‘Vous Avez Dit Bizarre’ N°717 – 2010s Music Videos

1 . The 1975 – Girls

Released on October 11, 2013, “Girls” marked the fourth single from The 1975’s debut album, a record that managed to top the UK Albums Chart shortly after its release.

The track itself leans into an infectious indie pop-rock vibe, blending sharp guitar riffs with a playful energy that masks its wry commentary on youthful relationship struggles.

The accompanying music video, masterminded by Adam Powell, flips conventional gender roles in a knowingly tongue-in-cheek fashion, giving the song an additional layer of irreverence that pairs well with its sunny exterior.

Despite its cheery tempo, there’s a noticeable undercurrent of self-awareness, capturing the often-confusing mix of affection, rebellion, and recklessness that comes with youth.

Charting at No. 98 on the UK Singles Chart, “Girls” might not have been a commercial juggernaut, but it became a staple in the band’s live shows, further bolstering their credibility during festival circuit appearances like Glastonbury 2014.

If the debut album secured The 1975’s breakthrough in the UK music scene, “Girls” was a snapshot of a band navigating pop sensibilities with a defiant wink, cementing their reputation for balancing the mainstream and the eccentric with enviable ease.

Featured on the 2014 album “x“.

Lyrics >> More by the same : Official Site

2 . Ed Sheeran – Don’t

Ed Sheeran’s “Don’t” is an emotionally charged track from his second studio album, *x* (Multiply), released in 2014. Rooted in personal experiences, the song captures a story of betrayal and heartbreak, drawing listeners in with its sharp lyrics and unfiltered frustration.

Blending pop and R&B influences, the production is both slick and abrasive, thanks to the creative input of Benny Blanco and Rick Rubin. The beat-driven melody complements Sheeran’s rapid-fire vocal delivery—teetering between anger and regret—as he narrates a tale of disillusionment in romantic loyalty.

The song’s infectious hook propelled it to chart success, breaking into the top 10 both in the UK and the United States, a significant milestone in Sheeran’s career at the time. Its multi-Platinum certifications around the globe further attest to its resonance with audiences yearning for raw emotional honesty in pop music.

The accompanying music video, directed by Emil Nava, adds another layer to the track’s narrative with a dancer’s journey, weaving a symbolic tale of movement through pain and resilience. Whether viewed as catharsis or cautionary tale, “Don’t” employs biting humor and unapologetic storytelling as its key weapons, firmly cementing Sheeran’s place as a master of heartfelt confessions that double as earworms.

Featured on the 2010 album “Messy Little Raindrops”.

Lyrics >> More by the same : Official Site

3 . Cheryl – The Flood

“The Flood” by Cheryl is a pop ballad with a reflective edge, serving as a centerpiece for her second album, “Messy Little Raindrops.”

Produced by Wayne Wilkins, the track blends emotional depth with a polished production style, evoking themes of resilience, change, and finding strength amid struggles.

The music video, shot against cinematic coastal backdrops, pairs Cheryl’s understated performance with visuals that amplify the song’s atmosphere of longing and renewal.

Featuring lyrics that hint at personal lows and the search for hope, the song straddles the line between intimate confession and broader relatability.

Its melodic structure leans toward simplicity, ensuring the vocals remain front and center, though some might find the arrangement too safe to be truly electrifying.

While it landed at a respectable number 18 on the UK Singles Chart, its impact felt more personal than pervasive, resonating with listeners attuned to Cheryl’s storytelling rather than chasing grand commercial triumphs.

Performed live on shows like “Alan Carr: Chatty Man,” the track showcased a softer side of Cheryl’s artistry, turning down the club anthems for a ballad that invites quiet reflection rather than a packed dancefloor.

In a career often defined by high-energy hits, “The Flood” stands as a reminder that sometimes subtlety carries its own kind of weight.

Featured on the 2010 album “Killer Love”.

Lyrics >> More by the same : Official Site

4 . Nicole Scherzinger – Poison

Nicole Scherzinger’s “Poison” stepped onto the scene with a fierce mix of electro-pop and dance-pop, signaling her transition from Pussycat Dolls frontwoman to a solo act to be reckoned with.

