Mis-Teeq - Scandalous


Scandalous - Mis-Teeq |

I've had this song stuck in my head all day, so I thought it would be as good as any to review today. This song is practically embedded in UK history and will always end up being played at a party or two; there's just no escaping this song within a year, and you can so see why because this song is still addicting to this day - that's for sure. The song is their biggest hit since it went international, charting at number two in the UK and number 33 in the US. They since parted ways a year or so after the release of this song. Watch Mis-Teeq act sexy in a secret nightclub as a guy stumbles upon it as he runs away through the city streets with some on-point choreography in this music video for "Scandalous".

Mis-Teeq were a three-piece British girl group. They consisted of Alesha Dixon, Su-Elise Nash, and Sabrina Washington; they had a number of hits as a group and released two albums, a US album, and a greatest hits album. They parted ways in 2005 due to their record label declaring bankruptcy, leaving the girls unsure of what path to go down, and so they decided to focus on their solo careers. Alesha Dixon has done the best, she's a household name from being a judge on Britain's Got Talent to winning Strictly Come Dancing; her music career went amazingly after the split, but lately, she hasn't managed to pull in the same chart numbers. Su-Elise Nash was said to be working on an album, after the group split, she provided vocals for Lethal Bizzle's "Going Out Tonight", and has made a variety of television appearances. As for Sabrina Washington, she appeared on the third series of Celebrity Scissorhands, which she won; she next appeared on the ninth series of I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here! where she came in sixth place; as for her music career, she released a couple of singles and launched her own record label in 2012. Reunion rumours are ripe every single year, but it doesn't look like it will happen. This song was used as the theme of the film Catwoman. It was written by Su-Elise Nash, Alesha Dixon, Sabrina Washington, Tor Erik Hermansen, Mikkel S. Eriksen, and Rustan Hallgeir.

Directed by Jake Nava, this music video definitely brings out the "Scandalous" side of the song, although we need more raunchiness for a song with a title such as this. They need more sass, more fire, more confidence.

It's an addicting piece of music, so I'm glad a nightclub is involved; however, the opening scenes which shows a man running through the urban streets, turning security cameras around and being chased by a dog on a leash, suggests there was a narrative to this that was stripped away.

He ends up in the club and decides to show the girls his body-popping and break dancing. It takes this song to the streets, where this sort of music originated from before it became popular and chart-worthy. In comparison, the girls' choreography is basic and repetitive, there's nothing outstanding with the sequence they pull off, and there's also no momentum to it, the girls just aren't into the dance steps as much as they should be, which makes it come off forced. The street dancing should've taken more of a spotlight.

Overall, this music video is way too basic and uninteresting. I was expecting something scandalous, maybe a bit shocking, but definitely something sexy. Although Mis-Teeq are wearing sultry clothes, there are no male counterparts to throw this into a whole scandalous affair, and the dancing just leaves a lot to be desired - the song totally made me expect a lot more from this visual.
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Britney Spears - Sometimes


Sometimes - Britney Spears |

I had no idea what music video to review today, so I thought I might as well continue to review Britney Spears' music videos - one day I'll have them all on my blog, that's for sure. This is such a sweet song and music video, which followed up her massive international number one hit "...Baby One More Time"; and, although it didn't really hit the same peak positions on charts around the world, it still did amazingly with some chart numbers she hasn't really managed to hit in recent years. Watch Britney Spears be the girl next door as she watches a guy she really likes play with his dog on a beach intercut with her dancing with a troupe of backing dancers in this music video for "Sometimes".

Britney Spears is totally one of the biggest female singers in the world, she's had a lengthy career in music that's span over two decades, and she continues to bring hits and addicting songs. She recently had amazing success in Las Vegas where she had a residency that spanned four years. In 2018, she's taking that residency global with her Piece Of Me world tour. She's truly an iconic star, one everyone knows, and she's so genuine too. This song was certainly another hit for her and lead to many amazing hits that followed. It was written by Jörgen Elofsson.

Directed by Nigel Dick - who directed "...Baby One More Time" - the music video has both a narrative side and a performance side. It was shot at the Paradise Cove in Malibu, California. Her love interest is played by model and actor Chad Cole.

