Bastiaan Lochs, Ramy Moharam Fouad and Jonathan Van Hemelrijck join forces to direct this delightful promo for Belgian-Egyptian singer Tamino. featuring Belgian pop superstar Angèle.The video for Sunflower presents a modern take on the 1900's silent film era, and sees Tamino - a lost sailor - in the middle of a surreal theatrical universe, who follows Angèle to the moon to discover the purpose of her mysterious endeavour. With slow camera movements and cinematic lighting, Sunflower combines elements of the old with the new to brilliant effect. “What was difficult at first was imagining how the universes of Tamino and Angèle could be combined," says co-director Bastiaan Lochs. "Their aesthetics are very different and we were worried about how to make them match."This world that we created takes notes from Angèle’s imaginative playfulness, but stays true to the gloominess of Tamino’s storytelling. All worries melted away as soon as both of them came on set in their handmade outfits. They blended together so naturally in this crafty set decor that we wondered why we ever expected differently.”Jonathan Van Hemelrijck, one third of the occasional directing trio, points out that although three people co-directing a music video is unconventional. "But looking back, it was the best choice for the project," he adds. "Each of us brought their unique strengths to the table, resulting in a film that carries the soul of us all.”

Tanu Muino brings us the first outstanding British music video event of 2023 with Sam Smith's unabashed, splendidly theatrical and joyfully outrageous video for I'm Not Here To Make Friends.Exuberant, eccentric, and defiantly brazen, this sees Sam Smith dispensing with any last vestige of previous public incarnations and embracing their queer superstar status with gusto - but also with a healthy self-knowing nod and a wink.Sam arrives by helicopter to a historic countryside manor, joining a gregarious crowd to engage is an extravagant costume party for the ages, over an inspirational sample of RuPaul before the disco beat of this surefire smash kicks in. And eyebrows are soon being raised...There is dancing. There are some extraordinary outfits. There's rowdy behaviour. And there is some very suggestive things going on, including a scene that may possibly be inspired by Frankie Goes To Hollywood's video for Relax!Throughout is the stunning array of costumes and looks, and Sam's playful and sexy performance, which dazzles in every vignette. They are clearly having the time of their lives. Bringing together so many different layers and inspirations - including a knowing nod to Steven Klein's promo for Gaga's Alejandro - the video oozes self-love and an excitable confidence, and is the perfect release to complement Gloria, Smith's just-released new album.It just ticks all the boxes it's supposed to tick - and that is really down to the genius of Tanu Muino. She just knows what a pop video like this should do, and achieved it, from start to finish.

Thomas Davis directs an enigmatic promo for punk rocker Joe Unknown's gAng. Standing in front of a mirror in a theatrical backstage area, we see a young woman grab a pair of clippers and shave her hair off, as the camera crawls in and out, exploring the space. In the corner of the room, we see Joe Unknown in an armchair, half-watching TV and half-watching the girl shave her head. It's a remarkably simple yet powerful concept, that leaves plenty to the imagination - including the context of the situation.

Jordan Hemingway collaborates with the phenomenal Yves Tumor on the video for Secrecy.... interweaving a multiplicity of cinematic vignettes and characters, tied together by Hemingway's darkly romantic, surreal style. The concept is a cacophony of glamour, sex appeal and abstract narrative, which finds a middle ground in Tumor's theatrical performance style and otherworldly environments. Truly outstanding work, from the casting to the boundary-pushing amalgamation of fashion and art direction.

'Sorry it’s not disco, we lied. It’s an album of terrible lows and even worse highs’ - say Irish indie rock heroes Fontaines D.C. about their forthcoming third album, Skinty Fia. And the first video from the LP - directed by their regular collaborator Hugh Mulhern - is appropriately haunting.Centred around the band's performance of first single Jackie Down The Line - the last to grace Catford Theatre before it undergoes extensive renovation - Mulhern’s video also introduces the mysterious figure of Jackie as he navigates the harsh conditoins of a toxic relationship. This vision for the doomed romance sees a dedicated suitor in a jaunty hat - played by acclaimed choreographer and Kanye collaborator Black Haine - with an abundant supply of roses, seduced by sirens who incite violence. It evidently pays not to ghost a girl who is keen on archery. The dark theatricality of the concept feels evocative of early 90's grunge videos, and boasts brilliant performances centered around an unsetlling, abstract narrative. And Mulhern has also carried this concept into the live performance video of the track for The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon - creating a new perspective of the narrative, through a one-shot drone setup.

Rodrigo Inada directs Put It On Your Face!! - an all-singing, all-dancing extravaganza created for Swedish lifestyle brand Byredo andVogue Italia, with original music by Danny Harle and Isamaya Ffrench.Featuring Ffrench with members of the Theo Adams Company - with Adams acting as performance director - this centres around the power of makeup, in particular the new line of makeup that Ffrench has developed with Byredo. Highly theatrical and dripping with slick styling and, of course, flawless makeup by Ffrench herself, the fashion film blends a number of different aesthetics and an eccentric sense of anachronism, to create something daring, original and collaborative.