Arrow-right Camera
The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Water Cooler: Give your ears, eyes a treat

Harry Styles performs on NBC's Today show at Rockefeller Plaza on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2020, in New York. (Charles Sykes / Invision)

With most everyone a little beyond stir-crazy, it’s always nice to get a taste of something fresh. This week has been full of notable music video releases, so if you are in need of some new entertainment that has nothing to do with coronavirus, check out these recently released music videos all available on YouTube.

Lady Gaga, Ariana Grande, “Rain On Me”: With over six million views in fewer than six hours you could say “Rain On Me” has already made a big splash. These two giants of the music and entertainment business made for great collaborators. The neon pink and purple, rain-soaked world makes for “Blade Runner”-esque aesthetics but musically you’ll be in for an uplifting pop treat.

Polo G, “Wishing For A Hero (feat. BJ The Chicago Kid)”: On the other side of the spectrum is this powerful, narrative-style music video. It speaks about violence against African-Americans, a topic which has received a lot of attention lately following the video release of Ahmaud Arbery’s slaying earlier this month. The video mixes realism with more ethereal cinematics, in a moving blend of emotional complexity.

Harry Styles, “Watermelon Sugar”: Harry Styles is back, this time in ironically mismatched and ill fitting outfits, colored glasses of various shapes, aesthetically perfect slices of watermelon, and literal piles of women on a beach – the tone is more innocent than it sounds. It evokes the fun charm and ridiculousness of beach party movies from the ‘60s where the real world disappeared and all the hip kids lived on the sand, but with a modern pop flair. It opens with a dedication “to touching” – ah the good old days.

Machine Gun Kelly, “Bloody Valentine”: This new pop punk release features Megan Fox in a colorful and goofy relationship drama. Pink is again a major feature of the aesthetics, and Machine Gun Kelly is seen through most of the video tied up with pink duct tape.

NCT 127, “Punch”: The K-pop boy band that has risen to international popularity strikes again with their classic group choreography with fun glitch art and modern and edgy sets and camera work. The video hit 10 million views three days after its release.

King Von, “Broke Opps”: What is really striking about this video is that it opens with King Von wearing a face mask, helping solidify masks as somewhat of a fashion accessory. This video features a lot of glitch art as well, paired with distorted wide angles and some scratchy footage for a camcorder-like look.