The music video opens with Britney Spears looking through a telescope - according to MTV the initial concept was her looking at a group of kids which leads to her having flashbacks of spending time with a former boyfriend; however, this was changed - she watches her love interest, Chad Cole, playing with his dog on the beach.

There's a lot of shots of Britney Spears watching Chad Cole, some may think it's stalkerish, but we've all been there looking and staring and watching someone we've fallen for... Years later, Carly Rae Jepsen does the exact same thing in the "Call Me Maybe" music video.

Throughout, there are scenes of Britney Spears performing killer dance choreography - this is what we constantly expect from Britney Spears and gosh does she nail it in every way! The choreography seems on the fast side, but it certainly goes with the track as a whole, and there are some iconic dance moves that we now identify with this incredible female singer in the chorus sequence.

Overall, Britney Spears gave us another brilliant music video back in the day. What a follow-up to "...Baby One More Time", and we can't help but love this side of her at the start of her career. It brings a bit of nostalgia too watching these older music videos, but I still love Britney Spears, especially her confidence to be sexy in her latest visuals.
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INNA - Me Gusta


Me Gusta - Inna |

We all knew this was going to arrive on my blog at some point. INNA dropped this new single on Valentine's Day, bringing us the much awaited new single and music video. I had originally written this up for CelebMix, as well as the live performance she did of the song before "Ruleta" was released. When this failed to make it on her Nirvana album, many fans wondered if it would ever turn up, so we're all so happy to see it appear - finally. Watch INNA perform her song in Barcelona, taking up the sunshine and bringing summer fashion in the middle of February whilst including her club rocker fans in this music video for "Me Gusta".

INNA, real name Elena Alexandra Apostoleanu, is one of the top Romanian female artists in the world. She's had an amazing career to date and continues to make waves all over the world. She pushes herself for every single release, just take this song, for instance. "Me Gusta" is her first song in her more-than-a-decade career that is completely in Spanish. In English, the title translates to "I Like". She proves she really is an international star, and I truly believe she needs a lot more recognition. The song was written by Elena Alexandra Apostoleanu, whilst the music was produced by David Ciente.

Directed by Barna Nemethi, the music video is a pure performance visual - something we're getting used to seeing from INNA lately. Most of the scenes are filmed in Barcelona, Spain although there are some studio shots intercut throughout that are from Bucharest, Romania.

The main thing to take from this music video is INNA having a good time, she's definitely one of those stars you'd love to be friends with as she's always smiling and having fun. Not only that, but she shows us summer fashion for 2018, we've had some great fashion videos from her in the past including "Bop Bop" and "Nirvana", so it's great to see something more summery.

Now, let's go into detail about the summer fashion INNA is wearing. We've got this leopard print outfit paired with rainbow-coloured pride platform shoes - something that INNA works completely. We've got the golden-shimmering half-crop top with matching over-sized shorts that are so stunning in every way, it also has oversized sleeves which you can tell INNA adores. There's also the white over-sized fronted jacket that is loose at the back paired with white cowboy boots - just wow! There's another long-length hoodie that's in red; a black bra with shoulder flared piece that's paired with ripped blue jeans and black boots; and, finally, a silver sleeveless, backless crop-top paired with beige tracksuit long-length bottoms. Most outfits are paired with her pride shoes which we all know she simply loves to wear.

INNA loves her oversized clothes, yet that has lead to media stating she's put on weight - yes, I'm talking about that mean article by David Watt for All Noise who said she had put on weight in the "Nirvana" music video; which is flat-out wrong, INNA looks stunning in that music video, and has not put on any weight whatsoever - so this music video shows off her summer body and proves that the media has nothing to body-shame her about.

She clearly loves being in front of the camera and she just has fun with the whole thing. This energy is something she completely brings to the stage, as I know from when I went to see her live in Dublin, Ireland back in December 2016 - gosh do I need to see her again. She rubs this energy off on the extras in the music video, her club rocker fans, who just relax completely in their scenes - they too are bringing summer fashion completely.

