How (Not) To Make Music Videos — Katy Perry & Miley Cyrus
Even though we are living in a post-MTV age of downloads and streaming, music videos are still an important aspect of a popstar’s art. They guarantee exposure, consolidate the performer’s individual brand, and — if done well — add meaning to the song they accompany.
There’s a lot to get right and a lot to get wrong with music videos, so let’s take a look at two recent examples of the genre — one that shows us how to do it, and one that shows us how not to.

How Not To: Katy Perry — “Swish Swish” feat. Nicki Minaj
Desperation brings out the best in some popstars — like Robbie Williams and Lily Allen — and the worst in others — like Lady Gaga and, sadly, Katy Perry. Yet, amidst Katy’s super awkward Big-Brother-style livestream and her rather underwhelming new album Witness, she managed to create a truly great popsong: “Swish Swish”.
The track is silly in a fun way, has a killer hook, and benefits considerably from the Nicki Minaj featuring. The lyric video for the song, which features Brazilian singer Gretchen, picks up the track’s vibe perfectly. Given that Katy Perry’s visuals have always tended to outshine her music, everything was pointing towards a brilliant official music video for “Swish Swish”.
And then… it all went horribly wrong.
Katy Perry and her team forgot the number one rule of music videos: they have to support the song.
It’s not that there aren’t great ideas in the “Swish Swish” video. In fact, there are plenty of them. The problem is that they don’t really go together and completely overshadow the song itself, destroying its fun nature in the process. Here’s everything that’s wrong with the video:
1. Interruptions
The song keeps being interrupted. There’s nothing more annoying than when the song itself — the very piece of art the video is supposed to advertise — is paused or drowned out by other noises again and again. If you have to make a video that’s twice the length of the song, at least give it an intro and an outro and let the track play without sonic distractions.
2. Lack of Meaning
The visuals have little to do with the song. The basketball setting may make sense, but apart from that all the things that happen have absolutely zero connection to the track’s meaning. Katy can do far better, as she showcased with the amazing video for “Chained To The Rhythm”. If you want to see the fun-sports-event concept put into practice effectively, watch Olly Murs and Louisa Johnson’s video for “Unpredictable”.
3. Memes
The use of memes that were all over the internet a while ago makes the video seem dated. It also gives the impression that Katy’s looking for an easy way out, following trends when she should attempt to set them.
4. Guest Stars
The guest stars aren’t needed. You already have the colourful setting. And the Just Dance commercial. And the memes. And a myriad of over-the-top characters. You don’t need guest stars on top of all that. Generally speaking, inviting famous internet personas to starr in music videos is a good idea, but then you actually have to make them the centre of attention, not just another prop.
It seems like Katy Perry tried to do everything at once in a desperate attempt to boost the sales of “Swish Swish”. The concept — which really is a poorly conceived amalgamation of several concepts — backfired disastrously. It hurts to think of all the money that was spent on this mess.
At least the Nicki Minaj scenes are great.
How To: Miley Cyrus — “Younger Now”
Just like Katy Perry, Miley Cyrus has released her fair share of amazing music videos — think of the iconic “Wrecking Ball” or the powerful “Can’t Be Tamed”. In contrast to Katy, Miley has already left her rebellious phase behind (thank god). She has returned to simpler music and simpler imagery, showing us that when it comes to music videos, less sometimes is more.
The dreamy music video for “Malibu” flawlessly accentuated the song, using nothing more than pseudo-authentic beauty shots and balloons. Lots of balloons. For the follow-up single “Younger Now”, the title track from Miley’s new album, she has chosen a slightly more complex approach. But, thankfully, she doesn’t try everything at once, as Katy does. Instead, she sticks to an intriguing concept.
A concept that actually does support the song.
The video for “Younger Now” is a perfect example of a concept that’s clearly tailored to the song and yet not too literal. The use of imagery relating to the song’s topics of change and growing older is diverse and yet has a universal message: embrace change and do whatever you want to do, no matter how old you are. Here’s everything that’s right with the video:
1. No Interruptions
This should actually be a given fact for all music videos. But since Katy graciously reminded us that not everyone understands this, let’s make it clear right here and right now that the song “Younger Now” plays from the beginning to the end with no interruptions whatsoever. Hooray!
2. Choice of Actors and Actresses
The video’s support characters are far older than those you typically see in music videos or, indeed, movies. By including older men and women that dance, do acrobatics, perform in drag, and even spin on a stripper pole, Miley kills two birds with one stone. She fights the agism that sadly still pervades the music industry and she supports the song’s message by showing that it’s never too late to embrace change and feel young. Miley even passionately kisses an older woman in rock attire at 2:24. Sure, you could label all this exoticism, but it’s better than exclusion from the pop narrative, isn’t it?
3. Outfits and Settings
The imagery of the video represents a throw-back to the 1950s, including puppet shows, rockers, and old-fashioned dance routines. Miley appears in Elvis-inspired attire as well as in colourful skirts and high-heels, showing her versatility. One can even draw parallels to her older videos, for instance to the guitar scenes from “The Climb” (0:40) and the black leather outfits from “Can’t Be Tamed” (1:40). The clothes and the settings make the visual a fun ride and manage to spin its optimistic but serious topic in a light-hearted direction. The references to Miley’s own career, meanwhile, add another interesting layer.
4. Pace
Pace is incredibly important in music videos, even if we only consciously notice it in extreme cases. It’s imperative that the pace of the video — the cuts, scene changes, and movements — matches the pace of the song. This is the case with “Younger Now”, especially during the dance routine at the end of the video.
While Katy Perry and her team took several concepts, all of which are basically great, and threw them together to create an overblown mess of a music video, Miley chose one concept and went with it. Her music video supports and fits her song, delivering an important message in a highly enjoyable way. This is how you do it.
Oh, and then there’s that move at 3:30. Wow.

