‘Vous Avez Dit Bizarre’ N°718 – 2010s Music Videos

1 . Justin Bieber – Confident (w/ Chance The Rapper)

Released as part of Justin Bieber’s *Journals* on December 9, 2013, “Confident” reflects the collaborative efforts of Bieber, Maurice “Verse” Simmonds, Kenneth Coby, and Chancelor Bennett (better known as Chance the Rapper).

Produced by Soundz, the track was the culminating entry in Bieber’s “Music Mondays” campaign, a ten-week digital marathon of singles that seemed more a way to experiment with Bieber’s R&B leanings than a quest for chart supremacy.

The song’s commercial reception was modest, peaking at number 41 in the U.S. charts for a fleeting week and finding a slightly warmer embrace in territories like Belgium (at number eight) and Denmark, where it claimed the top spot. Even with its brief chart appearances, Platinum certifications in countries such as Australia, Brazil, and the United States reaffirmed Bieber’s knack for turning streaming into accolades.

Where “Confident” truly lands is on its cocky, bass-thumping groove, a structure that complements the title. Bieber leans into his newly minted “grown-up” persona, delivering performance swagger without veering too far into parody.

Chance the Rapper’s feature is where the song finds its complexity. His laid-back delivery adds a dimension that feels stylistically at odds but provides a counterbalance to Bieber’s high-energy vocal runs. The pairing works, albeit without ever feeling like more than a one-off experiment.

The Colin Tilley-directed music video, drawing comparisons to Michael Jackson’s “The Way You Make Me Feel,” shows Bieber in performance mode, eschewing subtlety as he pursues a young woman, played by Cailin Russo. Unoriginal? Maybe. Effective? Certainly, for a certain demographic.

“Confident” further cemented its place in live performance lore during Chance’s Coachella set on April 13, 2014, with Bieber’s appearance serving as the kind of headline-generating stunt Coachella thrives on.

For all its boldness in title and theme, “Confident” doesn’t feel like it’s redefining anything, but it’s engaging enough to justify its place as a transitional moment in Bieber’s career.

Featured on the 2013 album “Journals”.

Lyrics >> More by the same : Twitter

2 . Neon Trees – Animal

“Animal” by Neon Trees stands as a bold opening statement for a band stepping into the alternative rock spotlight.

Released on March 16, 2010, as the debut single from their album *Habits*, the track encapsulates glossy, hook-driven ambition under the stewardship of producer Tim Pagnotta.

Chart performance aside, the song achieves its role as a gateway hit, teasing with controlled bursts of energy rather than overwhelming.

The song’s climb to number one on the *Billboard* Alternative Songs chart after a record-setting 32 weeks feels as deliberate as its polished production—every beat and lyric carefully calibrated to sustain listener intrigue rather than ignite instant frenzy.

While it peaked at number 13 on the US *Billboard* Hot 100, the track’s longevity mattered more than its peak, a testament to its strategic withholding of extremes in favor of balance.

Internationally, the song performed modestly, hitting number 25 in Australia, number 29 in Canada, and number 40 in the UK, bridging regional appeal without being chameleonic for local tastes.

The use of Tyler Glenn’s vocals—part yearning vulnerability, part calculated slickness—helps “Animal” straddle a middle ground between the mainstream and the alternative, and therein lies both its strength and limitation.

The song’s safe adherence to formula eschews radical invention but compensates with consistency, earning it a 2011 *Billboard* Music Awards win for Top Alternative Song.

Neon Trees, hailing from Provo, Utah, harness their past as openers for The Killers, drifting closer to emulating the stadium-friendly earnestness of their predecessors than carving an independent sonic niche.

“Animal,” like much of *Habits*, resists bending the genre but grasps firmly at its center, doubling down on adherence to structure rather than risk-breaking rules. That measured approach, doubled later by its double-platinum certification in 2011, ensures commercial success without flipping any paradigms.

Featured on the 2010 album “Habits”.

Lyrics >> More by the same : Official Site

3 . Alesso – Falling

“Falling,” released on February 3, 2017, sees Swedish DJ and producer Alesso momentarily veering from his established electronic dance music foundation into a terrain marked by vocal house and pop sensibilities.

This shift, though subtle, injects the track with a distinctly polished sheen, a move likely designed to expand his artistry while staying radio-friendly—albeit without venturing too far from the safety net of his core audience.

Issued under Virgin Records, complete with the catalogue number GBUM71606806, the single finds Alesso multitasking across production, arrangement, mixing, and programming responsibilities, with Mike Marsh handling the mastering process.