Overall, it's another fun performance-based music video from INNA. We are getting used to seeing these sorts of visuals from her. I can't help but hope that we'll get a narrative-based or a full-on choreography-based music video from her in the future - we're waiting.
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Galantis - In My Head


In My Head - Galantis |

Another backdated day closer to the Galantis gig, which I went to and reviewed for CelebMix, so here's another Galantis review. This one looks like a really low budget music video which is surprising since it followed up "Peanut Butter Jelly" - like how does that even make sense? Regardless, I feel like it has an Eric Prydz "Call On Me" feel to it and it does seem quite a throwback to those music workout DVDs - although this choreography is pretty intricate at times. Watch a dance troupe nail workout choreography which could be considered sexual at times in this music video for Galantis' single "In My Head".

Galantis are a Swedish duo who have certainly made a name for themselves. They consist of Christian "Bloodshy" Karlsson and Linus "Style Of Eye" Eklöw. Before Galantis, they had made their names known in the songwriting world, separately. It's amazing to see how far they've pushed for their career and how much they plan to keep going to become the big stars they clearly deserve to be. This song may have been the follow-up to "Peanut Butter Jelly" but it didn't ride on the previous single's success, only managing to chart on the US Billboard Dance Chart and on the Flanders Ultratip Chart. "In My Head" was written by Christian Karlsson, Henrik Jonback, Jennifer Decilveo, Jimmy Koitzsch, and Linus Eklöw.

Directed by Dano Cerny, this music video is a pure performance visual from a dance group of Sea Foxes- the animal that's identified with Galantis and features on many of their cover artwork. It does have an Eric Prydz "Call On Me" feel to it but a lot less sexy and a much lower quality.

We can't deny the quality of the choreography. It relates and is intricate at times; even sexual but in a comedic way. The team proved that they're high-quality dancers and more than showcase their abilities. The sequences are, on occasion, easy to follow allowing viewers at home to copy the routine, giving us a throwback to those workout DVDs where you copy the dance moves or even the video games such as Just Dance.

Overall, it would've been stronger if it was filmed in high-quality, the low-budget style just makes it very unappealing. The dance is engaging throughout and the neon colours definitely liven the whole thing up.
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Chart Mondays: Jason Derulo Featuring French Montana - Tip Toe


Tip Toe (feat. French Montana) - Jason Derulo |

I have to admit, I have been disliking Jason Derulo's recent music videos because of the sexual exploiting of women, and just when I was going to forgive him since I actually enjoyed the first scenes in this music video, he has to flip it and use that golden glitter scene - just no! I'm fed up of seeing these sorts of music videos from him, the same thing could be presented differently and it would still work. At the time of this backdated blog post, Drake was still number one with "God's Plan"; the music video, of which, isn't out until 16th February, and it's only the 12th. So, it opens up the UK top 10, on this date, to my Chart Mondays review, hence why I chose this one. Watch Jason Derulo dance and sing with four backup women dancers, and the occasional backup male dancers whilst French Montana sits in a golden room with almost naked women in this music video for "Tip Toe".

Jason Derulo, real name Jason Desrouleaux, is definitely one of the biggest male artists in the world right now. His constant releases and collaborations gain him incredible chart numbers in a variety of countries. His first few were honest and real with incredible heart-felt lyrics; lately, the content has been very sexualised, and it's no surprise that those new tracks, such as "Swalla" and "Get Ugly" hasn't fared well on the US Billboard charts. Regardless, he's done well in the UK and gained some average chart numbers in other countries too. He's always on form. For this track, he collaborated with French Montana, real name Karim Kharbouche, who made his name internationally famous by releasing worldwide smash "Unforgettable" which features Swae Lee. He continues to establish a name for himself and is definitely someone we're all watching at this very moment. This song was written by Philip Kembo, Jason Desrouleaux, Soaky Siren, Karim Kharbouche, Tinashe Sibanda, and Johnny Mitchell. Uncredited vocals come from Soaky Siren.

Directed by Jason Derulo, himself, this music video starts off with an interesting dialogue, which then transforms into some killer choreography for all involved. This initially looks like a great thought-out performance-based music video.

