With summer now behind us, the end of the year will be approaching sooner than we realize. That means it won’t be long before we start recapping the year in music. And with the eligibility window for the 2020 Grammys having closed on August 31st, it’s actually – already – time to think about some of the big awards.
Before too long, prediction markets for these awards will heat up across the internet. Sites like Gold Derby will be posting increasingly in-the-know predictions, fans and music journalists alike will be sharing opinions, and perhaps more than ever before, betting odds on the top awards will become visible. Brand new U.S. bookie platforms have arisen over the course of the last few months, and while they’ll keep their focus mainly on sports, they’ll also undoubtedly put up odds for big award shows like the Grammys.
In the meantime though we’re still in the early speculation period. And in this piece, we want to focus specifically on some of the music videos that could be honored come Grammy time. Thanks to artists’ activity on social media and various apps (including Spotify) streaming music videos, or at least snippets of them, it feels as if this medium has made something of a comeback. That should make the Best Music Video award race more interesting than it’s been in years, so while we won’t be citing contender odds just yet, we thought we’d take a look at some of the best videos that figure to be in the mix.
Mother’s Daughter – Miley Cyrus
Miley Cyrus might be having one of the most eclectic music careers we’ve ever seen. Having risen to prominence as country-pop star Hannah Montana, she is now known for her provocative and progressive performances. The music video for her new song “Mother’s Daughter” is the latest example of the latter. We particularly love this video not only because of the song’s empowering lyrics but because of the body-positive message created by her diverse cast of dancers. It’s another showcase of Miley’s ever-evolving talent and voice, and will certainly go down as one of the summer of 2019’s most memorable music videos.
I Don’t Care – Ed Sheeran and Justin Bieber
We love this one primarily because it’s a beautiful collaboration between two of the most beloved male pop stars of our time. While the song itself is sweet and romantic though, the video made to accompany it is frankly pretty out there. The artists make use of green screens in some strange ways, but for some reason, we still enjoy watching it. Perhaps it’s because it reminds people of last summer’s “New Light” video from John Mayer, which was just as odd but also still a big hit.
Truth Hurts – Lizzo
Similarly to Miley Cyrus’s “Mother’s Daughter,” the lyrics in “Truth Hurts” are also all about loving yourself. The video footage cleverly captures this important message, showing Lizzo and her friends happily enjoying a wedding at which the artist decides to marry herself. We also noticed that the video may have the most diverse cast we’ve seen in a music video for a pop song, showing us how to truly appreciate our unique selves, regardless of our style, size, or the color of our skin. “Truth Hurts” quickly became an anthem of 2019’s “hot girl summer,” and as far as we’re concerned the video does justice to the song’s hype.
Me!- Taylor Swift
That’s right, T-Swift should probably be in the mix for yet another major award. While some of Swift’s new music has left longtime fans disappointed, this jam certainly doesn’t fall into that category. As seems to be the case with all of her videos, we loved her outfit, hair, and makeup. But “Me!” also has some pretty high-quality animations that make the video feel like a movie promo as if the story could be just a hint of something far beyond its four-minute length. The video also briefly features two adorable cats, an ode to Swift’s favorite kind of cuddle buddy.
Keep your eyes out for Grammy nominations in the upcoming months to see if any of these songs or any of your own favorites make the cut!
