5 Music Videos with Unique Color Schemes

The visual presentation of music videos is essential to the way we consume music. Take a look at the following visually-stimulating music videos that make great use of color.

Written by Celeste Wen

Photo Courtesy of OK Go

We’ve all watched music videos that were aesthetically stunning and left us wanting more. Apart from simply being pleasing to watch, music videos can add new depths to songs we’ve heard before and oftentimes contribute to our understanding of their meanings. Check out the following music videos that play with one of the most important visual elements: color.

1. “Obsession” - OK Go

OK Go created a stop-motion music video with a background created entirely from printed paper. The band used 567 printers and countless sheets of (thankfully, later recycled!) paper. Most interesting is the way they create depth from their simulation of images, creating a 3D space using a 2D medium. From whimsical color patterns to crazy geometric landscapes, this video takes you on a long journey where you’ll find yourself handling more paper than you’ll know what to do with — thankfully, without any papercuts.

2. “Espada” - Javiera Mena

With this gem, it’s vaporwave vibes galore. Retro and futuristic aesthetics combine in perfect harmony to achieve stimulating scenes filled with quirky elements like tiny swords and detached limbs. (Trust me, it’s less gruesome than it sounds.) The video features Mena traversing through imaginary and trippy landscapes. Many of the visuals center around celebrating women’s bodies and love among women, an unapologetic celebration of Mena’s sexuality.

3. “Red Carpet” - Jooheon

Rapper Jooheon of South Korean boy band Monsta X plays with lighting and color effects for the title track of his debut mixtape. Pinks and purples permeate the video –– whether it’s through pastel backdrops or subtle neon lights. The video achieves a nice balance of light and dark, with the contrast marked quite literally with the  switching off of the lights halfway through. And although the video sticks with a consistent color theme, things never get boring with the constant change of scenery.

4. “POP/STARS” - K/DA (feat. Madison Beer, (G)I-DLE, Jaira Burns)

K/DA recently made their debut at the League of Legends Worlds 2018 championship final. The group consists of four characters from the game: K/DA Ahri, K/DA Evelynn, K/DA Kai’Sa, and K/DA Akali. They became an instant hit among players of the game, and, apart from acquiring new in-game skins, many are anticipating the band’s next musical move. Enjoy their fully-animated music video where the girls show off their superhuman abilities in a fluorescent,neon-world.

5. “Song Like You” - Bea Miller

Blue. That’s the color that leaps out of this video among its muted grays and tans. Unlike the other music videos on this list that embrace the vibrancy of the rainbow, Miller chose to keep this one simple, opting for an almost grayscale-effect with occasional blue accents. The careful selection of blue elements — including her scratched-out lover — emphasizes the melancholy she experiences when not being able to forget about him.