Its sleek, accessible production suggests an artist iterating on his formula rather than overhauling it, though such deliberateness may also explain its modest performance: peaking at number 72 on the UK Official Singles Chart and vanishing after a week.

Higher placements on the Official Singles Sales Chart (33) and Downloads Chart (33) reveal a clearer preference in commercial consumption, even if its ephemeral chart stay leaves the impression of a track meant more to pad a playlist than dominate club nights.

While “Falling” aligns itself with standalone Alesso releases—there are no collaborators here—the lack of a star feature or memorable hook might feel glaring against the backdrop of prior hits like “Heroes (We Could Be)” with Tove Lo or “Under Control” alongside Calvin Harris.

The absence of award nods or major tie-ins underscores its position as a functional, competent entry rather than a headline-grabber within his discography, itself defined by peaks like 2015’s “Forever.”

Still, for those invested in Alesso’s evolution, “Falling” functions as a muted yet calculated demonstration of his ability to flirt with accessibility while largely maintaining the DNA of a seasoned electronic producer.

Lyrics >> More by the same : Official Site

4 . Maverick Sabre – Let Me Go

“Let Me Go,” Maverick Sabre’s debut single from his 2011 album “Lonely Are the Brave,” is a carefully constructed mosaic of borrowed sounds and raw emotion. It hinges on samples—Isaac Hayes’s haunting “Ike’s Rap II” and Simon Haseley’s “Hammerhead”—familiar yet given fresh grit through Sabre’s signature husky vocals. For anyone keeping score, “Hammerhead” also worked its way into Beyoncé’s “A Woman Like Me,” making it something of a sonic hand-me-down, though Sabre coats it in a darker, more claustrophobic sheen.

The track’s backbone recalls the moody, downtempo ache of Portishead, underscored by a female vocal refrain that nods unmistakably to “Glory Box.” It’s tempting to call this homage, though its placement in “Let Me Go” feels less like a wink to the past and more like a burden dragging the song deeper into its themes of entrapment and heartbreak.

From its UK Singles Chart peak at 16 to its ephemeral three-week stay in the top 40, the single made waves without overstaying its welcome. Its resurgence months later, charting at number 39, suggests a track that lingered in collective memory if not in heavy rotation. Internationally, it performed modestly—snagging attention in Belgium, Ireland, and Scotland—but never quite commanded the global spotlight.

The Las Vegas-set music video, released in June 2011, throws the listener into a world of neon-lit alienation. Sabre wandering the city echoes the restless spirit of the song, though the visuals never quite rise above their familiar tropes of urban dislocation. Katy B’s subsequent live cover for BBC Radio 1’s Live Lounge adds intrigue; her interpretation highlights the malleability of Sabre’s work even as it sidesteps some of his song’s emotional weight.

Sabre’s voice—equal parts abrasion and vulnerability—remains the key draw. Yet as much as the track conveys a toxic relationship’s push-pull dynamic, its reliance on borrowed elements risks leaving the song suspended in nostalgia rather than rebellion. “Let Me Go” aches, yes, but it also hesitates—a haunting introduction to Maverick Sabre’s palette, though one not without its limits.

Featured on the 2011 album “Lonely Are The Brave”.

Lyrics >> More by the same : Instagram

5 . Saint Raymond – Young Blood

“Young Blood” by Saint Raymond presents itself as an earnest, hook-laden anthem that oscillates between unbridled optimism and a sense of youthful rebellion.

Callum Burrows, adopting the Saint Raymond moniker from his Nottingham roots and familial ties, channels the kind of energy one might expect from a singer-songwriter supporting Haim on tour or opening for Ed Sheeran’s “Multiply” spectacle in 2014.

The track is undeniably catchy, buoyed by instrumentation that balances indie-pop gloss with just enough grit to remain likable for an audience hungry for radio-ready hooks.

Saint Raymond, released on National Anthem, doesn’t ground itself in risky innovation but thrives within the parameters of what indie pop/rock should accomplish: adrenaline-spiked choruses and unabashed melodies aimed squarely at chart-climbing aspirations.

In one sense, the single’s recognition as Zane Lowe’s “Hottest Record in the World” feels apt; “Young Blood” rides its momentum earnestly, its refrain tailor-made for triumphant festival moments and its verses comfortably leaning on relatable yearning without lapsing into overwrought melodrama.

Yet charting at number 58 on the UK Singles Chart reflects a paradox—its hooks catchy enough but perhaps more commercial than confrontational in its intent.

