Long days, hot nights, your skin sticky against hot car seats — more than any other season, summertime’s a fever dream of possibilities. And no matter where you live — in the city or in the country, on the mountains or on the plains — nothing says summer more than the beach, and nothing sums up the summer beach experience better than a killer music video.
Herewith, 10 hot, wet, music videos to help get you through the work-week until you can pack that body/bathing suit, little straw bag, and hit the road.
Chris Isaak, “Wicked Games”
You know when you play that game where you look at pictures in magazines or characters on TV shows or in this case, girls in music videos and choose the one you’d most want to be? I feel like I can say with approximately 100 percent certainty I’d choose Helena Christensen in this video every single time. Shot by Herb Ritts, this black and white ode to bad love is simply gorgeous.
Lonely Island, “I’m on a Boat”
In terms of celebrities I’d invite to my dinner party, Andy Sandberg and his Lonely Island collaborators are at the top of the list. How they manage to be smart, funny and sexy all the time in all their videos is a thing of creative genius.
Nicki Minaj, “Starships”
Spaceships, tribal warriors, oversaturated neon-pop-psychedelic-tropical islands and a song that starts with the lyrics, “Let’s go to the beach, each, let’s go get away…” no one does sexy/funny/cool/weird better than Nicki. No one.
Coldplay, “Yellow”
I’m not really a Coldplay fan, but this song gets me. And the video? I’m still trying to figure out why one shot, on one guy walking toward the camera in slo-motion is so mesmerizing.
Katy Perry, “Teenage Dream”
The queen of anthemic songs for girls everywhere, this is a great pre-game dance party video to play while you’re suiting (bathing suit that is) up. While I’m concerned Katy’s boyfriend isn’t as into it as she is — that chaste peck on top of the car and their middling chemistry in an otherwise sexy motel room —Katy’s big-eyed close ups and all the kids jumping into the ocean, riding skateboards and dancing around in the parking lot more than make up for it.
LMFAO, "Sexy and I Know It"
If you’ve ever visited the Venice beach boardwalk in LA, this video will look familiar. Filled with muscle beach freaks, Hollywood freaks and the freaks of LAFMO themselves, this super fun video is a parody with a killer hook that ends with a “West Side Story” dance off in banana hammocks to the refrain, “Wiggle wiggle wiggle wiggle wiggle.”
Beyonce, “Drunk in Love” (with Jay-Z)
Pre “Lemonade” and Louve, reasons why this video rules needs no explaining, but just to be clear, it features Queen B in a bikini, in black and white moonlight with a guest appearance by Jay Z.
Madonna, “Cherish”
What’s better than Madonna with a blonde pixie-haircut channeling Debra Kerr in “From Here to Eternity?” Not so much. Sadly, Burt Lancaster doesn’t make an appearance in the video, but Madonna’s never been one to share the screen…
J Lo, “Love Don’t Cost a Thing”
This is back when J Lo and Sean (Puffy) Combs were dating, but she threw him aside for one of her back-up dancers in this video, Cris Judd. Why is there no ‘h’ in his name? Who knows? Who cares!? This video is freaking awesome.
Lana Del Rey, “Blue Jeans”
Okay so this isn’t shot on a beach, but it’s shot in a pool, and is included here because it’s one of the sexiest. Videos. Ever. IMHO. Watch it and see if you can stop yourself from running down to your local tattoo artist for a full sleeve and hitting the road in search of your own bad boy.
What’s your favorite beach music video? Did you end up getting a tat after watching “Blue Jeans”? Did you fall crazy in love this summer? We’re lying on our towels slathered in coconut suntan lotion waiting for your response.