A young maid finds herself at a crossroads, in Maxim Kelly's mesmerising promo for Ethel. Waiting hand and foot on a slightly surreal family, we see the main character run errands and try to stay out of the way, as the father figure lip-syncs to the track, getting oppressively close to her wherever she tries to escape to. Ending with a climactic dance in the living room - performing to the awkwardly apathetic parents and daughter - the video is haunting and contemplative, echoing films from French and Korean arthouse cinema. A subtle manipulation of the textures of the image at certain points also heightens the surreality of the concept, which creates an unnerving atmosphere.“Initially I thought Ethel should be the main character and do the dance at the end, and I always had this image from this French film called My American Uncle, where it’s like a little girl standing up at a table," Kelly explains. "I originally had that image in my head for a rap video, but it didn’t really make sense to the song. I wanted this to feel more like surreal so then as I started finding more imagery. It kind of transpired that maybe the maid was the more interesting character.”

Anna Maria van 't Hek explores male vulnerability in the tender promo for Amsterdam-based R&B artist Cero Ismael. The film for Ismael's Sam is made up of stylised and sensitively performed vignettes, featuring the artist and his close friends and family. Focusing on depression and isolation, the film takes place in a confined environment, visually reflecting the themes of the track. Cero Ismael and Anna Maria van ‘t Hek collaborated closely on the concept and the execution - which ends with the artist’s real-life brother kissing his forehead to comfort him: an idea that Ismael himself suggested.“When I first heard the song, I was immediately struck by Cero Ismael's beautiful voice and how his lyrics spoke of vulnerability," says van ‘t Hek. "My starting point for the music video was talking to him in a very frank way - he took me right into his life, his thoughts, and the situations he has found himself in. These conversations formed the basis for the concept."I was inspired by the feeling of depression. The feeling that you can see the way out, but you can't seem to get to it. Despite a warm family and dear friends around you, you feel completely alone and separated from everyone else. As if there is a glass wall between you and the world."We decided to shoot the film underground - a place where no daylight comes in felt like the perfect place to represent this feeling. The visual language makes you long for a way out, but there is none to be seen. Which is, of course, exactly what depression feels like."It is important that men dare to be vulnerable. Art is a form of understanding each other better - and showing our vulnerabilities is essential for this.”Wonderfully executed, the video packs a real punch, and is a must watch.

Rosie Matheson directs a conceptual performance video for Finn Askew. Following their collaboration on 2020's Peach, Matheson delivers another knockout promo for the genre-defying artist, placing him in a series of absurd set pieces. Following the lyrics as a guide of sorts, Askew is tied up with rope, sat on a massive pile of dining chairs, and surrounded by loads of larger-than-life cherries. Wonderfully weird and catchy, and an excellent follow-up for the director and artist.

Artist and filmmaker Hans Neleman presents an abstract promo for The Psychedelic Furs. Intertwining art, photography, collage and stop motion - and paying homage to frontman Richard Butler's paintings - the video for Wrong Train explores the theme of a disintegrating relationship."The idea was to deliver something rooted in a more abstract realm rather than illustrating the lyrics literally," says Neleman. "I photographed and filmed Richard while painting his face as if he were delivering an art performance. Butler’s own artwork also focusses on obscuring and distorting faces with paint so we had a very symbiotic understanding during the creative process.” Restricted by Covid-19, the video was made in Neleman’s home studio in Connecticut, without any crew. More footage was shot in Middletown, New York, at Michelson Studio. Sadly this was to be the last film shoot at the upstate location, as the entire building burnt down to the ground a few weeks later, caused by a fire which originated in a neighbouring factory. A true feat, the visual is a perfect match to the lilting track, and a testament to the work of the entire creative team.