The song, dripping with themes of obsession and volatile passion, feels like it’s teetering on the edge of danger—exactly what you’d expect from a track called “Poison.”

Produced by RedOne, it’s packed with slick beats and a relentless energy that refuses to let up, fitting perfectly with the femme fatale persona Scherzinger takes on in its cinematic, superhero-inspired music video.

The visuals, directed by Joseph Kahn, combine action-packed chaos with just the right dose of glamour, as if trying to answer the question, “What if James Bond’s nemesis also had a soundtrack?”

Commercially, the song struck a chord in the UK, climbing to a solid No. 3 on the Singles Chart and lingering in the Top 100 for 10 weeks, though it didn’t enjoy the same traction elsewhere.

Its live debut on *The X Factor*, where Scherzinger stepped in as a guest judge, was a fittingly high-stakes introduction, adding drama to a song that thrives on precisely that.

Yet for all its intensity, the track was noticeably absent from the US version of her debut album, “Killer Love,” which feels like an odd omission given it played such a pivotal role in launching her solo career internationally.

While “Poison” doesn’t reinvent the pop playbook, it’s a potent entry into Scherzinger’s catalog, blending allure and aggression in ways that keep listeners hovering between intrigue and unease.

Featured on the 2012 album “Ora”.

Lyrics >> More by the same : Official Site

5 . Rita Ora – Radioactive

“Radioactive” by Rita Ora positions itself as a sparkling foray into electro-pop, brimming with futuristic ambitions and a core of emotional intensity.

Released in 2013 as the fourth single from her debut album *Ora*, it marries Rita’s vocal prowess with a production helmed by Greg Kurstin, who co-wrote the track alongside Sia Furler—a dream team for polished pop enthusiasts.

The track boasts a simmering synth-laden build that catapults into a euphoric chorus, aiming straight for the dance floor without apology.

Its lyrics lean into themes of empowerment and freedom, albeit dressed in metaphors that flirt with sci-fi intrigue—hardly surprising given the neon-drenched music video, which plays out like a Tron-inspired fever dream.

While “Radioactive” found modest success on the UK Singles Chart and ticked boxes across Europe, its reception felt more like a polite nod than a cultural shift.

What it lacks in groundbreaking originality, it compensates for with sheer polish and an earworm hook designed to linger long after the beat fades.

Ultimately, the song feels like a well-crafted capsule of its era, capturing the mid-2010s’ electronic pop zeitgeist dominated by shimmering synths and palpable emotional grandiosity.

Featured on the 2014 album “III”.

Lyrics >> More by the same : Official Site

6 . Take That – These Days

Released on November 24, 2014, “These Days” marked a distinct era for Take That as the band’s first single as a trio following Jason Orange’s exit.

Triumphantly climbing to the top of the UK Singles Chart, the track carried breezy energy, blending funk-infused beats with a polished pop veneer that epitomized producer Greg Kurstin’s touch.

The infectious rhythm and layered harmonies masked a deeper, wistful undercurrent, as the lyrics celebrated fleeting joys and the camaraderie that tempers life’s uncertainties.

Its music video brought the band’s enduring charm to the forefront, capturing everyday moments with a whimsical, self-aware tone as they stumbled from alarm clocks to choreographed performances.

Performed live with unflinching vibrancy on shows like *The X Factor UK* and *The Graham Norton Show*, the song solidified its place as a cheeky but heartfelt nod to the past and an embrace of what lay ahead.

Less about reinvention and more about rekindling, “These Days” painted a picture of nostalgia laced with playful optimism.

Though its buoyant mood may border on saccharine for some, it’s undeniably infectious—propelled by finely tuned production and an unyielding grasp of how to craft a chart-topping anthem.

Featured on the 2010 album “Alive Till I’m Dead”.

Lyrics >> More by the same : Official Site

7 . Professor Green – Jungle (w/ Maverick Sabre)

With “Jungle,” Professor Green throws listeners into a turbulent tour of London’s underbelly, crafting a lyrical snapshot of urban survival anchored by a haunting hook from Maverick Sabre.

