Playlist: Phoebe May

What’s the best music video you’ve seen recently and why?

I really liked Sabrina Carpenter - Tears. I loved the reference to The Rocky Horror Picture Show and the camp energy of it. 

I always love a good reference to a cinematic classic when it’s done in a playful way. It feels very stylised but still fun, and I’m always drawn to work where the visuals, pacing and tone feel really in sync.

What’s the first music video you remember being impressed by?

I loved Christina Aguilera - Dirrty as a kid, it was provocative for its time and really pushed boundaries. I also remember loving Christina Aguilera, Lil' Kim, Mya, P!nk - Lady Marmalade and a lot of that early 2000s era, where the visuals felt bold, theatrical and very world-driven.

It’s not a music video, but I was also obsessed with Moulin Rouge! growing up and used to watch it repeatedly. I loved how heightened and emotional everything felt, and that was probably one of the first times I realised how much visuals could shape the feeling of music.

And what’s your all-time favourite music video?

I honestly don’t think I could choose one, but I’ve always loved videos that feel completely immersive and transport you into a different world. A$AP Rocky - L$D was a big one for me visually, and I remember really connecting with Tove Lo - No One Dies From Love because it felt emotional but still very stylised.

More recently, I’ve been really into Addison Rae’s videos. I just like work that has a really clear identity and point of view.

What other directors/artists do you look to for inspiration?

I’m really drawn to directors who sit between fashion and narrative, Petra Collins, Amber Grace Johnson, Alfred Marroquin, Aidan Zamiri, Gordon von Steiner, Nadia Lee Cohen, Hannah Lux Davis and Bardia Zeinali.

I also love Coralie Fargeat, I really connect to the intensity of her work. Growing up I was also really drawn to Tim Burton and Baz Luhrmann, especially the darker or more heightened visual worlds.

What are you listening to at the moment?

It usually depends on what I’m working on. I tend to get quite obsessive and loop one track while I’m building an idea, so it’s less about variety and more about finding the right feeling.

Lately I’ve been listening to Absolutely - Paracosm.

What’s your favourite bit of tech, whether for professional or personal use?

My laptop, I use it throughout my whole process. It’s where I start curating ideas, building visual references, and experimenting through editing and pacing, so a lot of my directing ideas take shape there before anything gets shot.

What artist(s) would you most like to work with and why?

I’d love to work with Billie Eilish, I’ve been a huge fan for a long time and her visual world has always felt really strong and distinctive.

I’d also love to work with Absolutely, her music feels really atmospheric and cinematic, which naturally lends itself to visual ideas, and I really like her aesthetic.

How do you feel the promo industry has changed since you started in it?

It feels a lot faster and more saturated. There’s so much content now that things can feel disposable, but it also means there’s more room to experiment visually. The challenge is making something that actually sticks.