The jungle theme may not relate to the song, but we could ignore that as Jason Derulo shows off with brilliant dancing. He's always managed to bring us exciting dance moves throughout most of his music videos giving us great energy and a perfect performance. The dancing is just, wow!

Then we switch to a snowy Japanese scene, which also doesn't relate and is quite a contrast, but could also be forgiven since killer choreography is here too. Everything is brilliant until the gold glitter scene comes in - this is not something I want to see or watch. Since when was it acceptable to put naked women in music videos, most of them are half-naked, but come on! There's no need whatsoever, and since there are no guys even topless in this, they're clearly downgrading women and it's just not right, especially after the #MeToo movement. Not only that, but French Montana just looks uncomfortable in his scene, whereas Jason Derulo pulls facial expressions that make him look like a pubescent teenager who has stumbled across naked women.

Overall, this music video goes down in my estimation the more I watch it and review it. Seriously, women act as animals in this visual and this is despicable to see. Luckily, Jason Derulo gets kudos for his dancing, and the women bring fire when it comes to dancing too. The choreography is just simply amazing and saves this music video.
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Galantis & Throttle - Tell Me You Love Me


Tell Me You Love Me - Galantis & Throttle |

I've found it, I've found it, I've found it. I've been hoping that one day I'll come across a music video that just contains dancers that is an amazing music video; and, here it is. This is flat-out amazing, We have choreography that is artistic, relates to the song, and is executed brilliantly; and, then we have the editing which is beyond anything I've come across before. This is a music video we've needed in our lives for some time - how on earth have I only just come across this? Time to rectify that, this is my new favourite music video at this very moment. This is a backdated blog, however, at the time of this date, I had been looking up Galantis' music since I went to see them perform at the London Roundhouse on their The Aviary Tour in February, and I also wrote up a review of the gig for CelebMix. Watch a bunch of dancers move and nail choreography to this song whilst shapes, lines and other amazing editing techniques are used to create an immersive music video to Galantis & Throttle's song "Tell Me You Love Me".

Galantis are a Swedish house duo consisting of Christian Karlsson (Bloodshy) and Linus Eklöw (Style Of Eye). They have been building their name around the world and have had several hits. That's not it though, their other songs that aren't successful chart hits are also well-known by many and this really shows that this duo can make it in the music industry. I'm excited to see what the future will bring for these two as they keep growing bigger and bigger as they release more and more music. This song is a collaboration with Throttle, real name Robbie Bergin. He's been raising the game in music for a few years. He's from Australia and is just 20 years old, having started his dip in music at 15. He's one of the most talked about rising stars at the moment as he continues to switch up music as we know it. I really do see him hitting it internationally with a global hit in the next year or so. This song was written by Christian "Bloodshy" Karlsson, Jimmy "Svidden" Koitsch, Linus Eklöw, Sarah Aarons, Throttle, Eddie Jenkins, and Henrik Jonback. There are uncredited vocals from Sarah Aarons, on this track.

Directed by MOSSS, this music video is a pure dance music video. These sort of music videos doesn't gain much interest to me unless it has killer choreography, has something great going on, and it's been edited right... Well, that is exactly what this music video is in every single way.

It's an upbeat number that contains three incredible dancers who are Sorah Yang, Noah Henderson, and Eric Whitehurst. They bat out choreography naturally as if it's freelance - it could well be, although I doubt it since it exactly relates to the music at times. It's a crafted skill and looks beyond brilliant.

What makes this music video so good is the use of the art visuals and the editing. It's not easy to fully pull this off, but the creative team behind this music video has done just that. It makes this music video a lot more engaging and really brings the audience into the visual.

