CABARET Preview + Top 10 Music Videos of 2025 (So Far)

Happy Monday, Hard Light Nation 👨‍💼

Warner’s out of office this week, so I’m taking over editing duties today!

Things slow down just about everywhere in the summer, so today’s newsletter is a bit of a shorty, but we’ve got some big screenings coming up for y’all! This Sunday, July 13, we’re thrilled to be presenting the first installation of our Weimar Germany series, Bob Fosse’s 1972 masterpiece CABARET (caps mine; I’m excited 🤠), on da big screen at Studio Two Three (tickets). Read on for a preview from Hard Light’s own Sylvie Miller!

The following Sunday, we’ll be back at S23 with our good friends Exposure Cinema with a very special DOUBLE FEATURE to beat the heat: Zeinabu irene Davis’s Compensation (1999) and the new 4K restoration of Charles Burnett’s Killer of Sheep (1978). $10 for one movie; $15 for both (tickets). In case you missed it, check out the last issue of the newsletter for previews of both movies.

Then in July and August, we round out our Weimar Germany series with the restoration of Mädchen in Uniform (1931) – a stunning early depiction of lesbian themes in film, so good it was banned by the Nazis and nearly banned by the US – and the roaring Nazi satire To Be or Not to Be (1942). Stay tuned to future issues of the newsletter for previews of both!

But enough talk of the future! In today’s issue, we have the aforementioned preview of Cabaret by Sylvie and a comprehensive rundown of the year’s best music videos so far from Kyle. Thanks as always to our contributors, and hope to see y’all Sunday!

Cabaret (1972), dir. Bob Fosse – Sylvie Miller

The year is 1972. American audiences had enough of musicals. After the free-love failure of the late ’60s, no one wanted to tune into a happy-go-lucky sing along. The Vietnam war was in full swing and Nixon was still in office. Times didn’t seem to be a-changing the way the American people had dreamed.

This is one of the many reasons why Bob Fosse’s first directorial foray with Sweet Charity was an utter flop. Though now heralded as a classic; at the time of its release, it nearly cost Fosse his career. When he heard of a film adaptation of Cabaret, he did everything in his power to get it. He knew Cabaret had to be different. He took a risk – and so did the studio in hiring him.

Cabaret focuses on two unlikely friends in 1931 Berlin. Brian Roberts, an English writer escaping the stuffy world of Cambridge and raucous enchanting cabaret singer, Sally Bowles. At the Kit Kat Club where she works, the emcee invites everyone in for debaucherous distraction; while the Nazi party grows outside its doors.

For the film adaptation of Cabaret, Fosse went back to the stories of Christopher Isherwood: the real-life Brian Roberts. Every version of Cabaret up to that point had been heavily sanitized, leaving out many of the darker elements, especially its queerness. Fosse fought to keep these elements in and knew they would resonate with modern audiences.

After an infamously messy production, Cabaret was finally complete. And all of Fosse’s risks paid off. To everyone’s surprise, Cabaret took home nine Academy Awards that year.

Cabaret has remained a mainstay in musical history and is perhaps more relevant now than ever before. Its harrowing narrative serves to remind us of the dangers of what can happen when we turn away and lose focus of what is right. The seductive powers of evil are always at play.

Join us at 7pm on Sunday, July 13 at Studio Two Three for our ongoing Staff Picks series with Bob Fosse’s Cabaret, starring Michael York, Liza Minnelli, and Joel Grey in career-defining performances.

Tickets are available at the door or at our website.

