8 . Mumford & Sons – Winter Winds

“Winter Winds” by Mumford & Sons, lifted from their roaring debut “Sigh No More,” delivers a brisk blend of folk-rock theatrics and lyrical introspection.

Crafted collaboratively by the quartet—Mumford, Lovett, Marshall, and Dwane—the song’s banjo-forward energy summons a rustic charm, while its exploration of love and impermanence ensures its thematic weight keeps the optimism grounded.

The Gloucestershire-shot music video, drenched in cozy autumnal hues, plays host to the fleeting warmth of romance against a backdrop of ever-changing seasons—a visual nod to the song’s lyrical reflection on fleeting connections and cold realities.

While its chart position—peaking at number 44 on the UK Singles Chart—may feel modest, the song’s rich arrangement and heartfelt delivery positioned it as a setlist staple and a fan favorite during the band’s thunderous rise to prominence.

Produced by Markus Dravs, who mixed delicate intimacy with sweeping, anthemic highs, “Winter Winds” is a stirring time capsule of the band’s early experimentation with grandiosity within the folk genre.

Featured on the 2009 album “Sigh No More“.

Lyrics >> More by the same : Official Site

9 . Billie Eilish – Bellyache

Released on Valentine’s Day of 2017, “Bellyache” by Billie Eilish stands out as a curious blend of melancholy and whimsy, wrapped in minimalist production.

Co-written with her brother Finneas O’Connell, who also handled production, the track reflects on guilt and moral conflict through the lens of a fictional narrative.

Its instrumentation is deceptively sparse, creating an atmosphere that amplifies the sharp emotional undercurrents of its lyrics.

The music video, directed by Miles & AJ, adds a surreal layer to the song, with Billie wandering a deserted landscape while toting a bag of ill-gotten money—a visual metaphor for the weight of regret.

The track resonated widely, securing commercial success and a Platinum certification from the RIAA for its U.S. sales.

It also climbed charts internationally, notably peaking at #26 on the US Billboard Alternative Songs Chart.

“Bellyache” became a concert staple for Billie, featuring in her “Where’s My Mind Tour” and a memorable performance at Coachella in 2019.

What makes this track compelling is its ability to mask themes of pain and remorse behind an almost playful melody, a contrast that has since become a hallmark of Billie Eilish’s artistry.

Featured on the 2017 album “dont smile at me”.

Lyrics >> More by the same : Twitter

10 . Kings Of Leon – Beautiful War

“Beautiful War” by Kings of Leon sits in that peculiar space where emotional depth meets rock anthem intensity.

The track, nestled within their 2013 album *Mechanical Bull*, carries a weight that feels both intimate and expansive, a balance the band often aims for but doesn’t always perfect.

Its layered instrumentation, crafted by Caleb, Nathan, Jared, and Matthew Followill, is an exercise in controlled grandeur, pulling back where lesser bands might lean in, allowing the song’s introspection to resonate more deeply.

Thematically, it walks the fine line of love as both a sanctuary and a battlefield, with Caleb’s voice teetering on the edge of emotional exhaustion in a way that underlines the track’s storytelling ambitions.

The accompanying music video—starring Garrett Hedlund—is a brooding, cinematic piece pairing cowboy violence with quiet moments of raw vulnerability, hammering home the tension between beauty and brutality.

If anything, it feels less like a traditional narrative and more like an extended metaphor that makes you sit with your own contradictions.

Commercial success may have eluded the track on the radio charts, but it found a loyal place in the band’s live repertoire, serving as a cornerstone for their *Mechanical Bull* tour.

Produced by Angelo Petraglia, the song avoids the bombast of earlier hits yet still champions the band’s ability to scale mountains of emotion without toppling under grandiosity.

It’s the kind of track people will argue about in years to come—not because it demands to be loved but because it demands to be *thought* about, and that might be even harder to pull off in today’s quick-scroll world.

Featured on the 2013 album “Mechanical Bull”.

Lyrics >> More by the same : Official Site

11 . Delphic – Doubt

Delphic’s “Doubt” wears its electronic heart on its sleeve, dousing its indie-rock foundation in pulsing beats and shimmering production that feels more 2010 than the year itself can claim.

Plucked from their debut album, *Acolyte*, and handled by producer Ewan Pearson—whose résumé includes names like The Rapture—it aims for a strange middle ground between club euphoria and existential turbulence.

Lyrically, “Doubt” is as on-the-nose as its title suggests, circling themes of self-questioning like a moth that knows better but flies toward the light anyway. Introspection is drowned in a sharp, polished gloss that prevents it from cutting too deep, striking a balance between melancholy and momentum.

The track’s jittery rhythm and layered instrumentation teeter between tension and resolve, mirroring the uncertainty embedded in its core message. You might hear hints of yearning tempered by a quiet sense of determination, though it never fully breaks free of its own unease.

Charting somewhere in the lower echelons of the UK Singles Chart at No. 79, “Doubt” could be seen as an underdog of its era. Its abstract, lighting-driven visuals in the accompanying music video might say more about the mood than the lyrics ever do—shimmering, cryptic, and restlessly moving forward.

Performances of the song, including one on *Later… with Jools Holland*, helped cement its live appeal, though it’s far from a festival anthem. Instead, it thrives on a quieter space—a bedroom playlist companion rather than a dancefloor dominator.

For a debut single, “Doubt” is ambitious without veering chaotic, a fitting snapshot of a band testing boundaries and leaning into tension rather than resolution. It’s a fitting paradox, a song about uncertainty that knows exactly where it’s going, musically at least.

Featured on the 2010 album “Acolyte”.

Lyrics >> More by the same : Official Site

12 . White Lies – Bigger Than Us

“Bigger Than Us” from White Lies’ 2011 album *Ritual* lingers heavily in the realm of cinematic desperation, a signature move for a band that thrives on turning existential crises into anthems. Driving guitars collide with a swelling chorus that feels like it’s crawling out of some unseen abyss, fueled more by raw ambition than polished optimism. The track smacks of unrelenting gravitas, as though the band is trying to compress the weight of the universe into four and a half minutes of brooding urgency.

Produced by Alan Moulder, whose résumé includes acts like Depeche Mode and Nine Inch Nails, the song elevates its melodrama with the kind of atmospheric layering that balances on the knife’s edge between maximalist self-seriousness and the infectious pull of an alt-rock chant. Packed with just enough emotional torque to land neatly in the theatrical backdrop of a TV promo (hello, *Gossip Girl*), it’s a track that knows how to work its mainstream adaptability without apologizing for its emo-leaning sincerity.

The music video, helmed by Johan Renck, sidesteps narrative coherence for symbolism, featuring an absurd candy bar and some perilously trapped girl—because why not punctuate existential dread with surrealist kitsch? If anything, it mirrors the band’s knack for balancing depth with absurdity, much like a blockbuster arthouse flick, stomping in with shades of the profound but winking slyly as it does so.

The track’s live debut on BBC Radio 1’s “Live Lounge” and its place in setlists like the 2011 Glastonbury Festival further cement its status as a sweaty, arena-approved crowd favorite—though whether its Silver certification stems from genuine pathos or just good marketing is an argument for another day. Ambition meets sacrifice in White Lies’ anthemic march, showcasing their refusal to deal in half-measures. It’s big, loud, and perhaps knowingly overwrought—exactly as it’s meant to be.

Featured on the 2010 album “Ritual”.

Lyrics >> More by the same : Official Site