The song’s afterlife, appearing in Rock Band 4’s DLC catalog alongside Ed Sheeran’s “Sing,” underscores its approachable but somewhat predictable construction, serving as a shorthand for emotive, guitar-driven pop rather than a revolution in the genre.

Where Saint Raymond excels, though, is in his live element; whether performing at Maida Vale Studios for the BBC Radio 1 faithful or later navigating BBC Introducing opportunities, Burrows shows a knack for translating the studio sheen of tracks like “Young Blood” into moments of communal connection.

For an artist whose debut album would ride the British charts to an impressive number 8 in 2015, the single “Young Blood” feels like a tightly wound prelude, straddling the line between breakthrough potential and the growing pains of artistic identity.

Featured on the 2015 album “Young Blood”.

Lyrics >> More by the same : Instagram

6 . Logic, Marshmello – Everyday

“Everyday,” released on March 2, 2018, is what happens when Logic’s workaholic penmanship meets Marshmello’s synthesized dazzle for a track perched between grind anthem and electronic excursion.

As the third single from *Bobby Tarantino II*, it follows “44 More” and “Overnight,” both sharpening Logic’s knack for spitting precision. But here, co-producer 6ix teams up with Marshmello to coat Logic’s industrious verses with glitchy hi-hats and glossy synths, turning grit into club-ready gloss. The result? A track that toggles between rapid-fire triplet rhymes and the tender hooks of Logic’s crooning—a balancing act that sometimes feels out of sync but oddly fitting for the song’s theme.

The lyrics hammer home Logic’s relentless dedication. “I work hard every motherfuckin’ day-ay-ay-ayy,” is both a mantra and a borderline redundancy, as the track wears its premise thin. Yet, the music video cleverly spins the overwork narrative, placing Logic in a soul-sucking office gig before letting him cut loose—with Marshmello in tow—for skydiving and skateboarding escapades. A visual dichotomy that echoes the song’s tonal shifts.

Logic and Marshmello revealed glimpses of this collaboration months prior, teasing fans before dropping the single. By the time Logic brought the track live to *The Ellen DeGeneres Show* on April 3, 2018, with Marshmello on stage, it was less a surprise and more a sealed deal—undeniably crafted to resonate in live settings.

While Marshmello has worked magic with the likes of Juice WRLD and Halsey, and Logic boasts a reputation for introspection set to breakneck flows, “Everyday” feels more functional than thrilling. It’s an ode to hustle but works best as background motivation rather than a standout in either artist’s respective catalogs.

Featured on the 2018 album “Bobby Tarantino II”.

Lyrics >> More by the same : Official Site

7 . will.i.am – T.H.E [The Hardest Ever] (w/ Mick Jagger, Jennifer Lopez)

“T.H.E. (The Hardest Ever)” assembles an unlikely trio—will.i.am, Mick Jagger, and Jennifer Lopez—for a pulsating EDM-adjacent track that feels more like an exercise in branding than a cohesive musical statement.

Released on November 20, 2011, its debut live performance at the American Music Awards matches the flashy ambition of the song itself. will.i.am and Lopez appeared onstage, while Jagger, ever the rock icon, phoned in quite literally via video. It’s a curious spectacle, symptomatic of the track’s over-reliance on gimmickry over substance.

The production, credited to will.i.am, Audiobot, Dallas Austin, and Jimmy Iovine, is polished to a fault, layering Auto-Tuned vocals over a beat that oscillates between relentless and monotonous. Jennifer Lopez delivers the hook with characteristic flair, but the generic chorus fails to linger, while Jagger’s brief verse injects some much-needed vitality, though it hardly justifies his inclusion. His signature rock ‘n’ roll snarl feels shoehorned into a track that seems unsure of whose spotlight it’s meant to serve.

The music video, directed by Rich Lee and released on December 12, 2011, amplifies the song’s corporate sheen. Laden with product placements—from HTC phones to BMWs and Beats by Dr. Dre—it vacillates between a high-budget tech ad and an action movie parody, undermining whatever sincerity the song might aim for.

Though initially intended as the flagship single for will.i.am’s shelved album *#willpower*, the track’s omission from the final listing speaks volumes. Critics were underwhelmed, finding will.i.am’s lyrics pedestrian, a glaring weakness alongside an unmemorable chorus and a construction that prioritizes spectacle over cohesion. Where the collaboration could have exploded boundaries, it instead feels like a missed opportunity—a convergence of star power that somehow loses its charge.

Featured on the 2011 album “#willpower”.