I can't help but love this music video. It may not have a narrative or a performance piece, but Galantis & Throttle prove that you don't need all that to make an epic and brilliant music video. This has got everything we all have been looking for.
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New Release: Felix Jaehn Featuring Marc E. Bassy & Gucci Mane - Cool


Cool (feat. Marc E. Bassy & Gucci Mane) - Felix Jaehn |

Who doesn't love a bit of Felix Jaehn? He's one of the rising DJs that we have all become addicted to. This one track is one of our favourites because it is spreading the message of how we all need to be ourselves in this world. This was released officially on 9 February 2018, the date I have backdated this blog post to, making this a new release. I am so far behind on my blog that I am not happy about it, but I plan to put in the work and catch myself up. It will happen, even though it does feel like an impossible task. This music video isn't as great as the song itself, though. Watch Marc E. Bassy perform this track to the camera as various shots show off people being themselves in this music video for Felix Jaehn's song "Cool" that also features Gucci Mane.

Felix Jaehn, real name Feliz Jähn, launched onto the music scene with a cover and has since managed to build up his profile within the DJ world as well as the music world. This is his first release of 2018 and was followed up with his album - which was released the following week. It's a great promotional lead single, but it didn't help to promote his album more than any of his previous single releases. It just lacked promotion that this song really needed since the content is exactly what we need out in the world. The song features Marc E. Bassy, real name Marc Griffin, who has been building up his career in the past couple of years. He has collaborated with G-Eazy a few times and has had one hit international single. He's definitely got this potential around him which suggests that a few bigger hit singles will be released by him, no doubt. There's also a feature from Gucci Mane, real name Radric Davis, who is definitely the American rapper we're all keeping our eyes on. He launched internationally as the feature on Rae Sremmurd's "Black Beatles" and has ever since made his name known globally. He continues to be a prominent force in music, so this team-up should've been a worldwide hit, it just wasn't. "Cool" was written by Felix Jaehn, Scott Harris, Rick Markowitz, Micah Premnath, Radric Davis, and Jonas Jeberg.

Directed by Drew Kirsch, this music video doesn't go anywhere. It's a pure performance piece that attempts to showcase Marc E. Bassy, but it's so disappointing as a complete whole. There are scenes of Felix Jaehn in the background, but the focus is on Marc E. Bassy.

Now, this wouldn't normally get on my nerves, I'm all for artists promoting themselves, but they really need to be comfortable in front of a camera and be able to send their performance vibes to the audience at home. No matter if it's a dance song, a country song, a rap song, a jazz song, a classical song, a metal song, an instrumental song, or a pop ballad. Marc E. Bassy is lacking performance. There's nothing that interests me into watching him sing the song.

The music video starts off with Felix Jaehn talking in his own language, with English subtitles at the bottom, which says: "It is so important to be authentic and just to be true to yourself. It does not matter who you are how you look or what clothes you wear as long as you are authentic. The moment you are acting and trying to be someone else is when you really aren't cool." What a way to open a video, especially one that has a brilliant song with a deep meaning, like this one; well, until the video fails to do or go anywhere.

There are various characters in this, which suggests that maybe there's a bigger music video behind this and it has been stripped back or the narrative has been edited out; as these stories aren't something that we are capable of following in this visual. Marc E. Bassy takes up the majority of the scenes and his presence isn't addicting or engaging. He loses most of the audience.

Overall, this music video could've been a hell of a lot better, if it had been done right. Instead, it just fails overall. Felix Jaehn may have stated that this is his favourite music video yet, and we stand by his opinion as the song and visual does suggest that people should be authentic to themselves and be who they really are, yet at the same time it's completely lacking and just isn't something we want to watch again and again.
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Justin Timberlake - LoveStoned / I Think She Knows (Interlude)


LoveStoned / I Think She Knows (Interlude) - Justin Timberlake |

Wow, what a music video for me to choose for my Thursday Revisit. I remember adoring this song when I first bought the album - because, yes, I was a Justin Timberlake fan at the time. Now, I'm not, and this music video practically explains why - well it doesn't really, I just lost interest in Justin Timberlake as an artist overall. This music video shows how little interest I had in him at this point since this visual is just that, a visual. It's something I could've gotten out of Visualisations from Windows Media Player (remember those days?) only with Justin Timberlake thrown into the midst. Watch Justin Timberlake sort of perform to this song as we see blue visualisations and then see him literally in a trance in a futuristic white room in this music video for "LoveStoned / I Think She Knows (Interlude)".