The track’s grime-infused production, courtesy of Alex Smith, exudes tension, pairing raw beats with a stark narrative that delves into the collisions of ambition, conflict, and survival on the streets.

The video amplifies the track’s grit, as Henry Schofield’s direction paints a cinematic yet unvarnished portrait of the city, where hope clashes with harsh realities.

Released as part of his debut album *Alive Till I’m Dead* under Virgin Records in 2010, the song etched its place on the UK Singles Chart, peaking at number 31—an impressive feat for a fourth single.

Maverick Sabre’s soulful contribution adds an emotional depth, his melancholic tones acting as a counterweight to Professor Green’s sharp-edged verses, marking a pivotal moment in his burgeoning career.

The song’s themes of resilience and raw honesty earned recognition, nabbing the Best Dancefloor Filler Award at the 2011 NME Awards, a testament to its unique impact within a crowded musical landscape.

Despite its mainstream chart performance, “Jungle” resonated deeply with audiences drawn to its unflinching realism, evidenced by its enduring popularity on digital platforms like YouTube.

Balancing catchy rhythms with a biting social commentary, the track captures a complex interplay of danger, ambition, and grit, solidifying its standing as both a grim portrait and an anthem of perseverance.

Featured on the 2010 album “Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys”.

Lyrics >> More by the same : Instagram

8 . My Chemical Romance – Sing

Few songs manage to blend rebellion and empowerment with such precision as My Chemical Romance’s “Sing.”

Part of their audacious 2010 album *Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys*, the track pivots from the band’s earlier melodramatic foundations to a more polished modern rock ethos.

Produced by Rob Cavallo, its anthemic pulse is crafted for fists in the air, leaning heavily on emotive lyrics that call for individuality and resistance to conformity.

Thematically, “Sing” is a dystopian rallying cry, dramatized further by its evocative music video where the Killjoys charge headfirst against the monolithic Better Living Industries.

Chart-wise, the song didn’t set the world aflame but still secured solid footing on rock-oriented lists, peaking at No. 2 on the UK Rock and Metal Singles Chart.

Its crossover appeal surfaced when the cast of *Glee* transformed it for a broader audience, trading its grit for high school melodics.

While it lacks the searing immediacy that defined earlier MCR works, “Sing” compensates with its insistence on hope in the face of repression.

Sonically, the production leans into stadium-ready territory, arguably trading some of the scrappy edge that endeared the band to fans during their *Three Cheers* period.

Whether taken as a standalone or as part of the *Danger Days* narrative, it functions as a neon-lit anthem of defiance, tinged with optimism and rebellion.

And while it may not be the crown jewel of their catalog, it firmly encapsulates their evolution—an audacious pivot towards theatrics, and loud declarations of personal agency.

Featured on the 2016 album “Collage”.

Lyrics >> More by the same : Official Site

9 . The Chainsmokers – All We Know (w/ Phoebe Ryan)

The Chainsmokers’ “All We Know” exists as a middle sibling in their 2016 era, nestled awkwardly between the runaway success of “Closer” and their later attempts to prove their artistic gravitas.

Fronted by Andrew Taggart’s understated and oft-divisive vocal delivery alongside Phoebe Ryan’s floaty tones, the track leans into a minimalistic pop-electronic framework that feels both intentional and somewhat pedestrian.

Lyrically, it maps out an emotional terrain littered with heartbreak and reluctant hope, though the narrative hardly pushes boundaries or offers fresh perspectives on fragile relationships or co-dependence.

The production, layered but unsurprising, underscores The Chainsmokers’ knack for creating tracks that ease into the background of a Spotify playlist without demanding too much attention.

Ryan’s presence helps prevent the song from sinking entirely into monotony, her voice adding a hint of texture that Taggart’s delivery often lacks.

The music video, built around slices of real-life struggles, opts for impressionistic storytelling rather than plot-heavy visuals, a choice reflective of an Internet generation more enamored with mood than resolution.

Peaking respectably on global charts and reaching number 18 on the Billboard Hot 100, “All We Know” benefitted massively from the tailwind of its predecessor’s success, though it never quite grabbed the zeitgeist in the same way.

