7 Hot Music Directors

BY: PROVOKR Editors

These are the most interesting, fresh creative talents directing music videos today. We won’t rank them because it would be almost impossible as they are so diverse in their taste and they all possess such different imaginations and visual ideas. We are totally fascinated by the work of the following directors.

We are loving Zia Angel who is a NY based filmmaker whose work leans toward striking, powerful films that often explore womanhood. In her music video for Mitski for “Geyser’ and Maggie Rogers’ Fallingwater” you can feel the sensuous heat and the movement physically of the struggle of being female. She makes narrative short films that are haunting meditations on being a woman.

Brthr is filmmakers Alex lee and Kyle Wightman who come from Japan and Long Island respectively. They joined forces in 2010. Their work for The Weeknd and Travis Scott’s “Goosebumps” is legendary. Color and movement mark their work and whip us into a completely entertained state, mesmerized with the song and the video.

Lacey Duke builds imaginary universes. Originally, inspired by Missy Elliott’s music video “Rain”. She has worked with D.R.A.M. and The Internet. Lately she joined forces with Janelle Monae for the hit from Dirty Computer “I Like That”. She has directed marvelous shorts like the amazing” A Great Day in Harlem” and is on her way to an incredible future as a filmmaker.

Karen Evans rose up through Director X’s production company. A Canadian, she started pitching her own ideas and ended up directing SZA in the beautiful world of “Garden”. Her fellow Canadian, Drake, chose her to direct “God’s Plan” one of the most awarded songs and videos of that year. The rest is history. She is an amazing young talent.

Henry Scholfield was so turned on to Jay Z’s “99 Problems” he became dedicated to the art form of the music video. His work for Billie Eilish’s “Hostage” and Dua Lipa’s “New Rules” show he has a huge understanding of women and a unique harmony with women. He continually turns in distinctive, stunning work.

Grant Singer loves great music and he works across all genres. He is responsible for the creation of the The Weeknd’s moody, beautiful videos including “Call out my Name ” and “I can’t feel my Face”. He directed Taylor Swift’s and Zayn’s sexual longing in “I don’t want to Live Forever”. He builds amazingly dark and dramatic stories and is in high demand. He has worked with Lorde, Camilia Cabello and Ariana Grande. He has an uncanny understanding of the female view. He is such a great story teller, this guy should be making feature films.

Bardia Zeinali’s style is full of visual contradictions as was his international upbringing. An Instagram fan and follower, no less than Troye Sivan, invited him to shoot “Bloom” at the Met Gala. Over the next month he did and turned in a colorful, heartfelt visual feast of Troye Sivan. “Bloom” is an intimate portrait that feels so right. He then directed Troye with Ariana Grande in “Dance to This” a true anthem for outcasts. Britiney Spears was his inspiration growing up and he used to shoot his three sisters in his bedroom for hours. It paid off.