Hello everyone out there in Music Video Land!

I know we’re already a few days into July, but we haven’t forgotten about June. There were so many music videos released this month. Videos we loved. Videos we hated. Videos we were challenged by. And we’re here to talk about all of them. With you. Right now.

Best Videos of the Month

ILLIT “Do the Dance” Directed by Zac Dov Wiesel

This video doesn’t waste much timing hooking you in. Within the first 30 seconds, we find the group on a 5-person tandem bike, flying out-of-control downhill with brakes that don’t work. From there, we enter a world full of cats, choreo, old Hollywood-style backdrops, and numerous failed attempts at impressing cute boys.

Contest alert: We’re offering free MVND merch to the first person that submits a video of themselves doing the dance from the chorus.

Clipse “So Be It” Directed by Hannan Hussain

The music world has been eagerly awaiting the first new Clipse album in over 15 years, and the music video for “So Be It” meets the moment. No one wants an over-directed Clipse video - something that takes them out of their element, is overcomplicated, or too bloated with cool filmmaker tricks. What we get is elevated restraint. Something that feels mature but dialed in. No TikTok transitions needed.

Sabrina Carpenter “Manchild” Directed by Vania Heymann & Gal Muggia

There have been a lot of “takes” about this album rollout but this video is extremely creative, funny, subversive, smart, and unexpected. We’re lucky to have a major pop star spending her giant pop budgets on this type of stuff, and not just glam or beauty VFX. And it’s not just praised by pop music stans, it has crossed over into film nerd circles as well, which is rare for a video of this scale. It also can’t be understated how brilliant this edit is and how rewatchable it makes everything. The frantic, non-linear pacing means you have to watch it over and over to catch all the details. A brilliant move to rack up YouTube views, but also just a very fun storytelling technique.

Dom Innarella “Jersey In July” Directed by Lillie Wojcik Foster

Dom Innarella is a 14 year old singer from, you guessed it, New Jersey. He is in the middle of a successful pivot from theater kid to R&B teen, and this really helps to push him there. They aren’t trying to make him grow up too fast, there is still pizza and bikes and pals. The interactions with the summer crush are wholesome. But his charm is on display, his talent is showcased, and the flashes of Super 8 make everything feel timeless.

Offset & JID “Bodies” Directed by Onda

Onda brings a fresh, uncompromising voice to music videos that is truly exciting. His videos are stylish, confident, and completely in their own lane. And this latest for Offset and JID is easily one of the best videos of the month.

But that said, it’s always jarring to see a high profile hip-hop video emerge from ProdCo, a production company founded by a guy who once used his platform and resources to produce a “rap video” for the far right podcaster Coleman Hughes. If you’re unfamiliar with Hughes, he’s a fringe, right wing “intellectual” that built his career denying the systemic harms that a lot of rappers talk about.

So while Onda shouldn’t catch strays for his EP’s sins. It’s always in the back of my mind whenever I see ProdCo attached to a hip-hop video that someone with Coleman Hughes’s cell phone number is profiting off of it.

Halle “Braveface” Directed by Courtney Sofiah Yates

“Braveface” is a raw, intimate portrait of resilience and vulnerability. While the lyrics don't directly address her public breakup, the themes and images resonate deeply with her real-life trauma. The video itself offers enough variety, both in setups and camera format, to maintain a good energy throughout. We move from 35mm, to camcorder, to virtual production seamlessly, making the edit feel almost collage-like. There’s no literal narrative, but there’s a clear emotional rhythm. The presence of other women walking through their own versions of exposure underscores that “Braveface” is just as universal as it is personal.

Zara Larsson “Midnight Sun” Directed by Charlotte Rutherford

Charlotte Rutherford with another banger. This is like the music video version of a Lisa Frank notebook. But this isn’t a ChatGPT filter style recreation, it’s something unique and slightly off. It’s bizarre retro-futurism but also cutting edge. I can never tell if these pop girlies are all the way in on Charlie’s jokes, or if they are being tricked into getting this weird. But either way, it’s for the greater good that it keeps happening. Zara Larsson leans into the chaos like a pro. She sells the camp and the shimmer without ever breaking stride. As the weirdness cranks up, so does her performance, and it basically doesn’t stop until the video explodes.

Tommy Genesis “True Blue” Directed by Parris Goebel

Tommy Genesis is like OK Go for rage bait. The music doesn’t have to blow you away, it just has to be good enough to support the concept. And “True Blue” is a concept. Directed by acclaimed choreographer-turned-director Parris Goebel, it’s obvious, confrontational, and maybe even a little silly. But it’s designed to get people to comment “Guys start reporting” on YouTube and that’s exactly what people are commenting. This of course creates a Streisand effect where the calls for banning the video just end up increasing engagement.

Genesis fully commits to the bit, and pushes it just far enough to maintain YouTube monetization. A genius move if you ask me. They should start calling her Tommy Genius! Or Tommy Business? Tommy Adsense?

MARINA “I <3 YOU” Directed by Olivia De Camps

Trend watch! Pop stars doing subversive, tongue-in-cheek concepts that don’t sacrifice glam and style are a THING in 2025. It’s basically what is happening in more than half the videos on this list. Directed by Olivia De Camps, the video walks the line between camp and sincerity without ever losing its grip on beauty. There’s glitter and absurdity, wigs and choreography, cone bras and dramatic crash zooms. But it never feels like a parody of pop, it's just pop turned up to 11. All hail self aware abundance.

Alex G “June Guitar” Directed by Zev Magasis and MaKenna Greenel

There were a lot of big pop videos on the list this month. So we needed to balance it out with something a little lived in and DIY. These guys are just goofin off and playin tunes. Not a care in the world. They got a freakin tambourine on the drum set. Somebody is painting the wall! Say goodbye to that security deposit, Alex. My favorite part is the pair of sunglasses that get passed around throughout the video. Movie lights are bright!

Worst Videos of the Month

Will Smith “Pretty Girls”

Last month, it was reported that while filming this video, every IATSE member of the crew was fired when they tried to flip union. Instead of recognizing the union and negotiating in good faith, the producers tried to scab the set with non-union replacements. Will Smith crossed the picket line and they attempted to resume production, but it backfired when the non-union crew also walked off set in solidarity. Eventually, producers backed down and reinstated the original crew. But the damage was done, and it’s our duty to shame the final product now that it’s out.

In contrast, it was reported that LL Cool J pulled out of a 4th of July concert rather than cross a picket line. So not all 90s rappers slash network TV stars lack conscience. Labor Loves Cool James.

ian “Shut It Down”

Being a good citizen means trashing ian at all costs. Seeing him walk around a tarmac with no shoes on is the most offensive image produced in music videos all year. We can’t allow this to continue. He was getting dragged all weekend online for his XXL Cypher performance, but we can’t talk about it because it’s not a music video. But this is a music video, so we can include it here. Ian haters rise up.

And that’s June! What did you think of our list? Did we miss anything? Let us know in the comments!