And so it begins; the obligatory list season. As usual, I’ll kick it all of with my 10 favourite video clips of the year. Whether or not these songs are released in 2008 or 2009 doesn’t matter; the clip surfaced in 2008 (excluding #7, which surfaced after I’d compiled my list last year), and that’s all that matters to me.

01.  GIRLS ALOUD – The Loving Kind

Finally! They’ve given us something worth watching. After years of still-quite-good but cheap-looking video clips, Girls Aloud have blown me completely out of the water with this, the latest for their upcoming single “The Loving Kind.” This is proper, pop star territory, and the clip alone is solid enough to launch them properly in other countries, don’t you think?

02. LILY ALLEN – The Fear

Everything feels right in the world now that Lily’s making music again, doesn’t it? And this clip is a million levels of adorable. Naturally, it all comes complete with that infamous Allen bite you either love or hate. No matter what she does, or who she slags off, I just cannot hate her. There’s something very special about Lily…

03.  JUSTICE – Stress

This caused a bit of a ruckus when released earlier this year, so much so I had emails from people condemning me and the website for hailing it as a piece of brilliance. Whatever. The clip is still gold, and you can read whatever it was I crapped on about in regards to it by clicking here.

04.  MIAMI HORROR – Don’t Be On With Her

Miami Horror wanted to make an authentic 80’s looking video clip for his televisual debut, and I think it’s safe to say he’s hit a bloody home run with this. An absolute corker and a rock-solid throwback to an era when video clips were important, and not relegated to a tiny screen on YouTube.

05.  VAN SHE – Changes

There’s something quite charming about this clip, which is essentially a bunch of photographs put together as a film from one of the boys many tours of Japan this year. It’s just really, really cute, and looks rather mindblowing on a HI-DEF big screen TV.

06.  THE LAST SHADOW PUPPETS – The Age Of The Understatement

Epic.

07.  ASHLEE SIMPSON – Outta My Head (Ay Ya Ya)

Simpson does Salvador Dali, whilst still retaining all of her pop credentials. Jessica Who?

08.  ROISIN MURPHY – You Know Me Better

Subtle brilliance. And how’s about those divine costumes?

09.  ROISIN MURPHY – Movie Star

Anyone that pays homage to John Waters and Divine deserves a pat on the back in my books. But when that someone is Roisin Murphy, well, a pat turns into a gigantic hug. Something I got from the woman herself earlier this year.

10.  MUSCLES – The Lake

Even if he doesn’t appear in the clip (boo!), this is still a stunningly pieced bit of music video. That sequence at the end with the disgruntled old man clasping onto the woman’s foot reminds me, strangely, of Kristin Davis’ death scene on Melrose Place. Bravo!

UPDATE 9:56AM SATURDAY MORNING:

I feel like something should be said about this video clip as it’s already brewing an intense amount of controversy and discussion over on the Popjustice forums, and I’ve already received three emails from people thinking it’s a bit silly that I seem to like this video.

I think, like any kind of movie or work of art that is perceived as dark, harrowing, nauseating, tragic; any of these things, is going to evoke this kind of reaction from people. You’re going to have the people who think it’s an absolute work of genius, and those who are completely appalled by the content. Whilst I may not know the band or the directors motives behind the video, it’s probably quite safe to assume that — at the very least — one of them was to shock people to the core. Which, for anyone who has not actually lived through the kind of lifestyle depicted in the “Stress” video clip, is exactly what it does.

Another motive behind the creation of this clip was obviously to get people talking, and they are. The “Stress” video clip is one of the most viewed videos on both YouTube and Daily Motion in the last two days, and blogs all over the Interwebs are praising it as being “the most provocative video you will see this year” and, on some places, calling it the years best (and I’m one of those people.)

I think that the argument of a video clip like this inspiring someone to think it’s okay to behave in such a manner is ridiculous. Let’s censor movies to the point where even the word ‘gun’ cannot be used then, shall we? Let’s eliminate any movie which contains a rape scene because we don’t want people to see it and think it’s okay to just around, forcing ourselves onto unsuspecting members of the public and become sexual terrorists, right?

When I first saw Madonna’s “What It Feels Like For A Girl” video clip, I didn’t immediately jump into my car and launch into a violent tirade against people playing hockey, policemen and uneaten chips. When I saw the video for Aphex Twin’s “Come To Daddy,” I didn’t race to my nearest council-estate and start screaming at little old ladies, nor did I get fucked off my tits on a cocaine binge before wrecking havoc and mayhem across pubs and clubs, all before revealing myself to be a female in trainers after watching The Prodigy’s “Smack My Bitch Up.” When I saw Kylie’s “Wow” I didn’t deck my house out with a million and one strobe lights, hoping to induce epileptic seizures in anyone who came to visit… (Er.) Why did I not do any of these things? Because I have a brain, a brain which knows right from wrong.

Do you see where I’m getting at here though? I think if a video clip like any of the aforementioned is going to trigger something off in you that would make you think what’s being presented is an acceptable way to behave, then maybe a nice visit to your local shrink is in order to figure out what it is that’s actually wrong with you which is making your brain work that way. I’m definitely not saying this video clip has to be everyones cup of tea (ho ho!) — or that people should immediately connect with its content and fawn over its artistic representation as I have. But I am saying that a clip like this — something that evokes any form of passion within you — is a video which is worthy of praise.

I don’t want people to think that, by declaring any kind of appreciation for this video, I’m condoning the behaviour which these hooligans-for-hire are inflicting upon this film crew and its actors (that’s right – they’re acting. IMAGINE.) But I don’t think I should have to explain why I think it’s a masterstroke of genius either when no one is really condemned for labeling a trillion different movies which deal with much worse topically as their favourite cinematic experience.

My good friend Kris made an interesting point of saying it reminded him a lot of the French movie Irreversible, which — and those who’ve seen it can vouch for such a statement — is one of the most electrifyingly sickening, harrowing and dark movies of our time. It’s also an exceptional ride that, if you’re partial to a bit of a head-fuck experience with films, you’ll love to hate yourself for enjoying.

This truly will be a video clip that is very hard to beat as the years best. It’s also very hard to watch; but it’s the first video clip in a very, very long time which has made me snap my back into an upright position and pay serious attention.

Oh, just for the record, I also believe this is the strongest song on Justice’s bonkers album from last year, and am very pleased it’s been given a migraine-inducing video clip.

And now, for the video clip in question… (Click here for a Super HQ version over on Daily Motion.)

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