The 5 Most Captivating Animated Music Videos of 2020

‘my future’ – Billie Eilish

Billie Eilish recently arrived on the scene with her sparkly, lulling track, ‘my future’. This tune got treated to its very own animated music video which was riddled with metaphors and moody landscapes.

The music video arouses a sense of familiarity and thrill for fans of the legendary Japanese animator, Hayao Miyazaki. The opening shots of ‘my future’ take a page from Miyazaki’s book, particularly in relation to his works like “My Neighbor Totoro”. From the lonely moon, to Billie’s hair whipping in the wind, to the gentle ripples distorting the reflection seen in a puddle – every frame draws its inspiration from his work.

The video, created by the Melbourne-based ‘Chop Studio’, also dabbles with lighting and colour in an interesting manner. Billie’s slow, lulling verses are accompanied by visuals of a dark, sombre forest – a sort of haven for lost souls. But under a new day’s sun, the song sees a shift in mood. It transforms into a lighter piece, one defined by a groovier flow and sweeter verses. The landscape witnesses a burst of colour – a simple, yet effective way to denote a brighter mood.

Now, Billie herself is a die-hard fan of Miyazaki, so it’s no surprise that her love for his work has bled into her own. In fact, when discussing her process of creating music, she emphasized the importance of illustrating her thoughts and emotions. She went on to confess, “I owe so much of it to Miyazaki and his weirdly unrealistic but realistic characters.” She then proceeded to gush about her love for the classic film, “Spirited Away”, “I watched it over and over and over again. Oh my god I thought it was so dope. And I had the biggest crush on the dragon in that movie.”

And so, that’s the tale behind the music video for ‘my future’.