Lyrics >> More by the same : Twitter

8 . Linkin Park – Heavy (w/ Kiiara)

“Heavy” by Linkin Park, featuring Kiiara, stands as a stark pivot in the band’s sonic evolution, signaling a departure from their rock-rooted origins to a more pop-centric production.

Anchoring *One More Light*, the track unfolds around themes of internal struggle, with its chorus-laden confession, “If I just let go I’d be set free,” underscoring the suffocating weight of personal burdens. The collaboration, penned by Chester Bennington, Brad Delson, and Mike Shinoda alongside Julia Michaels and Justin Tranter, mirrors pop-radio formula at its most calculated, trading the gritty intensity of earlier Linkin Park efforts for polished vulnerability.

The song charts new territory for the band, not least through Kiiara’s vocal presence—her ethereal performance intertwines with Chester’s brooding delivery, creating an emotional interplay that’s intriguing, if a touch devoid of the raw energy fans might expect. Production-wise, Mike Shinoda, Brad Delson, Emily Wright, and Andrew Bolooki craft an almost antiseptic soundscape, a far cry from the aggression that defined albums like *Hybrid Theory* or *Meteora*.

Released on February 16, 2017, the track achieved modest chart success, peaking at 45 on the US *Billboard* Hot 100 and 33 in the UK. It garnered renewed attention following Chester Bennington’s tragic passing, as listeners revisited the lyrics with a heavier lens.

Its live performances—particularly the acoustic unveiling on Facebook with minimal instrumentation—strip the track of its production sheen, offering a more poignant and humanized rendition. Yet, even these versions underscore how “Heavy” walks a fine line: introspection rendered polished and accessible, but often at the expense of musical risk.

Featured on the 2017 album “One More Light”.

Lyrics >> More by the same : Official Site

9 . Imagine Dragons – Next To Me

“Next to Me” marks a striking shift in Imagine Dragons’ sonic and thematic portfolio, being their first venture into the realm of love songs. Written collaboratively by Dan Reynolds, Wayne Sermon, Ben McKee, Daniel Platzman, and producer Alex da Kid, the track treads new emotional territory for a band more accustomed to tackling existential malaise and personal struggles.

Given Dan Reynolds’ history of songwriting as a form of existential therapy—rooted in depression and a sense of disconnection—this detour into romance feels tentatively sincere yet cautiously polished. Its release in 2018 landed it at number 7 on the US Rock charts but barely scraped the surface internationally, peaking at number 98 in the UK Singles Chart and number 68 in Canada. Such a disparity suggests its appeal might have been too niche for global resonance while catering acceptably to Imagine Dragons’ core demographic.

What anchors the song is its emotional context: Reynolds’ tumultuous relationship with his wife, Aja Volkman. Their separation around the track’s inception adds weight to its themes of guilt and redemption. The accompanying short film, directed by Mark Pellington, literalizes these emotions with imagery of letters, natural landscapes, and the recurring presence of orange tones—a not-so-subtle nod to transformation. It’s visually lush but narratively overwrought, as if compensating for lyrical sentimentality that toes the line between poignant and predictable.

As Imagine Dragons have proven before—from their Grammy-winning “Radioactive” to high-profile appearances like the 50th Anniversary Show for The Beatles—they’re adept at spectacle. Yet, “Next to Me” feels less like a bold reinvention and more of a commercial experiment. The band’s precision is here, but the raw immediacy of tracks like “Radioactive” gives way to narrative politeness, as though love is an unfamiliar costume they aren’t quite comfortable wearing yet.

Featured on the 2018 album “Evolve”.

Lyrics >> More by the same : Official Site

10 . Bebe Rexha – I Got You

“I Got You” by Bebe Rexha stakes its claim as a moody pop anthem, steeped in personal struggle and layered with universal appeal.

Built on the sleek foundations of Captain Cuts’ production, the track cruises at a mid-tempo 98 beats per minute, its A minor key lending a restrained melancholy to its chord progression—Am-C-F-G-Am—that subtly shifts in the bridge for a touch of emotional elevation.

Thematically, Rexha attempts to bottle the turbulence of her life post-Los Angeles move, her lyrics stitching together fragments of loneliness, loss, and the wary hope of connecting with another emotionally unavailable soul.

Yet even as she frames herself as a mirror for her partner’s detachment, the sentiment leans more glossy than raw, more polished than profound.

Visually, Dave Meyers’ music video situates Rexha in the sparse, otherworldly expanse of California’s Salt Flats—its starkness contrasting with her sensual performance and curated wardrobe, which are more evocative of high fashion ads than intimate confessions.

The video’s prior, more explicit concept was scrapped for a safer re-edit, essentially trading edge for accessibility to align with Rexha’s younger fanbase.

