The Weeknd's 'Mania' short film makes music videos relevant again

If you're digging The Weeknd's Starboy check out Mania, a short film slash long form music video that features many of the tracks from the recently released and now top streaming album by the Toronto native. Teaming up with French model Anais Mali, the 12-inch video is part noir thriller and part experimental video. We see The Weeknd get to show some dancing and acting chops as well as visit some very atmospheric and moody locations that have visual symmetry to his brand of music. Starboy sees The Weeknd collaborating with Daft Punk, Future, Lana Del Rey and Kendrick Lamar.

While the music video format has suffered from lack of relevance, projects like Mania and Beyonce's Lemonade Visual album are once more making the form relevant again, more than putting images to music, long-form videos are somewhat like LP's in that they have the ability to tell a linear story, concept or image that eventually becomes a visual reference for the music.