Video War: 30 Seconds To Mars Vs. Katy Perry

HOLY MOLY, PEOPLE: IT LOOKS LIKE WE'VE GOT A REAL RACE ON OUR HANDS. This is the closest battle we've ever seen round these parts, and in the end, it came down to just a few votes. But before we reveal the winner of last week's contest, let's review the impassioned arguments in favor of each musician:

First up, the die-hard devotees of 30 Seconds To Mars:

AnnaBB44: 30 Seconds to Mars! 
They are my absolute favorite band in the whole world! Their originality is so inspirational and so isn't their music. The fact that they are traveling the world and touching each fan with their music is so astounding. Their fans (myself included) are know as "The Echelon" which means "the wave" ("Yes. This is a Cult". We are a force to be feared and loved because of our deep devotion and love for 30 Seconds to Mars. We vote for 30STM to win awards and all over the world we request their songs be played on the radio just to get the word of their awesomeness out. I love this band with all my heart!

And for the video... I remember the first day I saw it and it was just the most amazing thing I have ever seen. I watched the video once/twice a day for a few months and always got goosebumps every time! Their concerts are amazing and thanks to the director Bartholomew Cubbins (aka 30STM front man Jared Leto) everyone can be exposed to the heart and soul that IS 30 Seconds to Mars. How can someone not love such amazing music. My vote is for them and I'm proud to say that I am indeed, a crazed fan. ~Provehito In Altum~

SpiffyAlien: 30 Seconds to Mars, by far.
The shots of the cities were gorgeous, and the song is just so darn powerful (not that I cried or anything. My contacts just messed up a bit for a second there and caused my eyes to water a bit..).
Have you SEEN that mohawk? It's AMAZING. Mohawk + leather jacket + blue eyes = One happy alien.

Besides, Katy Perry's video scares me. Since when do people have fireworks boobs? And don't EVEN get me started on her voice...

CharlieHoops1: 30STM ALL THE FREAKING WAY!!! Because you know what? Let's do some math.
Katy Perry = Katy Brand = Fake Machine.
Jared Leto = Awesome Singer.
So, what are YOU going to say about THEM APPLES? And OH MY GOSH, just LOOK at Jared's beautiful EYES. *swoon*

MountainWolf: Well, first of all, Katy Perry gets points just for coming out with a song that's about something deeper than teenage sex and getting drunk. Good job, Katy. I never knew you had it in you.

I gotta say, Fireworks does deal with a more complicated issue than your average pop song. I could actually relate to the people in the video... Especially that boy and his sister with the arguing parents. The dysfunctional family thing is something I'm familiar with.  And the fireworks-coming-out-of-chest thing was interesting, but a bit redundant. The pregnant woman giving birth to fireworks just killed it dead.

My least favorite thing about the video was probably Katy, actually. While the characters were really engrossing and out-of-the-box, Katy was standing on a balcony in a designer dress with airbrush-perfect make-up. She seemed disconnected from everything that she was singing about. And the lyrics? Flaaaat. "Make them go 'Oh, oh, oh!' as you shoot across the sky"? -___-

Anyone notice the similarity between Firework and Raise Your Glass, by Pink? They both deal with similar issues- being yourself, fitting in, obesity, and gay pride. Except Pink has three things Katy doesn't: A personality, a voice, and the ability to write acceptably decent lyrics, as opposed to stringing cliches together. Raise Your Glass: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjVNlG5cZyQ

30 Seconds to Mars:
I've heard good things about 30StM, but never really listened to their songs. And woowie, that guy has a good voice. He made me want to Daaaance!

Also: Pink mohawk + freakishly blue eyes = Serious awesomesauce.

The vid seemed like something devoted fans would really appreciate, but for a newbie like me, all the documentary-style sentimentality kind of went amiss. And it's pretty beast that they included their fans in this, but the awkward-ly worded cliches in the middle of the song were a tad irritating.

So while Fireworks at least ATTEMPTED to cover more serious issues than Closer to the Edge, Katy Perry's voice and general persona kind of killed it. Closer to the Edge had more energy and didn't seem as fake-y.

Winner: 30 Seconds to Mars.

FrolickingSheep: ok. wow. i've been reading over the comments and i'm...shocked. you guys like katy perry more? seriously? for the love of all that is good in this world, REALIZE SHE CAN'T SING! EVERYbody sounds good on a recording! also, about people saying the 30SM video was boring, may i say that i actually started liking this song after i saw this music video? while i must say that firework is one of katy's better songs (as opposed to say...Last Friday Night), i really don't feel like watching nearly four minutes of katy prancing around with fireworks shooting out of her chest and backup dancers. i mean..it's like...huh. i wonder what we'll do for the video. OH I KNOW! since it's called FIREWORK, let's have fireworks! SHOOTING OUT OF KATY'S CHEST! GENIUS.