Chart-wise, “I Got You” finds middle ground—peaking at #43 on the US Singles Top 100, #38 in Canada, and #29 in Sweden, with scattered appearances in Germany, Switzerland, and Ireland—proof of its international, if modest, resonance.

As part of her 2016 EP *All Your Fault: Pt. 1* and later folded into her 2018 studio debut *Expectations*, the song bears her signature blend of polished production and emotional ambivalence, though it never quite transcends the pop formulas it so faithfully adheres to.

Rexha, known for her past hits like “Me, Myself & I” and “Meant to Be,” leans on her vocal dynamism here, but occasional lapses into predictability keep the track from being the standout it seems poised to be.

While its 300+ million YouTube views reflect a certain mass appeal, the song remains caught between vulnerability and the sheen of commercial intent, never fully committing to either.

Featured on the 2017 album “All Your Fault: Pt. 1”.

Lyrics >> More by the same : Official Site

11 . Modestep – Feel Good

As far as debut singles go, “Feel Good” plays less like an introduction and more like an adrenaline-fueled warning shot from Modestep’s dubstep and electronic rock arsenal.

Recorded in 2010 and released digitally on 6 February 2011 in the UK, the track is a tightly-woven showcase of aggression and tact, balancing hard-hitting bass drops with a melodic backbone that leans just enough on accessibility for a broader audience.

Written by Josh Friend, Tony Friend, Matthew Curtis, and Nick Tsang, and produced under the full control of the band itself, the song exudes a confidence that feels calculated, if not slightly constrained.

Part of their debut album *Evolution Theory*—a full two years in the waiting, releasing in February 2013—“Feel Good” entered the UK Singles Chart at an unassuming number 38 but sharpened its teeth on niche listings, climbing to number 6 on the dance chart and number 5 among independent releases.

The accompanying music video, clocking in at four minutes and twenty-five seconds and released on YouTube on Christmas Eve 2010, contributed to the song’s early momentum, eventually racking up over 22 million views—impressive, if not entirely unexpected for a genre so inherently visual and youth-driven.

What’s less thrilling is the lack of innovation within this attempt at bridging wobbling dubstep rhythms with soaring rock-inspired flourishes—a hallmark Modestep would lean into heavily.

Rooted in formula, the song’s evident aspiration for either dance-floor ubiquity or rock-radio acceptance anchors it in a liminal space that neither fully thrills nor deeply resonates.

The attached 3-track EP includes “Bite The Hand” and a remix by Statelapse, yet neither ventures far enough to give gravity to this single effort beyond its debut symbolism.

Cultural inertia aside, it succeeded in slotting the London quartet—later fractured, now reduced to Josh Friend—into Dance A-Lists like BBC Radio 1’s, leaving its loudest echo in early 2010s rave culture without scaling more ambitious heights or shattering expectations.

Featured on the 2011 album “Evolution Theory”.

Lyrics >> More by the same : Instagram

12 . Chase & Status – Alive (w/ Jacob Banks)

“Alive” by Chase & Status, featuring Jacob Banks, lands somewhere between a visceral outcry and a polished electronic production, showcasing a mix of ambition and restraint.

Released on 15 December 2013 as part of the duo’s third studio album, “Brand New Machine,” the track’s foundation is unmistakably the handiwork of Will Kennard and Saul Milton, whose production choices lean into their drum-and-bass pedigree without being enslaved by it.

Jacob Banks’s vocals, co-written with Toby Young, burn with a soulful immediacy, oscillating between anguish and resolve. It’s a voice that carries more emotional weight than many would expect from a UK Dance Chart climber, debuting at number 40 before scaling to 16 just a week later. The UK Singles Chart rewarded it with a modest peak at number 21 in January 2014, a respectable trajectory but hardly a meteoric rise.

Filmed on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation in Montana, the music video, directed by Josh Cole, elevates the song’s themes. Its imagery injects a sense of gravity, even if the track itself can sometimes feel overly polished in contrast to the rawness of its visual counterpart. A FIFA 14 trailer placement gave it a further nudge into the public eye, bridging the electronic and gaming communities alike.

Remixes, such as the Todd Edwards Edit and Mefjus Remix, expand the track’s sonic footprint, but they feel like accessories to a core product that already seems optimized, almost hyper-engineered. “Alive” is a collaboration that fuses artistic identities while sometimes sanding down their edges, rendering it potent yet oddly safe.

Featured on the 2013 album “Brand New Machine”.

Lyrics >> More by the same : Official Site