5 Rousing Music Videos that Move and Inspire Us

We can all agree that music can be moving and uplifting. However, film is also a powerful thing, and sometimes a music video can make a song even MORE stirring and emotional by adding extra layers of depth and meaning.

The following are all very different songs that affect us in different ways, but these music videos are some of our favorites, enhancing the music and inspiring us further.

1. “Another Chance” by Roger Sanchez

Roger Sanchez is a Dominican-American House DJ. He samples Toto’s “I Won’t Hold You Back” and gives it a whole new vibe. Listening to the song alone, you would assume it’s a breakup song. The music video itself however gives the viewer a different story. A woman carries a huge heart around New York City, where the people are cold and unwelcoming. She has a warm and enthusiastic attitude towards people, only to be rejected many times. As she keeps getting rejected, the size of her heart shrinks, she feels depressed, and lonely. She stands alone in the dark, until she is found by a man who then asks her out. Her heart gets bigger again and she feels better. This music video is a symbolic representation of life. It’s a cold, cruel world. Those who are naive & have big hearts, find out the hard way unfortunately. (Like this song? Check out “One More Chance” by Late Night Alumni for a more contemporary sounding version of this song) -PRT

2. “I Lost a Friend” by FINNEAS

FINNEAS is best known for his songwriting and producing for his younger sister, the rising alt-pop star Billie Eilish. However, he has his own solo work as well, and it’s pretty gut-wrenchingly beautiful. This song is probably my favorite of his. He describes the pain of having a friend turn on him, but by the end of the chorus he determines that that person was never a friend in the first place. The stinging line is, “How the hell did I lose a friend I never had?” It’s powerful stuff, and the music video enhances the drama. The colors of the sky, the shadows on his face, the jerky interpretive dancing in which all the people in the field suddenly… well, I won’t spoil what happens. You’ll just have to watch and see. It’s one of my favorite videos of the year, and definitely one of the most simple but artistically compelling. -K-3PO

3. “Starlight Brigade” by TWRP feat. Dan Avidan

I only recently got into TWRP’s music and this is the song that did it for me. The song itself is an electronic space warrior theme (think Voltron or Gundam vibes) which is right up my alley as a big fan of animated space robot series. This is only made better by a beautifully animated video that portrays our space protagonist from the beginning of their call to save the galaxy to the end where they have defeated the enemy along with the friends that had accompanied them. The lyrics and video manage to tell a story in 4 minutes that many TV series would struggle to do in 6 seasons. If a series is made based off this music video, I hands down would watch it. -Jacqueline Friedland

4. “Two Time” by Jack Stauber, video by 람다람 (RDR)

The song “Two Time” is originally by Jack Stauber, an artist that I had only heard a few times before. But when this video set to one of his songs came into my Youtube feed, I had to take notice. Let me get this straight: this video is insane. With a combination of wacky visuals, an offbeat song, and extremely (extremely) vaporwaved visuals, the song gives off a strong vibe right off the bat. But behind the intense presentation I think that there is something really special. The song always presents itself as barely in control, and when the song breaks its stability, the video breaks too, showing violent and sad snippets of animation, a reflection of the thoughts that people have but quickly push past. The lyrics are composed of things that make sense if you squint your eyes (or ears) and alternate between being bizzare and earnest. The majority of the video is just the girl dancing to the beat, because what else is there to do when you are feeling this off balance? For me, the video and song really compliment each other, giving each other form and depth that they didn’t have before. –Evan Mendoza

5. “Pâquerette (Without Me)” by With Confidence

With their 2018 album Love and Loathing, With Confidence demonstrated that pop-punk doesn’t always have to be angry and denigrative — it can be forgiving and thoughtful, and that can be the most cathartic pop-punk of all. This acoustic ditty is life-affirming and bittersweetly pure on its own, but the video adds another layer of emotions. People write messages to those they aren’t in contact with anymore, and while the concept of the video is simple, it’s extremely powerful. Between the words and the emotions on people’s faces, you will find a plethora of hope and humanity. -K-3PO

Share your favorite poignant and meaningful videos in the comments below! And be sure to tune in to 90.5 FM for a wide variety of underground and local music!