Emblem3 - 3000 Miles

What this video is

Released in October 2013, '3000 Miles' emerged at the height of the reality TV pop pipeline era, when The X Factor US and similar competition formats were the primary launching pad for major-label boy bands. Emblem3, from Sequim, Washington, relocated to California to pursue music, and the song's themes of geographic displacement and homesickness were autobiographically grounded — band member Drew Chadwick cited…

Why it matters

Represents a key specimen of the 2013 Vevo-era teen pop ballad format: HD production values, emotionally realist narrative intercutting, childhood nostalgia inserts, and rooftop/cityscape performance aesthetics. The video typifies how post-X Factor acts used emotionally transparent music videos to…

The director

American music video director first recognized for winning a competition for his short film 'The Sound of Racism.' Rose to prominence in 2010 directing back-to-back Billboard #1 videos. Known for a chameleonic style that adapts to each artist rather than…