30SM, on the other hand, has an amazing video. the crowd shots are epic, jared's voice and eyes are awesome, and though the interviewy things with the fans are a little on the cheesy side, it's really nice that they include their fans like that. also, i yet again refer to my previous comment. they know how to perform live. well. i saw them on the world stage mtv thing and they. were. AMAZING. sounded almost exactly the same as they did on the cd.

so, if i didn't make that clear enough, i vote for 30 Seconds to Mars.

Mrs. Lovett: I am speaking for the supporters of Closer to the Edge and here are my reasons --Closer to the Edge carries the message about having confidence in yourself a lot better. At the start we see these people saying things that feel heartfelt and they just seem like normal people. Not actors pretending, which is what I saw when I saw all the "Misunderstood" people in Katy Perry's music video.

Closer to the edge actually made me think and made me feel a little warmer. After I watched "Firework" I thought, "Okay, so if I have confidence, everyone will accept me and everyone will start dancing and CGI sparks will appear and everyone will love me and I will have grown an amazin body and brilliant looks ... wait, in reality that doesn't happen and the difficulties of being yourself is actually the reaction from other people which aren't always accepting". Sorry Katy, but I just don't believe you.

Jelly_chan: As for 30 Seconds to Mars, of course I will be biased here, seeing as they are one of my favorite bands. I just find that a lot of their music speaks to me and has helped me through some really tough time in my life (unlike Katy Perry, who's "Make them go oh oh oh" has not been particularly helpful as you may guess). Yes I consider them far more talented and they are actually personally involved in the shooting and production of their videos. Katy Perry is not. Katy Perry did not direct her own video in an attempt to bring a message of her own to her fans unlike Jared Leto.
Although I must admit, this video also makes me want to cry because...really guys? really? this is the best you could come up with? Many of Jared Leto's directing efforts have left me feeling exasperated and amused sometimes (the horse in the "Kings and Queens" video anyone?)but this was kind of a letdown. Plus this is the only song from the new album apart from Hurricane that I didn't care for much. So yes, it also may come off as completely egotistic but I don't think that was the purpose. Yes I think the whole cult thing wasn't meant to be serious but people are taking it wrongly.

So overall my vote goes to 30SM. They are genuine and they are truly inspirational and have been so all along. Katy Perry just randomly decided to come off all nice and caring and make a song like that. As for 30SM...just remember, "Provehito in Altum" was always their phrase. All you people who are 30SM fans: friend me! None of my friends share my opinion on 30SM they just roll their eyes and look at each other like, "There she goes again" (like when i asked my latin teacher about the best way to translate provehito in altum in the middle of class xD). It's nice to finally see fellow fans xD

swirl_silver: when i saw who was competing i was like: 1) *glancing at 30 seconds to mars* THATS ONE OF MY FAVORITE BANDS! CHESS!

2) *glancing at katy perry* WHAT IS THAT [explective] [explective] DOING HERE?! YOUR MOTHER IS A [explective]ING [explective] LORAMIXUM [explective] AGIMDUM VENIUM [explective] TRAGULA [explective] HIPPOPOTAMUS [explective]REPUBLICAN [explective] IN DANIEL RADCLIFF [explective] WITH A BUCKET OF [explective] IN A CASTLE FAR AWAY WHERE NO ONE CAN HEAR YOU [explective] SOUP [explective] WITH A BUCKET OF [explective] MICKEY MOUSE [explective] DYNAMITE [explective] MAGICAL [explective] ALAKAZAM!!!!

and thus conclude my thoughts. good day to you.

Next, the loud and proud proponents of Katy Perry:

TheEpicNinjaOfEpicness: Katy Perry isn't doing the classic "I love you" song. It's an inspirational song about letting go and being the bast you can. The montage featuring insecurities and hardships people face is motivating, and listening to the song really feels as though you are lucky and unique. It take the message everyone laughs off in those cheesy movie the school makes us watch (Diary of a wimpy kid) and makes it actually meaningful.