Culturally, it treads in safe territory—a continuation rather than an innovation within the pop-electronic landscape of its time.

Its platinum certification by the RIAA reflects its accessibility and appeal, even if it ultimately feels like a song that’s more about keeping momentum than redefining it.

Featured on the 2015 album “The Day Is My Enemy”.

Lyrics >> More by the same : Official Site

10 . The Prodigy – Nasty

“Nasty” by The Prodigy bursts onto the scene with roaring energy, a collision of aggressive beats and rebellious undertones.

Released in 2015 as part of their sixth studio album “The Day Is My Enemy,” the track is a reminder of their signature intensity, both sonically and thematically.

The music video, directed by Oliver Jones, places a fox as its protagonist, weaving through urban chaos to escape hunters—a metaphor that neatly ties into defiance, survival, and a gritty street ethos.

True to the Prodigy’s form, the song channels fury and frustration, tethered to an unrelenting electronic pulse that defines their ethos of riotous soundscapes.

Chart performance reflects a middling reception in the UK Singles Chart but a stronger showing on the UK Dance Singles Chart, hinting at how this track likely resonated more with their diehard base than the mainstream.

In live settings during their 2015 tour, “Nasty” found its full potential, electrifying festival crowds and reaffirming their reputation as purveyors of chaos-driven performance art.

Neither subtle nor apologetic, the song lives and dies on its raw immediacy, galvanizing some while alienating others—a polarizing effect true to the band’s legacy.

Viewed within the broader context of its parent album, “Nasty” serves less as a standout moment and more as a puzzle piece of calculated rebellion under the Prodigy’s uncompromising vision.

Featured on the 2015 album “Purpose”.

Lyrics >> More by the same : Official Site

11 . Justin Bieber – The Feeling (w/ Halsey)

“The Feeling” by Justin Bieber pairs his trademark smooth vocal delivery with Halsey’s dreamlike presence, creating a track that feels simultaneously introspective and ambiguous.

Positioned as part of Bieber’s 2015 album “Purpose,” the song delves into a thematic territory many can relate to but few openly discuss: the unsettling uncertainty of romantic emotions.

With production spearheaded by Skrillex, the track leans into pop-EDM with atmospheric beats and layered synths, crafting a soundscape that’s as brooding as it is catchy.

Rather than being an overplayed single, its impact came quietly through digital streams and its inclusion in “Purpose: The Movement,” where the interpretive choreography visually articulated the song’s tension and vulnerability.

Halsey’s contribution, both as a co-writer and performer, adds an extra layer of fragility and depth, contrasting Bieber’s polished pop vocals with a rawness that was still relatively new in her career.

Lyrically, the track questions the line between genuine love and fleeting infatuation, with its addictive melody masking the confusion embedded in its core.

For a song that muses about emotional uncertainty, “The Feeling” ironically leaves a resolved imprint, proving that ambiguity in relationships can still make for a pop hit grounded in emotional resonance.

Featured on the 2011 album “Free”.

Lyrics >> More by the same : Twitter

12 . Twin Atlantic – Free

“Free” by Twin Atlantic occupies a space where stadium-sized ambition meets personal yearning.

As the title track of their 2011 album, it encapsulates the thematic core: the pursuit of freedom laced with frustration and resilience.

The track is anchored by its dynamic guitar riffs and Sam McTrusty’s impassioned vocals, which tread the emotional line between defiance and vulnerability.

Produced by Gil Norton, known for his work with Pixies and Foo Fighters, the song amplifies the sonic drama, leaning into a polished alternative rock aesthetic without losing its raw edge.

While it never charted as a standalone single, “Free” became a rallying cry for fans, especially during the band’s high-profile live sets at Reading and Leeds Festival.

The accompanying music video mirrors the song’s energy, combining striking performance footage with sweeping natural imagery, hinting at both the feral and reflective aspects of the track.

For Twin Atlantic, “Free” wasn’t just a song—it was a declaration, capturing a moment of artistic breakthrough without overstatement or pretense.

Review >> More by the same : Twitter