So it’s 2012, and for a while now we have had the ability to create avatars in the likes of ourselves online to exhaust all of the pleasures of the physical world; navigate, explore, and even fall in love in online virtual communities. Within this virtual environment; whichoften acts as a fantasy-driven simulation of the physical world has been fertile ground for developing cinematic productions; whether it be Jon Rafman’s “Codes of Honor”, “Kool-Aid-Man In Second Life”, or Cao Fei’s “Avatars”.

Instant Messaging Virtual Universe (or IMVU) is an alternative Massive Multiplayer Online platform similar to Second Life in which users create virtual avatars and interact with each other in a fully customizable virtual environment. You might be familiar with IMVU via Conan O’Brien’s advert. Similar to Conan’s example, many music video covers have spread throughout YouTube.

These IMVU-made music videos experiment with a weird sort of virtual, visual karaoke in their replication. The imagination of the user can run wild, permitting endless creativity with performance and presentation.

Now, rather than aspiring to become the next Justin Bieber; users have an alternative option for some creative freedom as a vehicle for visual, self expression. The avatar becomes an expressive tool uninhibited by the constraints of physical identity and is invulnerable to typical modes of public scrutiny.

It is important to note that the these decorated avatars are usually on-the-market. In IMVU, the accessories, hair, clothing, environments, and even the dances; are often for sale. In accordance with many online games, the avatars take on a market value and thus; these videos take on a certain function of advertising as well.

Rather than displaying someone facing their webcam singing off-key Katy Perry songs with a twangy accoustic guitar in their hands, these videos present a fully manipulable CGI environment. All of the human flaws associated with performance are nullified as the user’s creativity is limited to the presentation and set-design of the song-cover.

Nicki Minaj is a perfect candidate for CGI avatar reproduction (Rihanna included). While maintaining multiple identities and accessories that take on a cyborg-ish trends, she culminates many of the elements inherent to an IMVU avatar.

Now it’s not all cover songs, some videos take on a life of their own and almost seem to be improvements from the original physical video production; such as a slightly more attractive, twin-pistol-toting Drake . Others are produced for songs that have yet to be released in retail or lack any accompanying visuals whatsoever.  Similar to Anime Music Videos, where users combine irrelevant songs to clips from their favorite anime series; these songs have the potential to create unprecedented visual relationships to tracks. I distinctly remember when I first heard “Roman’s Revenge”, I visualized a hip-hop-medieval-dragon appearing as a cameo in the music video that had yet to be imagined. I can only be grateful for ‘Mr4anthonyy’s channel for making this daydream come to virtual-life.

Fantasy and fanaticism has always been embedded within the community associated with mainstream Hip Hop and R&B music videos, and it is no surprise that these videos are a result. At the very least, these music videos are a telling testament to the potential storyboard drafting available through creative virtual environments.

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