MindoftheMatter: I'm going to surprise myself by actually posting a comment here, mainly because I actually see a real competition here! Most of the time, the videos have no contest between them (at least, in my humble opinion), but the difference surprised me. So, without further ado, my opinion...
30 Seconds to Mars
1.) Normally, this band would automatically get my vote. Although they're not my favorite band, I love Jared's voice, and each of their songs are all unique and have their own feel to them. And I think that alone should give the band a little more in their favor.
2.) I love how the video seems to focus a lot on the fans, after all, they would be no where without them. The video was a nice shout-out, in a way. I love that the fans are included so much; most artists don't really give their fans much recognition.
3.) I love the camera work throughout the entire video. Even though it doesn't seem like much, the way that they went from concert to concert was awesome to watch. Even slight changes like how the camera angles switched were all great.
4.)The energy! Using concert footage was great, it made the whole thing seem more "real" then when compared to normal videos of the band performing by themselves.
5.) The difference in footage was great! Just when you think that you know where the video is going, they'll add in something else, something different. My eyes were definitely entertained throughout.
6.) 30 Seconds to Mars definitely cares about their fans, and the people who support them (how many other bands do you know that give all that credit at the end of a music video?), and it's really great to see that nowadays. But that being said, the end of the video did feel a little bit off. With the ending lyrics and the closeup of Jared's face, it was a perfect ending, but suddenly, you're jarred out of that to see more of the fans talking. It made the music video seem more like a documentary about the band than anything else. I'm not saying that there is anything wrong with that, but personally, it felt out of place.

Katy Perry:
1.) When I first saw this video, I was genuinely surprised. I was expecting another "I Kissed A Girl", or "California Girls", but instead it get this: an inspirational, uplifting song that I can listen to more than once without feeling a need to change radio stations. The surprise was definitely welcome.
2.)I loved the different story lines that were carried throughout the video. You could easily follow each one, and it wasn't overwhelming in the slightest. I've watched several other videos where I have no idea what's going on with the story.
3.) I get the meaning behind it for this video, but what's with Katy Perry and things coming out of her chest? The firework, though better than whatever that other stuff was in California Girls, seemed a little off. But, I can't think of a better way to show the whole "firework" concept, so I really can't complain much there.
4.) I'll admit it, this video sent chills down my spine at one point, and that rarely happens with me. Nothing beats inspirational stories like that, having people overcome their inner fears and "letting their colors burst".

Final Result:
This was, admittedly, a hard decision to make. I love both videos, but in the end (even though I dread the thought of siding with mainstream music), I have to cast my vote to Katy Perry. Both had great visual effects/camera work, and both had powerful meanings to their lyrics. But in the end, I'm sticking with the video that actually made me feel something while watching it. After watching Firework several times over the past week or so, I was always in a really great mood after watching it, no matter what mood I was in before. Congrats, Katy, for making me side with the "mainstream" side. This is a feat that has never been accomplished before.

monsoon0203: Okay, so I’ve have always admired Katy Perry. But I’m not here to say why I like the artist, I’m here to talk about the music videos.
30 seconds to mars:
1. It’s kind of annoying when a music video doesn’t start with, you know, music.
2. I didn’t really…”get” this music video. It kind of seems like they’re promoting a new TV show? Am I right? I am right.
3. Crowd surfing is so last year.
4. I love the Mohawk.
5. 6 minutes is much too long for a music video. I got bored at 3 minutes through.

Katy Perry:
1. Incredibly touching. Not that I cried…or anything..(okay maybe a few tears. MAYBE)
2. She looks amazing, and not slutty.
3. This music video has a storyline, or at least a message. Don’t be afraid to be yourself. Isn’t that what Sparklife is all about? And it touches on everything, from self-consciousness to being gay to having cancer.
4. I will admit, at first I thought, “Woah! Fireworks from her boobs!” but then I was all, “oh wait, fireworks from her heart!”
5. I love the dance scene at the end!
So, Katy Perry. All the way.

IndigoGal: I'm actually going to have to go with Katy Perry on this one. Even though I generally dislike her voice and the whole auto-tuned aspect of it, I though her video and her message were more important and more inspiring to me than 30 Seconds to Mars. I've never, with the exception of the "Fireworks" video, have seen a guy kiss a guy in a music video before. Something about our culture screams homophobic, even if it's not trying to do it purposefully. Think about it - how many music videos can you name where there may be some gay kissing? Not a lot, at least for me. That's why I really, truly admired Katy Perry for including it in her music video.

Also, her lyrics aren't about love. Or sex. And while some of her other songs may include these types of lyrics (California Gurls, for one), this one doesn't. The message it sends is lovely, while I didn't entirely understand the lyrics in "Closer to the Edge."

Though she may have had something shooting out of her body yet again, I think Katy Perry wins this round hands down.

And now, the moment you've all been waiting for, The Final Score:
30 Seconds To Mars: 77
Katy Perry: 74

A 3 vote difference—can you believe it?! Sure, Chelsea Dagger's math skills aren't the most reliable, but she worked extra hard on her addition to bring you the most accurate tally available—and 30 Seconds to Mars edged out the sparkling Ms. Perry by the closest margin we've ever seen. Will this week's contenders (both of whom are much loved but also "under the radar") be as evenly matched? Let's find out:

In one corner, we've got Blame it On the Girls by MIKA:

And in the other, we've got Love Me Dead by Ludo:

Get yourself to the comments section, where you can cast your vote and suggest a video for an upcoming war!

Related post: Video War archives