11 amazing music videos that will make you want to travel

A still shot of Justin Bieber overlooking Santorini in the music video for his new song Company
A still shot of Justin Bieber in Santorini in the music video for his new song Company Credit: YouTube

The video for Justin Bieber’s latest single, Company, is likely to give fans the wanderlust, as it follows the singer on his travels around the world. We round up other music videos that might inspire you to get away.

1. I’ll Show You by Justin Bieber

The simple yet otherworldly landscape of Iceland, which has been used as a filming location for Game of Thrones and countless movies, takes centre stage in the video for Justin Bieber’s song I’ll Show You which was released at the end of last year. The country was said to have been the one place the 22-year-old singer had not been and always wanted to visit, according to Rory Kramer, the singer’s videographer.

Justin Bieber emerging from a glacier lake in the video for I'll Show You
Justin Bieber emerging from a glacier lake in the video for I'll Show You Credit: YouTube
Justin Bieber walking in Iceland in the video for I'll Show You
Justin Bieber walking in Iceland in the video for I'll Show You Credit: YouTube

The video sees the star walking past waterfalls, including Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss, running along a narrow hilltop, tumbling down lush green fields and sitting atop a cliff watching the sunset. He’s also pictured skateboarding across an empty open road and over an abandoned plane as well as emerging from the freezing Fjaðrá river, wearing nothing but his signature Calvin Klein underpants.

2. Been to the Moon by Corinne Bailey Rae

The music video of Corinne Bailey Rae’s new song Been to the Moon offers more ‘out of this world’ lunar escapes. Shot across the scenic dune landscape of Fuerteventura in the Canary Islands, the video sees the singer dressed as an astronaut who appears to have escaped from a rocket that crash-landed onto a desert.

The beach coast of Fuerteventura
The beach coast of Fuerteventura

3. Hymn for the Weekend by Coldplay and Beyoncé

The video of the song, which includes vocals by Beyoncé, portrays colourful scenes in India during Holi festival. It was reportedly shot last year in several cities in India, including Varanasi, Kolkata, and Mumbai, whose Bassein Fort (St Sebastian’s Fort) appears in the opening sequence. But the video has been previously critiqued for its somewhat stereotypical portrayal of life in India.

Local women at the Holi Festival in India
Local women at the Holi Festival in India Credit: HARISH TYAGI

4. Paradise by Coldplay

The song from the band’s previous album Mylo Xyloto was shot in London and South Africa. The video, which opens with a shot of a striking orange sunset in South Africa, follows a man in an elephant suit (played by lead singer Chris Martin) who runs away from a zoo in London (which was actually Paradise Wildlife Park in Hertfordshire) and travels across South Africa, beginning in the capital Cape Town, where he busks in the streets until he earns enough money to buy a unicycle from a bike shop in Woodstock. The video was also shot in the Klein Karoo in the Western Cape as well as Johannesburg, where Martin is seen walking through its streets, passing the Nelson Mandela Bridge and railway tracks in Braamfontein.

An aerial view of Cape Town
An aerial view of Cape Town Credit: © Jacob Lund Photography

5. The Nights by Avicii

Justin Bieber’s videographer also stars in the fast-paced music video for The Nights, by Grammy-nominated Swedish DJ and producer Avicii. The video follows Kramer engaging in various thrill-seeking activities around the world, from jet-skiing and diving off cliffs to bungee jumping and ‘air surfing’ on top of a car.

6. Princess of China by Coldplay and Rihanna

The clue is in the title but this collaboration with Rihanna features Martin and the songstress wearing traditional Asian robes and battling each other in China and other parts of Asia. The scenes were said to make visual references to films including Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, House of Flying Daggers and The Curse of the Golden Flower.

Chris Martin pictured in the video for Princess of China
Chris Martin pictured in the video for Princess of China

7. Empire State of Mind by Alicia Keys and Jay Z

The “concrete jungle” that is New York City forms the heart of the anthemic tune and music video which sees Alicia Keys and Jay Z singing against a backdrop of images showcasing the Big Apple; from aerial shots of skyscrapers and subway stations to the city’s landmarks including the Yankee Stadium, Brooklyn Bridge and Times Square.

8. B**** I’m Madonna by Madonna

New York has formed the setting of various other music videos including one for You Don’t Know My Name, also by Alicia Keys, as well as Madonna's song ‘B**** I’m Madonna’ last year, the star-studded video for which was shot across the top three floors of New York’s Standard High Line hotel.

The Standard High Line Hotel
The Standard High Line Hotel

9. Pound the Alarm by Nicki Minaj

This thumping dance tune is portrayed by an equally vibrant music video, shot in Port of Spain, the capital of Trinidad and Tobago, the home country of the singer. The opening steel drum notes of the song sets the playful Caribbean tone of the video which quickly picks up pace with the singer bursting onto the screen in full carnival costume, joined by several other dancers marching through the rowdy streets of the capital, which hosts “the Caribbean’s largest and wildest carnival”, according to Telegraph Travel’s Caribbean expert Fred Mawer. Shots of scantily-clad dancers adorned with giant headdresses are interspersed with aerial views over the island’s scenic coast and lush vegetation, concluding with a fireworks celebration.

An aerial view over a village in Trinidad and Tobago
An aerial view over a village in Trinidad and Tobago Credit: terex - Fotolia/igor terekhov

10. Human by The Killers

The video for the first single from the band’s Day and Age album was shot in Utah’s Goblin Valley State Park, which is part of Bryce Canyon National Park. Featuring various animals including a white tiger, an eagle and a cougar, the video captures the calm of an open, arid desert landscape. The band is pictured standing in the middle of the desert surrounded by dramatic rock formations, with an aerial shot of a valley evoking the similar scene and feel of the Grand Canyon.

Bryce Canyon National Park
Bryce Canyon National Park Credit: Tom Till

11. Shot at the Night by The Killers

The band pays tribute to its home city Las Vegas in the video for the song Shot at the Night. The video follows the story of a hotel maid at the Cosmopolitan Hotel who abandons her shift to go off on an adventure through the city with her love interest, a guest she randomly encounters at the hotel. The pair are seen having a night out on the town, gambling at the casinos, gambolling through the neon-lit streets and sitting in a Vegas wedding chapel during a ceremony.

An aerial of the Las Vegas strip
An aerial of the Las Vegas strip
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