MTV generation – MTV closure, competing with short formats like TikTok, the music video seems to be losing momentum. But behind this apparent decline, it remains an essential tool to impose a vision
When mentioned in the media, it is often to announce its end. Outdated, weakened by the disappearance of music television (RIP music programs on MTV) and challenged by the explosion of short formats, the music video has become a relic of another era.
However, it is hard to talk about disappearance when some images continue to leave a lasting impact. In recent months, several music videos have managed to establish themselves as true artistic propositions. Such as Theodora’s videos, directed by Melchior Leroux, with a strong artistic direction. Or the one by Angèle, directed by the collective (La) Horde, entirely shot on an iPhone in the streets of Marseille. At a time when TikTok sets the pace and budgets are tightening, directors and artists are redefining the contours of a format in full transformation. But deep down, has the music video truly disappeared, or is it our way of watching it that has changed?
A fragile reality: less budget, more constraints, less visibility
In the field, the observation is clear: making a music video today is no longer obvious. For Fred de Poncharra, the transformation is as much economic as it is cultural. Now, everything is segmented,” observes the music video director of Damso, Feder, and Ofenbach.
“Many people do not realize, but it is a real human and mental investment,” explains the director Fragment440, who notably directed the music video for Beso by Majeur Min(…)
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