Vevo has just released its key trends for music video in 2024, including impactful debuts and big view counts for stars including Eminem, Karol G, Sabrina Carpenter, Taylor Swift, Shaboozey and more.
Here, London-based Carl Young, head of music & talent, EU at Vevo, looks back at the past 12 months for music video…
2024 was another iconic year for music video, and we saw a wide range of creative styles, from nostalgic plays, to celebrity cameos, to elaborate plots and cultural conversation.
Moreover, the visual nature of this art form solidified the music video’s place in pop culture, influencing everything from sports fandoms to fashion trends to album releases this year. Here are some of the standout trends we observed this year…
A huge year for women in pop
2024 was huge for women pop stars, like Sabrina Carpenter, Chappell Roan and Ariana Grande – and it’s no coincidence that these artists used music videos with cinematic storytelling to rally fanbases and sustain social engagement all year long. From Taste to We Can't Be Friends (Wait For Your Love), some of their releases were the biggest premieres of the year on Vevo, and their high viewership showed how eager fans were for distinct, yet personal visuals that provide deeper insight into the artist.
For example, when Sabrina Carpenter released Please Please Please featuring actor Barry Keoghan, her catalogue saw a nine-times increase in UK viewership.
Another star of 2024, Chappell Roan (a former DSCVR Artist To Watch), who saw a massive surge on social media platforms and a successful festival circuit, grew her UK music video viewership by a staggering tenfold this year, compared to the year prior.
Billie Eilish (who also had a big year amid awards, a new album and tour) saw over triple the UK views for What Was I Made For? following her Oscar win, while her album release for Hit Me Hard And Soft boosted her catalogue views by 610%.
Live performances driving engagement
In 2024, live performances proved to be another powerful engagement-driver, reconnecting fans with the artist's wider catalogue.
Gracie Abrams is a prime example: her Vevo Extended Play performance of I Love You, I'm Sorry (pictured) both trended on YouTube and also inspired extensive TikTok content. When the audio from this live performance hit audio streaming services, it was the second-biggest debut for a live recording in Spotify’s history – demonstrating how unique live takes can galvanise fandoms and impact an artist across the broader streaming ecosystem.
Gracie Abrams then packaged all of her Vevo Extended Play tracks into her deluxe version of The Secret of Us album.
Awards shows and festival season serve as another example of how live performances fuel music video viewership. In the spring, Raye saw an impressive 621% lift in UK daily views on the day after she performed at the BRITs while taking home six awards. In the summer, Shania Twain’s legendary Glastonbury set sparked a 450% increase in UK views for You’re Still The One, which brings me to the next trend we have been watching...
Country music's global surge and crossover appeal
Country music has seen remarkable growth, crossing into mainstream pop culture all over the world, with Vevo data showing a 34% year-on-year increase in views for country genre music videos outside of the US.
High-profile collaborations with artists like Post Malone (featuring Dolly Parton), Machine Gun Kelly (with Jelly Roll) and Avril Lavigne (with Nate Smith) were instrumental in expanding the genre’s reach – and we can’t forget the impact that Beyoncé’s album made this spring.
Music videos remain essential to artist campaigns, driving engagement and sparking cultural conversations on a global scale
Carl Young
The visual aspect of music videos in particular have served as a window into the genre’s surrounding lifestyle and culture, introducing audiences to country in a way that audio alone cannot. The most tangible example is evident in today’s fashion trends – from cowboy boots, to head-to-toe denim, to leather fringe; western wear and cowboy-core have crossed the pond and influenced UK fashion.
Global search data from Google also showed that searches for 'cowboy hat' more than tripled following the Verizon Super Bowl commercial featuring Beyoncé. Vevo’s latest UK Media Tracker survey findings also support this, with 72% of Brits saying that music videos are a valuable way to discover new styles.
Reflective comebacks for each generation
This year has also been characterised by reflective comebacks, with artists from different generations returning and reigniting interest in their back catalogues.
Each era of music fans had its own version of this trend, as artists reconnect with their past in ways that resonate deeply with the audiences who grew up with them.
The Oasis reunion announcement on August 27, for example, had fans rushing to watch music videos as they celebrated the return of one of the most iconic bands of the '90s, resulting in the band seeing nine times their average UK viewership.
Outside of touring, we saw nostalgia weaved into the actual creative of music videos to spark buzz and create huge pop culture moments. For fans of the noughties, Eminem’s Houdini featured him rapping against his younger self in a creative throwback. 50 Cent, Snoop Dogg, Shane Gillis, Pete Davidson and more personalities were also featured.
The premiere drew in a 372% global lift in his catalogue views, and in the UK, his catalogue saw a 646% spike the day after its debut, proving just how deeply this era of music still resonates with viewers here.
Moving to the 2010s, we saw Jade’s evolution as a solo artist, marking another exciting chapter. Her first solo release, Angel Of My Dreams, reflected on her beginnings with Little Mix, struck a chord with long-time fans, while carving out her unique individual identity.
The music video made Vevo’s Top 10 UK premieres for this year, with over a million views within the first two weeks of its release.
Crossover with sport fandom
This summer was especially huge for sport fans, and music video viewership reflected their excitement as they cheered on their favourite teams and athletes.
On July 14, the UEFA Euro final drove the Lightning Seeds’ Three Lions to its highest Vevo viewership since 2021. The official Euro 2024 song, Fire by Meduza, OneRepublic and Leony, also peaked that day.
During the Paris Olympics, Céline Dion’s return at the opening ceremony made July 27 her most-viewed day on Vevo in over six years, and Snoop Dogg’s torch-carrying moment spiked his Vevo views in France, making July 26 his top viewership day in the country.
At Vevo, we’ve witnessed how music videos continue to transform how artists connect with their audiences. They remain essential to artist campaigns, driving engagement and sparking cultural conversations on a global scale.
As we see the proliferation of video on a number of platforms, music videos promise even greater opportunities for artists to innovate and engage audiences in 2025.
