2019 brought us a whole host of drama. But while politics went to shit, protests erupted around us and Mercury seemed to be in retrograde all of the fucking time, one icon made a comeback so celestial that angels sang. All seemed right with the world for the four and a half minutes we watched, with our jaws on the floor, the IRL angel that is FKA Twigs in all her glory in the video for “Cellophane”.

If the video for “Lights Up” has been branded onto the back of your brain since it dropped last month, you’re not alone. If you weren’t expecting to witness Harry Styles create a sweaty, cinematic orgy on-screen this year, you’re not alone either. And yet here we are, still rewatching the visuals on repeat and wondering where one acquires such a dazzling two-piece suit. Album pending.

This year, Solange returned with one of the best albums of the year, When I Get Home, accompanied by a visual tour of the Houston she knew growing up. With a dark, mellow colour palette, a focus on movement and a crew of dancers melting into the rhythms of the track in circular patterns and formations, “Almeda” stands out as one of the most simple but effective and aesthetically pleasing videos of 2019.

First: we can’t have a best of 2019 list without mentioning Lil Nas X. Arriving with his debut, country rap track “Old Town Road” in March, the now Grammy-nominated artist came through with one of the most talked-about records of the year. Then, forming what’s now become the most iconique duo since Miley and Hannah Montana, the rapper was joined by Billy Ray Cyrus himself to remix the track, accompanied with a western-themed video complete all the line dancing inspo you’ll need for your Christmas party.

If you haven’t had one of Ariana Grande’s songs stuck in your head and her lyrics dominating your Instagram captions every month this year, where have you been? January saw her break the internet for the first time of 2019 with “7 Rings”, a bad bitch anthem with pink-hued visuals littered with diamonds, vintage cars, champagne and a girl gang decked out with faux fur and high ponytails. We stan!

For those who’ve dreamt of dancing in a diamante two-piece and thigh-high boots, in the rain, backed by a trumpet band, Normani let us live through her this year and did just that in “Motivation”. The breakout track arrived with all the attitude, coordinated dance moves and iconic lewks we needed to get us through the summer, and we’re tipping the singer as one to watch in 2020.

This year Tyler, the Creator brought showbiz back with the visuals for “EARFQUAKE”, lifted from his long-anticipated fifth studio album, IGOR. Opening with a cameo from Tracee Ellis Ross, the video sees Tyler performing in a pastel blue suit and peroxide blonde wig on the glitzy set of a TV show, before it catches alight and he transforms into a firefighter… It is what it is.