Every song has the ability to take you on a journey, and when you add beautiful travel imagery to it, it's enough to make you want to hop on a plane tomorrow. As someone who has studied video production for over ten years, I've learned that not only does a music video help put the lyrics of a song in to perspective, but it also tells a story that helps the audience connect to the melody. Year after year, artists and musicians seem to keep topping each other with the epic locations around the world they choose to shoot their music videos in. Over the years, I've seen some pretty inspiring videos that have made me want to travel to far off locales, so I decided it was time to round them down to my top 10 favourites in hopes to inspire others to get out there and see more of our incredible planet for themselves.
Rudimental - Free ft. Emeli Sandé
Location: Switzerland
The video features real-life wing suit flier and extreme sports athlete Jokke Sommer gliding through the air around the Eiger mountain in the Alps. Although it may not convince you to jump off the edge of a mountain, it will certainly leave you wanderlusting for a trip to Switzerland's beautiful alpine region.
Justin Bieber- I'll Show You
Location: Iceland
With dreamy slow motion shots of waterfalls, and epic scenery from the top of iconic Iceland cliffs, this video by our man JB will no doubt leave you wanderlusting and have you booking a flight to Iceland in no time (even if you're not a Belieber).
Nicki Minaj- Pound the Alarm
Location: Trinidad and Tobago
A Tribute to her homeland Trinidad and Tobago, this video from Nicki Minaj showcases this stunning Caribbean country in all its vibrant colours. From the beautiful beaches, to the fresh coconut being sold by street vendors on nearly every corner, it gives you a real taste of what you can expect when visiting these two islands.
Shift K3Y - I Know
Locations: Ibiza, Formentera and London.
Shot over three days in Ibiza, Formentera and London, this montage follows a girl as she travels through contrasting locations. The moral of the story? You need to get yourself to Europe ASAP if you haven't already.
Lune - Leave The World Behind
Location: Norway
Produced in partnership with Volvo, this video highlights the peace and serenity one experiences when they leave the hustle and bustle of a busy city life, and escapes in to the countryside (in this case Ålesund, Norway). This area is a sea port, and is noted for its unique concentration of Art Nouveau architecture.
Adrenaline rush would be an understatement when it comes to describing this video which follows the journey of YouTuber Rory Kramer – who left his full-time job at the age of 30 to fulfill his dream of travelling the world and documenting it. It combines some of his best GoPro shots, and a few newly filmed ones to create the final video. From cliff jumping to bungee jumping, this video definitely embodies the whole 'YOLO' movement.
Highlighting the fact that we are all 'caged' in some way, this video seeks to throw a little fun at what happens when you escape and break free. In the video, a man dressed as an elephant escapes from a zoo (which is Paradise Wildlife Park) in London and attempts to hitch-hike his way to another country (doing so finally by stowing away inside a suitcase). An aerial shot reveals that his initial destination was Cape Town, South Africa. He is then seen wandering around Johannesburg, at one point, walking past Nelson Mandela Bridge and a set of railway tracks in Braamfontein.
Released in 1996, this song remains one of the most controversial pieces Michael Jackson ever composed. The video was shot at two different locations in Brazil; Pelourinho, which is the historic city centre of Salvador, and in a favela of Rio de Janeiro called Dona Marta. Officials in the state of Rio feared images of poverty might affect tourism and their chance to host the 2004 Olympics, but the production went on and thousands of residents came out in support. 200 members from the cultural music group Olodum (from the city of Salvador), is seen often throughout the video playing their drums. The media interest surrounding the music video exposed Olodum to 140 countries around the world, and brought them worldwide fame and increased their credibility in Brazil.
The opening line in this video really says it all, 'New York is the place of opportunities. If there is any place in this world that you want to come to, to be able to make it big, or to go after your dreams, it is New York City'. This is then followed up by a montage of food, subway trains, skyscrappers, and other iconic images that make New York immediately recognizable. It also features many prominent and affiliated artists who make cameo appearances, such as Kanye West, Pharrell Williams, Chromeo, Diplo, Questlove and The Roots (just to name a few).
Taylor Swift- Begin Again
Location: Paris, France
As if the City of Lights wasn't already romantic enough, watching Taylor ride around Paris on a bike is enough to make any girl want to hop on a plane tomorrow. The video features scenes of Taylor shopping at designer stores, eating petite pastries, sitting on park benches, and walking down cobble-stoned streets; showcasing pretty much everything Paris has to offer.
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