5 Must See Videos of the Week
Vincent Cassel in Charlie XCX’s latest music video, “Camera”
This week’s lineup proves that whether an artist commands a global label budget or hand-animates paper in a bedroom, spatial awareness, lensing, and performance commitment determine visual longevity. Here are five standout music videos from the past seven days that demand your full attention.
1. ATARASHII GAKKO! – "Oi AG!"
Directed by Mackenzie Sheppard, Japan's chaotic four-piece returns to the streetscape with their signature blend of athletic choreography and unadulterated urban anarchy. Rather than relying on heavy visual effects, "Oi AG!" relies on high-voltage group dynamics, aggressive wide-angle framing, and precise physical comedy as Mizyu, Rin, Kanon, and Suzuka transform public spaces into an unruly stage. Sheppard’s direction keeps the lens locked right in the line of fire, matching the speed of the group's self-choreographed routines while letting their deadpan expressions land the comedic beats.
2. JENNIE – "Less than a Lover"
Co-directed by photographer Choeey and JENNIE herself, "Less than a Lover" strips away the glossy, hyper-polished staging typical of K-pop tentpoles in favor of warm, cinematic naturalism. Filmed on location in Girona, Spain, the visual relies on tactile mise-en-scène, grainy 16mm-style textures, and screenplay-inspired sluglines to capture an elusive summer romance. By prioritizing framing, ambient light, and silent physical tension over complex set pieces, JENNIE delivers a masterclass in how star power can elevate understated visual storytelling.
3. 2hollis – "Hurt"
Self-directed and edited by 2hollis, "Hurt" balances the brutalist, industrial energy of his sound with razor-sharp art direction. While the track delivers aggressive, synthetic club production, the video grounds the noise in striking costume design, kinetic strobe lighting, and a stark, theatrical stage layout. 2hollis controls the frame with complete visual authority, proving that independent artists who own their post-production often generate the most cohesive aesthetic identities in underground pop.
4. Charli xcx – "Camera"
Directed by Aidan Zamiri and shot by DOP Stuart Winecoff, "Camera" casts legendary French actor Vincent Cassel (Hate, Irreversible, Black Swan) as an exhausted movie star caught in a chaotic, repetitive desert film shoot. Filmed as an unbroken, monochrome single-take ("one-er"), the visual turns the camera onto the filmmaking process itself, with Charli quietly orchestrating the chaos from atop a camera dolly. It is a brilliant meta-narrative on visual stardom, leveraging Cassel's intense screen presence to subvert traditional pop promo dynamics.
5. Corduroy Frames – "Stop Motion Sabotage" (Beastie Boys Recreation)
While originally covered earlier this year, Paco’s (Corduroy Frames) frame-by-frame stop-motion recreation of the Beastie Boys' classic "Sabotage" remains a mandatory study in visual dedication. Built over five years using paper, cardboard, and tin foil without a single frame of generative AI, the project comprises 4,340 hand-animated frames that replicate Spike Jonze's legendary 1994 original microsecond by microsecond. It stands as a powerful reminder of how analog craft and human obsession can breathe new life into iconic pop culture history.
From single-take cinematic satire to hand-crafted paper animation, this week's selections showcase artists and directors taking direct control of their visual media rather than hiding behind formulaic post-production. Drop a comment with which director or performance stood out to you most this week.
