00:00Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the top 10 most underrated
00:11music video choreographies that deserve way more love than they already have.
00:2110. Sierra, Dose
00:30If you're looking for an unmistakably catchy pop stomper to take you right back to high school,
00:36this is it. Sierra, alongside directors Jamaica Craft and Diane Martell, choreographed the
00:42explosive dance routine featured in the video for 2018's Dose. And from its opening bars,
00:47it has a level of pace and heat that does not slow down for even a second.
00:52The video also pays tribute to Sierra's hometown of Atlanta, Georgia, even featuring a brief
01:05appearance from the former mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms. But it's the dynamic energy of Sierra
01:10and company's performance that keeps us coming back to this one.
01:219. Rosalia, Malamente
01:24If you need proof that storytelling is alive and well in the music video format,
01:36look no further than Rosalia's Malamente. The song itself was strong enough on its own to grab
01:41listeners' attention. But when paired with this ambitious video, which has been described as a
01:46visual poem, it becomes something entirely new.
01:57Scenes jump from location to location and from night to day at a dizzying pace.
02:02Shots of Rosalia and her dancers are placed between abstract footage of various characters
02:07and places. But it's the choreography tying it all together that keeps you hooked.
02:11Camera placement is key here, and considering it clocks in at less than three minutes,
02:16there is quite a lot to consider.
02:268. Tinashe, Company
02:28Tinashe's 2016 hit company is proof that solid choreography and legitimately skilled dancers
02:42can take you pretty far. Tinashe herself is a professionally trained dancer, and that's what
02:47really makes this video work. It's all shot in one location, but it's the breakneck intensity
02:53of the dance routine and some creative lighting choices that really elevate this one.
03:05Let's be clear, it might be simple in concept, but there aren't too many pop singers who have
03:10the technical know-how to pull off a performance like this. Sometimes the dancing alone is enough to
03:15tell a concise story, and Tinashe succeeded on all fronts with this one.
03:277. Dreamcatcher, Scream
03:36When you nail a song's music video on the first attempt, that would usually be enough for most
03:41artists. But for South Korea's Dreamcatcher, they knew they had a winning formula and decided to
03:47make a second video. Scream was initially released in March of 2020 with the band six active members
03:53and one masked stand-in backed by a troupe of dancers clad in black.
03:57Of the two, this is the most high concept style of choreography, and it makes for a real visual
04:11experience. However, just two weeks after the initial release, Dreamcatcher decided to drop an
04:17alternative video. And this one, which is much more raw, saw each member incorporate costumes and dance
04:23moves from one of their prior videos. An ambitious undertaking.
04:346. Radiohead, Lotus Flower
04:46Tom York in a room dancing to his own music? Sounds like an instant hit, right? Well, some people might be
04:52surprised to know that his iconic performance in Radiohead's Lotus Flower music video was actually
04:58choreographed by the Royal Ballet's own Wayne McGregor. York, who was described as an excellent
05:03dancer by McGregor, dances in the most bizarre but authentic fashion imaginable. He even flails around
05:09like a man possessed at certain points.
05:11As you might expect, it didn't take long for the internet to recognize this is a goldmine for memes,
05:25but to this day, it remains one of the band's most beloved singles since the turn of the century,
05:30helped in large part by his memorable video.
05:405. Victoria Monet, On My Mama
05:51Victoria Monet's On My Mama isn't just a visual spectacle. It's a celebration, a dip into 2000s
05:58nostalgia with a modern edge. There's very clearly quite a lot of meticulous choreographing going on,
06:04but it never stops being fun.
06:14Monet herself described the song as a soundtrack to positive affirmations and it's a theme that
06:19translates excellently to the visual medium. Even though it's crafted with a real attention to detail,
06:25everyone looks like they're having fun in this video. And if that was the goal that Monet and
06:29choreographer Sean Bankhead had in mind, then they definitely succeeded.
06:40There is very clearly an East Asia flavor to the track Dip It Low by Christina Milian,
06:57and that energy is very present in the music video. Released in 2004, it was overlooked to some degree,
07:04in contrast to the work of some of Milian's contemporaries. But this song and its video's
07:09choreography are truly among the best of the 2000s.
07:18It's a seductive masterpiece that uses changes in color and setting to really keep things moving
07:24along. Milian is clearly a skilled dancer, but her backing dancers also deserve credit here. However,
07:31make no mistake, Christina Milian is the star of the show.
07:34Kate Bush's career is a goldmine when it comes to tightly engineered music videos. Sure, her concepts get a
08:00little wacky from time to time, but on 1985's Running Up That Hill, she delivered something truly unique.
08:07Bush, who was trained tirelessly as a dancer since her teen years, was helped along by choreographer
08:12Diane Gray and fellow dancer Misha Airview. The result was a video that was created due to Bush believing that
08:19dance was being used trivially in music rather than to send a cohesive message.
08:32To this day, you'd be hard-pressed to find a more intentional use of movement in music videos than this.
08:38It's not trying to be flashy. It's just conveying meaning through a simple but focused routine.
08:43Jungle's 2018 hit Casio is all about the vibe. From the opening bars of the song's 70s-tinged funk,
09:08it's clear where this video is going, but it doesn't rush things. No, this is a slow build,
09:14as one dancer becomes three and then three becomes five and so on.
09:26They weren't breaking the bank with this one either. It's just a simple backdrop and a whole
09:31bunch of talented dancers. Notice how there aren't any cuts either. These guys delivered a well-crafted
09:37routine to a great song, and they did it the old-fashioned way. It's an ode to a bygone era,
09:43but brought to us with a fresh modern edge.
09:53Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
09:58Banks, Gimme. A perfect dark and atmospheric accompaniment for this song.
10:07I know alone. Simple but highly effective choreography at its finest.
10:16Some things never broke. I know alone. Like no one else.
10:24Caroline Polachek. So hot you're hurting my feelings. A prime example of mood setting through choreography.
10:31The Black Keys. Lonely Boy. The video that was always bound to be a hit.
10:52Brandy featuring Chance the rapper. Baby Mama. A true treat for the senses in video form.
10:58I'll be up in my comments and I'll scroll through.
11:02You can do it quite like I can.
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11:20This one just hits on so many different levels. First, you have the nostalgia and relatability
11:38factors in the early stages of the video, before it explodes into a full-on celebration of the glory
11:44days of early 2000s R&B. But for as much fun as Normani and her troupe are having,
11:49it would all be for nothing if they weren't also world-class dancers. And the sheer talent
11:55on display here is evident from the first moment the song kicks into gear.
11:59The video also seamlessly shifts from day to night halfway through, creating a creative contrast
12:13that almost makes it feel like you're getting two videos for the price of one. A criminally
12:18underrated masterpiece. Did we miss out on any of your favorites? Be sure to let us know in the
12:31comments below!
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