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Make Me Feel (director: Alan Ferguson // music: Janelle Monáe)

In case you're wondering: when do performance shots work in music videos? Well... rarely because they're boring. Unless your name is Janelle Monáe and you made this video. Well done. 

       
     
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Christine (director: J.A.C.K. // music: Christine and the Queens)

All you need is a stage and a floating camera. Fun choreography and well directed movements. This works surprisingly well as backdrop for a cool afterparty. 

       
     
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All the Stars (director: Dave Meyers // music: Kendrick Lamar & SZA)

Contrary to the rest of the world, I'm not a big fan of Kendrick's videos. But this one's irresistible - moody, dark and shaping a contrast between the rapper and singer SZA's visual explosion.  

       
     
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Turn Down for What (director: Daniels // music: DJ Snake & Lil Jon)

How crazy can you go? This pulls out all the stops and goes full mental. It's the right way of choosing what works best for the dynamic of the song. This fucking rocks. 

       
     
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Because I Love You (director: David-Jan Bronsgeest // music: Chef'Special)

Choose storyline before performance shots or even better - like this video: having the singer do all the acting. It's beautifully shot as well as being captivating. 

       
     
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Raingurl (director: Yaeji & Enayet Kabir // music: Yaeji)

Lights and color grading are everything in music videos. No matter how boring performance shots can get, if the colours are pretty I'm game. 

       
     
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Collider (director: Tom Haines // music: Jon Hopkins)

This girl's rough night isn't just a simple lineair story: it's an intense experience perfectly orchestrated and carried by the music. Hypnotic piece of work that leaves you holding your breath. 

       
     
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Virile (director: The Blaze // music: The Blaze)

These guys are on to something... not only is their music unmistakably fresh, their videos push boundaries and show a different culture in a beautiful light. This one is the realest, but check out the video for Territory as well and prepare to have your mind blown.  

       
     
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Gosh (director: Romain Gavras // music: Jamie XX)

From the hypnotising Jamie XX song to the mesmerising scope of the visuals. What is real and what's not? It's a puzzle as much as it is an experience. 

       
     
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Acid Rain (directors: Pavel Brenner, Julian Flores & Sherif Alabede // music: Lorne)

We all love our onetakers, right? This is the Queen of the single shot videos. Rightfully won an MTV Music Video Award and just shows that with the right location and cast the possibilities are endless. 

       
     
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Stay High (director: Motellet Film & Tove Lo // music: Tove Lo feat Hippie Sabotage)

The ultimate example of what it takes to add good performance shots. My mind was blown when I found out the girl in the video is actually the singer Tove Lo. She goes through the motion and you know what... we've all been there. 

       
     
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Soldier (director: Harün Guller // music: Pooma)

The song lifts up the visuals, which have an erotic undertone that leads the viewer through gorgeous landscapes. You kind of want to be there, with them. What's their deal? The chemistry is on point, the song is perfection. 

       
     
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Nobody Speak (director: Sam Pilling // music: Dj Shadow feat. Run the Jewels)

Thanks for bringing in the humour guys. The setting is a UN kind of meeting and in slow motion everybody goes ballistic. It's laugh out loud funny, the lip sync is super original. An example for making a video that keeps going until the very end.