Long-form music videos have been around since the late 20th century, with the MTV Video Music Awards bringing recognition to the art in 1991 with Madonna’s video for “The Immaculate Collection.” Since then, many artists have latched onto this concept to expand their musical visions, integrating elements usually found in cinema.
With so many incredible long-form music videos produced within the last 10 years, many artists have pushed their creativity, trying out their directing and acting skills for fans. An art form that deserves more recognition, let’s explore the beauty of long-form music videos:
“Beyoncé: Lemonade”
In 2016, Beyoncé released a long-form music video to accompany her beloved sixth studio album, “Lemonade.” Merging together visuals for each song on the record, “Beyoncé: Lemonade” was released on HBO, providing more in-depth context to the singer’s emotional process of dealing with infidelity.
From Beyoncé strutting around in a burnt yellow gown during “Hold Up” to her sitting on top of a police car in “Formation,” the singer used symbols to emit her feelings of sadness, grief, anger, acceptance and redemption to show, not tell, her fans what was going on in her personal life.
Another incredible element of this film is the representation throughout, with Beyoncé intentionally using only actors of color to portray the themes of “Lemonade.” With appearances from her daughter Blue Ivy, as well as actors like Zendaya and Halle Bailey, the singer exemplified her craft for directing and casting, which made this long-form video a captivating watch.
“Marry The Night” by Lady Gaga
At 13 minutes and 50 seconds, the “Marry The Night” music video by Lady Gaga is simply one of the best from the early 2010s. The long-form video was based on the singer’s real-life story of the day she got dropped from her first record label, Island Def Jam, taking viewers through the aftermath of the event. Marking the first time that Gaga would direct a video herself, she opens the video with her recovering in an operating room.
However, the operating room is a negative symbol in the video, with the singer struggling to recover from inherent trauma. The video then cuts to Gaga as a ballerina, shocked when her instructor tells her she should quit. Devastated, the singer begins to reinvent herself, dying her hair blue while crying in a bathtub, and deciding becoming a pop star is what she’s meant to do.
Gaga said this part of the film was crucial to portray, as she did not give up on her career after being dropped, but instead chose to reinvent herself. In an interview with MTV, she said, "It is my personal way of seeing things. I am the artist of my own life. I choose to tell you what happened. If you give up after something like that, you were never destined to be an entertainer.”
The singer, now successful from her rise to fame, returns to the same dance studio, joining the dancers for an epic moment of redemption as she outdances all of them. Leaving the studio and dancing on top of a flaming car, the video overall was Gaga’s way of telling a story of redemption, ahead of its time of release in 2011.
“If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power” by Halsey
Back in 2021, Halsey released their fourth studio album, “If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power.” Like Beyoncé, the singer also released a long-form music video to go along with the album, signaling their first directorial debut. Following Halsey through their discovery of being pregnant, the film integrated gothic imagery and horror to emphasize the ways in which society views young pregnancy and motherhood.
From the perspective of a princess who is excluded for her refusal of societal norms, Halsey provided visuals as well for each song on the record. With powerful scenes in songs like “The Tradition” and “I am not a woman, I’m a god,” the video executed the feelings of fear and frustration with being pregnant, and how patriarchal systems in society capitalize on these feelings.
With an intensely emotional performance from Halsey, the setting of a medieval society matched with Nine Inch Nails’ film score made this film one unlike any other long-form video, forming an alternative album into a cinematic universe.
