Music videos are precious gifts from the universe. They can be time capsules of our lives and also a source of sanity. We probably have a huge plate of faves, but there will always be that one MV we find ourselves going back to for different reasons. Metaphorically, these MVs know us as much as we know them.
We at SCOUT owe a chunk of our philosophy to a certain music video, so we want to share our guilty pleasures. Maybe we’ve watched these 100 times already—and we think you should too.
“(You Drive Me) Crazy” – Britney Spears
“Hate me or break me, but Britney Spears’ ‘(You Drive Me) Crazy’ will heal me. I’m not a good dancer, but this MV makes me feel I can be whoever the hell I want. The peak Y2K ‘fits, god-tier choreography and that moment when the DJ paused and scratched the disk upon hearing Britney’s “stop!”… a cultural reset. I completely understand why four-year-old me couldn’t stop playing this. Britney isn’t just pop royalty—she’s the whole freaking genre. So bow down to the queen and #FreeBritney, bitch.” – Jelou Galang, junior content creator
“Blank Space” – Taylor Swift
“‘Blank Space’ has a manor, grandeur and a somewhat villainous Taylor, which makes me think of an AU where she’s a vampire luring young men. That is all.” – Katrina Maisie Cabral, junior content creator
“What If” – Babyface
“This MV first came into my life when I was around eight because of my older cousins. I watch it every now and then whenever I get into my feelings. It’s that shit that made me reminisce about love that’s forever gone… before I hit puberty. Sakit pa rin.” – Ian Alipio, marketing assistant
“Ring Ding Dong” – SHINee
“K-pop back in 2009 was really… different. This is probably one of the few songs that reeled me into K-pop. Even if the line “fantastic, elastic” made zero sense, this song has a special place in my heart because it came out at a time when K-pop was kinda fresh and other kids tend to bully those who listen to it. Paulit-ulit ko siyang pinapakinggan with my mini clip MP3 player na pamana pa. It was the greatest thing to even own one back then. The song’s like my reminder that I don’t have to conform to what people think. Like, eff you, I’ll like what I like.” – Danea Vilog, junior content creator
“Ride” – Lana Del Rey
“I’m so sorry I’m a slave for Lana Del Rey and the MV; her opening and closing monologue are very relatable as a young person trying to figure his place in this world and how to ‘ride’ into the real world.” – Ton Samaniego, junior digital associate
“If U Can’t Dance” – Spice Girls
“While technically not an MV in its most traditional sense, this live performance of the Spice Girls deep cut ‘If U Can’t Dance’ is legendary for one good reason: It was the opening number of their first ever live concert in Istanbul. And what an opening salvo it was for naysayers who said they couldn’t sing. Plus, who couldn’t resist all the glitter, the bodysuits, the big hair and in-your-face makeup, the platform boots, the confident choreography and that infectious Spanish rap that Ginger Spice belts out mid-song. Full of attitude, flavor and ‘bad behavior’ from these girls who ended up ruling the world. It’s hard not to get excited with all that energy.” – Eric Nicole Salta, editorial manager
“Cool” – Gwen Stefani
“The MV for ‘Cool’ dropped during third grade ‘tas pinilit ko pa ‘yung nanay ko na ‘yun ‘yung alarm sa Nokia 6600 niya ‘pag papasok na ako. Pakiramdam ko this is the blueprint for handling breakups. Also, it was one of the first MVs that gave me the impression that music videos can be short films too.” – Rogin Losa, brand content lead
“Sigurado” – UDD
“For five minutes I feel like I have a girlfriend and si Mizuki Ishida siya, hahaha.” – Mikey Yabut, junior multimedia artist
“Can’t Get You Out of my Head” – Kylie Minogue
“Mine is Kylie Minogue’s ‘Can’t Get You Out of my Head.’ The MV was released ‘nung two years old ako and at a young age, ayun na ‘yung naging basis ko on how the future would look like (or what the world would look like if Kylie Minouge got the recognition she deserved.) Who doesn’t love seeing robots dance to that hypnotic ‘la la la la la la?’ Haha.” – Yel Sayo, junior designer
“Everything” – Sam Sparro
“Okay, first off, the song is already amazing. Like I’ve been a fan of Sam Sparro since 2012 and his sound is so distinct, but he really took it to another level with this recent album. And when you play the song with the video, bro, it’s totally an experience worth diving into. It has that fun retro vibe that doesn’t make you feel intimidated to bust a move. Plus the dance segments are everything!” – Kyle Cayabyab, brand lead
Still from “Ring Ding Dong”