Chart-topping songs make provocative, sentimental on-screen stories
"The One That Got Away" — Katy Perry
The California Girl’s latest single “The One That Got Away” takes a heartrending look back to a lost love. The music video’s trailer — you know it’s going to be good when the four-minute video has its own trailer — opens with, “The past is like a handful of dust; it filters through your fingers, disappearing little by little.” The video, which premiered Friday, follows the on-screen high school love of Perry and Mexican actor/heartthrob Diego Luna. It begins with an elderly Perry, in heavy makeup, scoffing at her husband — not the one who got away. The video’s story plays through the lyrics of the “Teenage Dream” single, showing the story of “the summer after high school” and “matching tattoos” up until the truly depressing end that closes out with a faint “You Are My Sunshine” by Johnny Cash — another lyrical reference back to Perry’s June and Johnny Cash love.
"Lonely Boys" — The Black Keys
Ohio-born alternative rockers The Black Keys are gearing up for their seventh studio album El Camino, due in stores Dec. 6. Their first single of the record “Lonely Boy” has drummed up excitement for the upcoming release with its minimal and rather quirky approach to its music video. Directed by Jesse Dylan — the eldest son of legend Bob Dylan — the video showcases Derrick T. Tuggle’s one-of-a-kind dance moves. Who’s Tuggle, you ask? He is a 48-year-old actor, musician and part-time security guard, according to MTV.com. The video literally is one continuous look at Tuggle’s side-to-side hip swings and occasional fist pumps, intertwined with some light lyrical accompaniment and hand motions — like a look at his watch with “any old time to keep me waiting” and a cradling motion for “your mama kept you.” The video closes with Tuggle, one fist in the air and hip popped to the side in front of a motel office building. It’s just that great.
"We All Go Back to Where We Belong" — R.E.M.
We all go back to where we belong. R.E.M., which released its first album in 1983, is bringing its rock reign to an end with its final album “Part Lies, Part Heart, Part Truth, Part Garbage 1982–2011.” The band’s final single — the lead from the closing compilation album of greatest hits — “We All Go Back to Where We Belong” sends a message in its title but only compounds the hidden meaning in its set of two music videos. The first video features actress Kirsten Dunst in one focused black-and-white shot. She’s sitting in one spot, in front of a white wall, nervously smiling and looking away from the pointed camera for the entirety of the low-key, lighthearted single. The second video takes the same approach, instead spotlighting poet and AIDS activist John Giorno. They’re awkward and unexpected but sweet and captivating all in the same chord.
"We Found Love" — Rihanna
It’s risqué and provocative and circles around a relationship turned bad, through the lens of drug abuse and domestic violence. Rihanna’s video for her hit track “We Found Love” is controversial. But in its passion and emotion, it outdoes its backing track with a powerful story told through a crashing romance with a Chris Brown — Rihanna’s ex — look-alike. The video tells a tale that amounts to a love-charged, devastating end, forcing flashbacks to the highly publicized end to Rihanna and Brown’s relationship. The song has found success on the top charts, but the video outdoes the repetitive “We found love in a hopeless place” chorus, adding to the sentiment in a much more powerful way. An English voice leads into the dramatics saying, “You always feel ashamed that someone could be that important, that without them you feel like nothing,” as images of the end — a defeated and hopeless Rihanna — paint a picture of an all-consuming love gone sour.
"Someone Like You" — Adele
She’s so classy. And it’s just one of those songs that doesn’t get old. “Someone Like You” brings the tears, and as was highlighted in a “Saturday Night Live” sketch this weekend, it pulls at the emotions of men and women alike — it’s the perfect track for a good pity party or full-out ugly cry. The video for the top track is understated in its elegance but manages that same broken and bitter yet completely love-struck sass the song is famous for. The camera stays centered on Adele’s face, bringing out the emotion of the song in her delivery. She shoots coy glances at the camera, seemingly looking directly into the eyes of the subject of the song. The five-minute video of pure emotion is shot in black and white in Paris as Adele walks through the city’s streets until the end, where the songstress is staring at her man walking away beside her own reflection in the mirror.
"Sing for Me" — Yellowcard
After a three-year hiatus, the “Ocean Avenue” band is back with its seventh studio release, March’s “When You’re Through Thinking, Say Yes.” The album’s third single “Sing for Me” debuted with an inspiring and experience-driven video Oct. 26. The video begins highlighting the stories of Kyle who lost his mother to cancer, Mercedes and her dad who are homeless and living out of their van, Ashley whose friend was killed by a drunk driver and others stricken by hardships. All of the tales come together with the message: “We all have a story. These are of survival and staying positive.” The different “survivors” share their stories through photos and written message in a very Post Secret–esque way, as the track shines through with, “I just hope you know the future in your heart is just about to start.” It’s a little cliché, but there’s always something special about the tie-in to real, personal experience.