I’ve recently been obsessed with Justin Bieber’s single Intentions (2020):

there’s a line that i really love: when i create, you’re my muse. and u make it easy to choose.

there’s a line that i really love: when i create, you’re my muse. and u make it easy to choose.

Interestingly, there’s a growing trend (which might have already begun decades ago) where music videos don’t align with their songs. Take “Intentions,” for instance. Its lyrics paint a vivid picture:

Picture perfect, you don’t need no filter

Gorgeous, make ’em drop dead, you’re a killer

Shower you with all my attention

Yeah, these are my only intentions

Stay in the kitchen cookin’ up, got you’re own bread (Whip it)

Heart full of equity or an asset (Asset)

Make sure that you don’t need no mentions (Yeah, yeah)

Yeah, these are my only intentions (Quavo)

so it’s just a heartfelt ode to Hailey Bieber (btw I really love her fashion).

However, the accompanying music video takes a completely different direction. According to Wikipedia, or just watch it on YouTube:

The music video premiered on Bieber’s YouTube channel the same day of the song. Filming took place at Alexandria house and California state University, Northridge’s Oviatt Library. Directed by Michael D. Ratner,[41] the video previews Bieber (along with Quavo) drawing attention to the difficulties of women and children in need while raising awareness and funds for Alexandria House, whose mission is to help them move from crisis to stability.[42]

Speaking on the background of the music video, Bieber stated that he wanted to shine a light on social issues that are happening in the world that people are often overlooking and that he wanted to make people aware of the hurting and broken people that are suffering in humanity.[43] He then posted a short version of the music video, only the parts with the song playing, on February 12, 2020. As of January 14, 2021, the video has crossed 291 million views on the platform.[44]

This trend of thematic divergence in music videos isn’t isolated to Bieber. Ariana Grande’s 2019 single “imagine” also followed a similar pattern. Its music video consisted of visually arresting, mosaic-like depictions of icebergs calving, culminating in a complete black screen paired with the final verse of her whistle notes.

Well, art is art and everything else is everything else (although some might argue that classifying pop music as art would be problematic. bite me).