Another year comes to a close, allowing us to reflect on the most important merging of music and visuals of the year.

A fantastic year for music has been and gone. We’ve seen some heavy staples playing across the airwaves and in our personal headphones alike. But not all of the most popular songs came with a stellar video.

The artistic direction and emotions elicited from a good music video can elevate a song beyond its solely musical merits. So here, we’ve collected the 10 best music videos of 2023.

Tell us why we’re wrong and which ones we’ve missed in the comments below!

SZA – Kill Bill

This cinematic video inspired by Tarantino takes a slight twist of slasher thriller to bloody it up. It follows SZA as a violently jilted lover seeking revenge. Featuring some creative cuts and enticing animated sequences, the video for Kill Bill is very watchable and also somewhat creepy. Then there’s an incredibly revealing closing shot, if you’re into that.

Injury Reserve – Bye Storm, By Storm – Double Trio

This double-bill of tracks and video serves as an emotional send-off to deceased Injury Reserve member Stepa J. Groggs. Montage footage of the group and Groggs plays as though through a home projector at a family gathering, remembering the times before.

Halfway through the video cuts to a new song and a new scene. The stage features Ritchie with a T, he’s waking from a slumber and a track unfolds to tell us about it. It is a piece that marks a new era, of Injury Reserve survivors Ritchie and Parker Corey moving on to a new chapter and finding their way afresh without their beloved bandmate. It marks the introduction of By Storm.

The Kid LAROI, Justin Bieber – STAY

This video plays with time as the duo of The Kid LAROI and Justin Bieber meditate on their feelings for someone. It begins frozen in time, although not entirely. The Kid LAROI manages to move himself through this frozen space, like time is stuck for him and he can’t move past the moment. Then as the video progresses time moves quicker, to the point where strangers are simply a blur moving past. Meanwhile, the video’s romantic figure remains stuck in place, tears in her eyes. It’s effective, and looks great.

Jung Kook – Seven (feat. Latto)

Jung Kook sings of his devotion to the girl he loves and as she ignores him chaos unfolds around them. The week goes on and a different set of circumstances present a new trial each day but he persists regardless. Then Latto appears to do her “bit” at Jung Kook’s funeral. Only it turns out, he wasn’t dead at all! He just wanted to get her attention. Wait a minute, is this toxic?

This garage-inspired track has been a hit this year featuring in both Spotify’s most streamed songs of the year and Google’s most searched songs this year.

Tyler, The Creator – SORRY NOT SORRY

You can always rely on a video from Tyler to be something special. This video seems something of an homage to all his past eras and images, as he stands on stage with a cast of himself all dressed in iconic Tyler images throughout the years. It also seems to be something of a goodbye to the past, as he raps about moving on and where he’s at now. He suggests another, even newer era is here as the video closes violently on himself beating up what is presumably himself dressed in his Call Me If You Get Lost outfit.

Danny Brown – Jenn’s Terrific Vacation

Danny Brown’s track explores the surreality of gentrification and how sinister it can feel to be one of the forgotten as your area is rooted up and changed before your very eyes. His video perfectly matches this unsettling feeling as disembodied hands slowly crawl around the house and snatch things away until a home has been turned into a bare room with him and his grandma sat scared inside the emptiness.

Troye Sivan – Rush

Troye Sivan explores the ecstasy of partying and sensual connections made in those moments. It’s quite a slutty video and strangely similar to Janelle Monáe’s Lipstick Lover in theme and video, though Troye Sivan wins out for a more infectious song and video. Rush is also very very slightly more work-friendly, though still not at all.

AntsLive – Number One Candidate

What the hell is going on here? It starts with AntsLive riding like an urban cowboy through what seems like a Central American landscape but quickly gives way to snowy peaks and Germanic scenes of lederhosen and huge horns. Then AntsLive is eyeing up an Italian man’s daughter, but she’s also in lederhosen…? There are some crazy shots in here and some ambitious editing that is – incredibly – pulled off with style and panache.

Doja Cat – Paint The Town Red

Doja Cat is so committed to creating constantly new and iconic looks that she cut her hair off to make it easier to change looks using wigs. Her video for Paint The Town Red is a bizarre montage of freaky imagery that slips between devilish and fantasy. There’s no story here or particular thematic poignancy, but there are a bunch of iconic costumes, sets, and film styles.

Dua Lipa – Dance The Night

Dua Lipa and Mark Ronson gave us one of the most addictive pop hits of the year and it was coupled with an unforgettable dance in the Barbie movie. Her music video takes it one step further with this dressing room themed video that features surprisingly fascinating set pieces and shots. The more you watch it the more complexity you discover. A highlight is the effect of an infinite mirror that is actually a sequence of dancers dressed as Dua Lipa, creating an amazing effect.