From MTV’s 1981 debut to social media-driven sites of today, the evolution of music videos illuminates how we view, interact with and enjoy music videos seems to be transforming. When MTV first launched, music videos were a key source of promotion for bands. ‘Thriller’ and ‘Take on Me’ became the gold standards, stacking innovative special effects and storylines that redefined the potential for music to be a storytelling medium. These videos were the beginning of music as a visual art form, cementing a lasting relationship between music and the visual arts.

But the digital revolution has changed the role and appearance of music videos so dramatically. With the rise of platforms like YouTube and Instagram, music videos have become less about the slick, broadcasted productions of MTV’s heyday. The music videos of the day reflect a “mixing board aesthetic,” in the words of the music-videos scholar Carol Vernallis, with artists feeling free to throw random and seemingly unrelated images, effects and narrative structures against the wall. The approach is permissible thanks to the democratizing force of digital media, in which DIY aesthetics, more informal graphics, and experimental visuals coexist on a level playing field with high-price productions.

One compelling example of this change is Childish Gambino’s “This Is America” (2018). In the video — which mixes cinematic visuals and daring social commentary — rapid editing, choreography and symbolic imagery capture urgent matters like race, violence and media consumption. The jarring contrast between the upbeat music and disturbing visuals robs the video of comfort, designating the viewer to be also a witness, and thus forcing them to confront the deeper cultural and political implications of what they’re watching. This is not only a music video; it’s a way of telling a story that begs for reflection and conversation.

“This Is America” also demonstrates the place of social media in the contemporary life of music videos. Its virality on sites like YouTube and Twitter helped propel its influence even further, creating a swirl of discussion and analysis. Additionally, the video now exists on platforms where it can be accessed by viewers on their own time, wherever they are, ensuring its place in today’s world of social-media by  repetition. The way it was consumed sharing, commenting, remixing only reinforces this shift away from MTV’s controlled, linear broadcasts and toward a more interactive, audience-driven model.

Music videos have, at this point in history, become one of the most valuable tools for cultural commentary, social engagement, and artistic expression in the digital age. X, which started as promotional material for artists, morphed into a hybrid kind of media that does not fit the traditional molds of anything. “This Is America” is perhaps the most acute illustration of how contemporary music videos have evolved from entertainment to vehicles for narrative, activism and, in song and image, the mass shared culture.

References  

– Gambino, Childish. “This Is America” (Official Video). YouTube, 2018. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYOjWnS4cMY](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYOjWnS4cMY).  

– Vernallis, Carol. ‘Digital Audiovisual Media: New Aesthetics and Practices’. Lecture Slides.  

– Arnold, Gina, Daniel Cookney, Kirsty Fairclough, and Michael Goddard. ‘Music/Video: Histories, Aesthetics, Media’, 2017.  

– Cookney, Daniel, et al. “Persistence of Music Videos.” ‘Music/Video: Histories, Aesthetics, Media’, 2017.

Natsue Barthes – 33776906