Videos. At least in theory the music video is designed to visually do what the song does with audios - Capture attention - And first and foremost and for whatever reason, that is what the great videos do. After that, the true standouts of the visual music arts are those which can either convey some type of significance or grand relevance or can literally dazzle the viewer while in accompaniment of a song. This year, although still woefully far away from even being near someone who might be an expert on the subject, I’ve probably paid more attention to videos than ever before. So, I’ve kept track of quite a few which have managed to either dazzle or create some type of big significance for me. Thus, I submit for your approval - The Best Music Videos of 2010.
{Note: Anything Goes}
{Note 2: Again, I am clearly no expert of videos}
{Honourable Mentions: 'Nah Let Go' by Gyptian, 'Just A Text' by Shelly G and 'Chaque Jour' by Goldee &}
{Note: Anything Goes}
{Note 2: Again, I am clearly no expert of videos}
{Honourable Mentions: 'Nah Let Go' by Gyptian, 'Just A Text' by Shelly G and 'Chaque Jour' by Goldee &}
#10. ‘Jim Screechie’ by Spice [Directed by Kirk Lee]
Besides probably being my favourite actual Dancehall tune of 2010, the megahit that was ‘Jim Screechie’ by Spice over the big big riddim of the same name from Equinoxx, the song also happen to produce one of the greatest videos of the year in my opinion as well. The star here, obviously, is Spice and it is her general and perhaps natural outrageousness which shines through amongst the rest of the . . . Madness. Be it using cans to giant roll her hair, the sunglasses with the (used) cigarettes on them or even the nearly ritualistic and much discussed back of neck piercing, Spice’s winning ways made this video a ‘can’t-miss’ even more so than watching her awful lucked lover risk life and limb just to attempt to live Spicy once again.
#9. ‘Anything’ by Ce’Cile [Directed by Dexter Pottinger]
Almost like I was 5 again - You put a sexy girl on a beach and I’m probably going to enjoy it. This time around it was (still) THE sexiest in Reggae today to my opinion, Bad Gyal Ce’Cile, in support of her biggest hit of the year and one of the biggest from anyone in 2010, ‘Anything’ on Don Corleon’s Feminine Riddim. This video is simply beautiful. It is gorgeous! And while, in retrospect, it doesn’t carry the type of imagery one would typically associate with the kind of ‘ride or die’ philosophy discussed in the tune, what it does, instead of that is to highlight (one incredibly lucky rock) exactly WHO it would be who waan “cook fi u, wash fi u, make up yuh bed and clean yah house fi u” (and her hips and ass).
#8. ‘Never Give Up’ by Tiwony & Konshens [Directed by Lostyca for Alasani Productions]
Newsflash! Tiwony makes excellent videos . . . All the time. Seriously, I remind you (for the hundredth time) that videos are by no means my specialty, but when just about EVERY TIME I see a new video from a certain artist, whether I like the tune or not (and I generally do), something needs to be said. In the case of Tiwony, his ‘reign’ in the category extends even to combinations as this year he found himself linked with Jamaican star Konshens for ‘Never Give Up’ and what happened? Yes. Another great video. Besides being beautiful with the colours, this one scored for being quite simple actually. I really like the idea of the two coming from different parts of the world (not really) and linking somewhere else (Germany I believe) and then, more than that, the imagery of the people who, although they may not be in the best of set of circumstances, they’re still smiling and happy about the way things are going, which is at the heart of the song (some REALLY beautiful people her also doesn’t hurt any at all).
You knew she’d be here sooner or later. Technically she’s the only pure Zouk singing artist you’ll find on this list, she’s also my favourite in the genre and Kénédy has one fantastic year for making videos. First there was ‘Entre Toi Et Moi’, the title track from her big sophomore album and then there was this utter GEM of a release, the EPIC ‘Enmé Mwen An Kreyol’, which found our heroine returning to the shores of her homeland, Guadeloupe and making it look SO good! From the time she steps off the airplane and out of the airport terminal Kénédy looks sensational and from this video and just a few back, you really start to notice how she’s changed from that girl with just a bit ‘babyfat’ in the ‘Mon Oasis’ video, to one of the most beautiful artists today. She’s also developed a big presence as well which is probably what makes this video stand out as much as it does (as if anyone would wear that thing and just walk up country road), but the visuals surely don’t hurt. Eventually she wakes up, seemingly back in France in her everyday urban life, but even if she can only take us home in her mind, I don’t mind traveling for THIS.
#6. ‘Life of A Gun’ by Tarrus Riley [Directed by Gareth Cobran]
It’s a battle of good and evil from the only artist whose name appears on this list twice, Tarrus Riley. For his first trick, ‘Life of A Gun’, Riley kind of makes a spectacle out of having fun, but what a spectacle it is as bad man Tarrus and his camp runs meets good time Tarrus, face-to-face, before, basically, breaking out in a clash. If you make a video and clash YOURSELF, it's going to be hard to not score HUGE in the process and I’m interested! Very interested! Eventually the video does offer a bit of hilarity for the scenery, near its end and on its way there it manages to absolutely THRILL in the process.