Top 10 Music Videos of 2025 So Far – Kyle M-B

Once an integral launching pad for filmmakers and their craft, alongside being a central piece of musicians’ budgets for an album rollout, the music video no longer operates within the overall collective consciousness of a musicians image or promotion. They are still around of course, hence the writing of this piece, but long gone are the days of 106 & Park and TRL music countdowns. Now the music video exists almost entirely online, but even with its shift of status culturally, musicians and filmmakers are still creating interesting and evocative pieces of work that help elevate the music that drives it all. So without further ado, here are the top 10 music videos of 2025…so far..(some are from December but I DON’T CARE)

10. Tyler, The Creator – “That Guy“

Following his appearance at Kendrick Lamar’s historic Pop Out performance, the release of his ninth studio album CHROMAKOPIA and the subsequent announcement and sell out of a world tour, few could argue that he had become one of the most important artists to come out of Los Angeles within the past decade. Now at the height of his powers and popularity Tyler takes us all back to where it all began, Hawthorne, California. “That Guy” not only feels like a career victory lap of a song, but also like a stamp of who Tyler is. The video spans the Hawthorne swap meet to its water tower, all while Tyler pays homage to fellow L.A legends in flow and name, most notably Drakeo The Ruler who was senselessly killed back in 2021. Los Angeles as a city has been through so much within the past couple of years so songs like “That Guy” help to reaffirm its place as a rap mecca. Luckily we can all be along for the ride.

9. Wednesday – “Elderberry Wine“

Sometimes all videos need to do is evoke the right feeling and that is exactly what makes the video for “Elderberry Wine” so special. A sweet and breezy tune about the community binding powers of fermented fruity beverage of its namesake. A bar, some beers and a gaggle of your buddies is all you need for the crises of the world to melt away, even if only for a moment. There’s a fleeting but comfortable feeling to everything here, the colors and gatherings in the video radiate a warmness that sucks you into every frame. Whether it’s the bright blue of the room the band plays in or the rustic brown of the walls of the bar, everything comes together for a song and video that wants you to embellish in its sound and aesthetics, to take a load off and to let the stressors of your surroundings drift away in its twangy small town charm.

8. zayALLCAPS – “Pimp My Ride“

Cheeky and interactive in its approach, “Pimp My Ride”’s video could fit in with any bar or home Karaoke set up. Jam packed with clips from the show, all the homies you could ask for and the lyrics at the bottom of your screen for you to sing along, “Pimp My Ride” is internet age R&B at its height. Its distortions and screen tears, its infectious and joyous energy can be felt in every line and frame. It all feels like a celebration, the way the song is supposed to be played, around people, with your friends while you all belt it out at the top of your lungs. Its confluence of early 2000s TV nostalgia and internet era editing techniques merges together for the ultimate summer jam. Play the song loud and play the video for all your friends, there’s no better way to enjoy it.

7. Horsegirl – “Julie“

There’s a certain innocence and approachability to this video and to Horsegirl’s music in general that pairs so well together. The animation of director Daphna Awadish Golan permeates almost every frame of the video, bright and shaky depictions of people and animals against the black and white photography creates a perfect juxtaposition of images. There’s a stillness and minimalism present here, one that amplifies the beauty in the simplicity of the lyrics. There’s a fleeting nature to the whole thing, to friendships and time and to a place. It all comes together as a video soaked in a quiet melancholy, one that speaks to transformative abilities of the band’s songwriting and that will stand as a timeless piece of art linked to memory and loss.

6. Rio Da Yung Og – “First Day Out“

Following a four year prison sentence, Flint, Michigan’s top shit talker returned home in the most triumphant way possible. Filmed on his first day out the feds, the video hits all the hallmarks of a modern rap video but with so much added weight. There’s a real feeling of “none of this was supposed to happen” that takes hold while you watch. The gold plaque, the embrace of his kids and family when he hops off the plane, that first gas station run with all your friends, it’s all celebratory, despite all the odds he made and it’s felt in every frame. It’s a level of flexing and assuredness in the music and video that most artists pray for but Rio makes it look effortless. There’s also this interesting meta aspect to the video where we see him recording the song for the first time as well, everything here is treated like an event, a glorious return, one that is four years overdue.

5. Billy Woods ft. E L U C I D – “Dislocated“

Billy Woods will go down as one of the most important and vital writers in hip-hop. The closing song of his latest record Golliwog brings Woods together with frequent partner and Armand Hammer compatriot E L U C I D for a song and video shrouded in mystery and darkness. Despite what Woods reveals in his music, the image of the man himself remains elusive. Any video appearance, he obstructs or pixelates his face, and here the metaphorical and physical obstruction of Woods converge. Even with so much he seemingly reveals, he creates a barrier. In the search for answers in what’s going on in the world, Woods seems to be looking for answers about himself, his art, and how that relates to us the listener. The song and the video doesn’t amount to answers, however, but to more questions that his music wants us to continue to ask.

