Blur
In 1995, director Jonathan Glazer (who recently directed the Oscar-winning The Zone of Interest) teamed up with Blur to create a sci-fi dystopia. The Look: The set is a recreation of the Korova Milk Bar from Stanley Kubrick's 1971 masterpiece. The Character: Damon Albarn adopts the mannerisms of Alex DeLarge, using eyeliner and blue contact lenses to mimic the character's intense, unblinking gaze. The Meaning: The video satirizes the "Britpop" optimism, showing a future where everyone is smiling but nobody is actually happy. It remains one of the most iconic images of the 1990s, proving that music videos could be just as cinematic as the films that inspired them. The single cover art for "The Universal" is actually a still frame from this music video, rather than a separate photo shoot. Jonathan Glazer was known for his high-concept commercials (like the Guinness "Surfer" ad) before transitioning to feature films like Sexy Beast. Damon Albarn has stated that this video marked the moment he wanted to move away from the "Lad Culture" image that the media had forced onto Blur.