#5. ‘Superman’ by Tarrus Riley [Directed by Rik Cordero]
Completing the double dosage of Tarrus Riley with videos from his latest WOW, ”Contagious”, is the big themed ‘Superman’. This one is like a small movie and it also tells a story which is so nice. Apparently the victim of a pretty bad car accident, Riley is left, memory not intact, trying to piece together bits and scraps of who he is and where he’s been exactly. Meanwhile, all the time looking for him (DAMN!) is (a GLORIOUS piece of human chocolate) the one who will be there for him. The video’s end reveals how we arrived at the video’s beginning and just learning everything and experiencing the tune in that context helps both with visuals and audios. EXCELLENT!
Besides the fact that this tune is FUCKING RIDICULOUS it manages to produce a fantastic video largely based on some trickery of sorts. ‘Summn A Guh Gwaan’ features the legendary Bounty Killer linking up with protégé (remember that) Busy Signal for his third studio effort “D.O.B.” and in terms of what actually became a video, this is probably the most surprising of the lot. What we have is young Bounty and young Busy (who appear to be the same damn age despite the fact that Bounty is like a decade older than Busy) going through life and experiencing many of the things which the song speaks on and the visuals also show to have the same dynamic EDGE to it that the vibes of the tune does as well, making it a literally PERFECT marker for it and one of the best videos of 2010 as well . . . If not the best altogether.
#3. ‘Beautiful’ by Stevy Mahy [Directed by Pasquale Pagano]
Less truly is more. Certainly you had to know that this one was well on its way. SENSATIONAL Gwada Kreyol songstress Stevy Mahy did what the title of her beautiful song, ‘Beautiful’ would suggest when the big hit reached the visual level - She delivered the most BEAUTIFUL video of the year. The visuals here aren’t exactly laying on the beach with Ce’Cile (not far however), or skirting the country roads of the same island like Kénédy (not far from there either). Instead, they are just so damn CAPTIVATINGLY COMFORTABLE that literally watching this thing is a form of minor therapy. Mahy just looks so happy and so comfortable and so FULFILLED that it starts to bleed through the lenses at the viewer (ME!) and tap into places which would later be explored on her fantastic ”The Beautiful Side of A Kreyol Folk Trip” album. She’s singing to YOU, she’s laying in bed with YOU, she’s kind of flirting with YOU and it was one hell of a day!
Don Corleon’s little cousin, Protoje, left no stone unturned and no idea unexplored on his big HELLO of the year, ‘Dread’. This video is just a good great time (no typo there, my Wife says that ALL the time and now it’s presented for your annoying pleasure). You may not even care, but Protoje is going to show you who he is and where he’s been and where he is today. Beginning at his birth (exactly two months before my own actually) he shows us how when he was a youth he caused much mayhem and even linked up with his cousin which is just a fantastic piece (and Protoje’s Mother . . . Yep!). Eventually we get to today and the same cop to whom the duo gave so much trouble as kids has now become a fan. WONDERFUL and the best Reggae video of 2010!
#1. ‘Brave’ by Bunji Garlin [Directed by ForceFed Productions]
“Tell dem mi no fraid Nuttin!”
Soca videos, when done good, are usually very good, however they come few and very far between at the highest level. This year, that was again the case as most of the biggest names the genre has to offer (including a largely absent but generally photogenic Machel Montano) eschewed making videos for their biggest tunes (or their smallest or mediumest (???)) either, but the look what happened for one who did - He made the best video of the year. ‘Brave’ was the big tune for the 2010 Carnival season from Soca lyrics champion Bunji Garlin and not too shockingly, despite the fact that he hasn’t had a video in quite some time, it was a champion of a video. Just like the tune, the video reaches hard at people showing some STOMACH and some BOTTLE and COURAGE to go after whatever it is that you want. Particularly the video strikes, as expected, for Carnival, and Bunji specifies to make a point which rings loud and crystal clear.
I love the imagery. There’s kind of three running separate but similar incidents with each of the individuals eventually finding their own ‘brave buttons’ and MADNESS ensues. Mrs. Garlin provides a slight but COOL cameo as Bunji Garlin proves he can do no wrong in serving up ‘Brave’ - The Best Video of 2010.
Soca videos, when done good, are usually very good, however they come few and very far between at the highest level. This year, that was again the case as most of the biggest names the genre has to offer (including a largely absent but generally photogenic Machel Montano) eschewed making videos for their biggest tunes (or their smallest or mediumest (???)) either, but the look what happened for one who did - He made the best video of the year. ‘Brave’ was the big tune for the 2010 Carnival season from Soca lyrics champion Bunji Garlin and not too shockingly, despite the fact that he hasn’t had a video in quite some time, it was a champion of a video. Just like the tune, the video reaches hard at people showing some STOMACH and some BOTTLE and COURAGE to go after whatever it is that you want. Particularly the video strikes, as expected, for Carnival, and Bunji specifies to make a point which rings loud and crystal clear.
If no one is going crazy, You go first.
I love the imagery. There’s kind of three running separate but similar incidents with each of the individuals eventually finding their own ‘brave buttons’ and MADNESS ensues. Mrs. Garlin provides a slight but COOL cameo as Bunji Garlin proves he can do no wrong in serving up ‘Brave’ - The Best Video of 2010.
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