4. Clairo – “Terrapin“

Directed by the incomparable Ayo Edebiri, the video for Clairo’s “Terrapin” lives by its hilarious central fixture, “Weird Al” Yankovic. Being presented here playing Clairo herself, the contrast of the voice and lyrics with Yankovic present is a great chuckle, but then you start to notice all of the other wonderful little goodies the video has as well. The choreography of the dances, the facade apartment building, the soft blue lighting that covers the set. It’s all things that could feel gimmicky if in the wrong hands but here feels tender, while still managing to be delightfully funny. The sentimentality and sweetness of the song is never lost under the jokes and imagery, they only ever enhance or evoke what the music is trying to say. It’s a beautiful example of a video shining through a subversion of our own expectations and one can only hope that with how amazing it turned out that we can get more video from Ayo.

3. Doechii – “Denial is a River“

Few artists in any genre of music have star-making years as Doechii has had. Her presence, artistry, and work ethic shine through at every turn and the video for Denial is a River brings together everything that makes her such an intriguing artist. The wit, the spectacle, the vision: all is present here, alongside a production and a budget for the video that is truly fitting for the star she is. We have celebrity cameos around every corner to fill out characters in the story, a sitcom scenario that brings you all the hijinks you would expect. The video has all the heft and bravado that a rap star of his caliber can provide, there is a defiant confidence present, one that focused on her work in every aspect. With the direction being as sound as it is alongside the brilliant art direction, it’s only a matter of time before Doechii gives a true visual feast on a large scale.

2. Paris Texas – “They Left Me With The Sword” / “They Left Me With A Gun“

The more I ran them back, the more it was clear that these two videos had to be considered together. Just like the EPs they represent, the duology of videos that tells the collective story of two brothers on a quest for chivalry and glory. That’s a very zoomed-out version of what I think is going on here but I think it’s best to go into these as blind as possible. Part of what makes the videos so interesting is just the sheer amount of images that it’s able to throw at you one after another, it’s always moving, the energy of each song and section driving through to the next. They’re maybe the most entertaining videos of the year? But ones that also pack so much into what they’re doing. There’s a clear duality that runs through both of the videos as well: Paris Texas is a duo, two EPs, two love interests, two traditional symbols for masculinity and power. The interplay between them all continues to be intriguing. It’s hard not to be excited when you see videos like this, ones that can elevate the ideas of the music to a new level while still working as a companion to it. The group’s penchant for elaborate and creative videos continues to surprise with this pair of videos they have their best yet.

1. Talking Heads – “Psycho Killer“

To celebrate 50 years since the Talking Heads first show at CBGBs in 1977, the band enlisted director Mike Mills of Beginners and 20th Century Women fame to helm a video starring Saoirse Ronan. It’s hard enough to make a music video for a new song coming out, but to tackle a song of this caliber and to not only make something good but one that embodies the soul and spirit of the work entirely is truly special. The direction from Mills alongside the absolutely incredible performance from Ronan catapult the video into the stratosphere, theres a level of control and restraint given to the song, one could have easily taken the exaggerated lyrical content of the song and applied imagery that directly relates but Mills instead harness he songs feeling and energy. Its lyrical content seeps into subtext while its emotional weight flows through the performance of Ronan. Everything here from the fixed camera angles and the changes of time and day between them offers up a restrictive but focused environment for Ronan to play in. The entire video is breathtaking from start to finish and is a more than fitting tribute to not only one of the great songs, but one of the great bands of all time.

What’s Up Next?

July 20th: Double Feature w/ Exposure Cinema: Killer of Sheep (1978) and Compensation (1999) at Studio Two Three
July 25th: Mädchen in Uniform (1931) at Studio Two Three
August 6th: To Be or Not to Be (1942) at Studio Two Three