Justin Timberlake is one of the top male artists in the music industry. He was originally a member of *NSYNC and he's the only one who has had a successful career since the group has split. It does seem like his former bandmates are never going to succeed. He continues to show off his prominence in the industry and it's amazing to see how he can keep getting chart hits. The one thing I can't fault him on is his promotion, he sure knows how to work for those chart positions. This one did pretty well, average at the time of the release, all things considered. The song was written by Justin Timberlake, Tim Mosley, and Nate "Danja" Hills.

The music video was directed by Robert Hales and was filmed in Salford, England, UK. It is beyond basic, and certainly one of these music videos that no one will remember after watching it on the music channels, mixed with plenty of other videos.

This one does have a Windows Media Player Visualisations theme to it, as we watch waves of music get sculpted into Justin Timberlake - who performs with his dance ability and stage presence. However, we don't feel any of his energy as it gets lost in the constant changing of the musical waves.

And don't get me started on that ending. What was that? After building up our anticipated energy, hoping that Justin Timberlake gives us something to receive, we see him in a trance-like state - or should I say LoveStoned-state? - where he just stands there looking at the camera with no emotion or anything.

Overall, this music video just fails on every aspect, level, and wave. What Justin Timberlake is known for, is stripped away as we are continually distracted by these musical waves visuals. It just doesn't work at all.
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Justin Timberlake - Rock Your Body


Rock Your Body - Justin Timberlake |

Once again, I feel like I'm filling up my blog with female solo artists, so I thought I'd choose a male artist to review for this backdated blog, and this one came into my head. I used to be a fan of Justin Timberlake when I was younger, which probably explains why this song popped into my head, but I really don't remember this music video being so bad quality. It's definitely a colourful music video, and I used to adore this song. Watch Justin Timberlake dance and fly and do all sorts of things in this music video for his song "Rock Your Body".

Justin Timberlake was previously in *NSYNC before he became this hot shot male solo artist, who is at the height of his career. He constantly brings out hits after hits, but following in the footsteps of his co-stars in the Mickey Mouse Club - way back when he was a child - Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera, his recent material hasn't bagged him high chart positions globally. Promotion is key nowadays for these big artists, and Justin Timberlake sure knows how to promote, which is why he's done pretty well chart-wise, although not completely brilliantly as he did in the early days of his career; such as this track. This was a global success, giving him his first Australian number one. In the UK it hit number two, and in the US it hit number five. It was written by Justin Timberlake, Chad Hugo, and Pharrell Williams. As for the female vocals, they were provided by Vanessa Marquez.

Directed by Francis Lawrence, this music video is a pure performance visual, that sees him perform in a cube-like room where multi-coloured lights make up the walls; they transition light effects bringing focus on the walls more than Justin Timberlake. It's a total distraction; not only that but the lights transform the artist, to the extent, throwing light in various ways in the shot, making it less appealing.

The dancing is on point in every section of this, which we totally expect from Justin Timberlake. He can dance and totally nail choreography in every way. It's good that he's in-sync with the backing dancers at certain points, and he nails the solos.

What I do not like is the fact that Vanessa Marquez, who provides the female vocals in the song, does not appear in the visual; instead, we have Staci Flood lip-syncing to the lyrics. She's been featured in a few music videos and was once a part of The Pussycat Dolls when they were a burlesque troupe.

Overall, this music video was stylish and cool back in the day. Nowadays, it comes off not-so-great. The dancing is on-point, although I swear we all thought Justin Timberlake was hot back then, but now we're wondering if our judgement was correct. I love the light room and wish there was a club that was fitted with those light walls, that would seriously be a brilliant dancefloor.
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Chart Mondays: Sigrid - Strangers


Strangers - Sigrid |

I had planned to review this weeks ago, and then I noticed it would appear in the UK Top 10 in the future - no I did not foresee this with some magical power, I've been so far behind on this blog that I've been backdating every post for the past few months and that's how I saw that I would be reviewing this music video as a Chart Mondays review. Currently, Drake is at number one (and has been for many weeks after) with the song "God's Plan", the music video, of which, dropped a few weeks after this backdated date - so expect that music video review in the future. This opened the UK Top 10 to my review, and at number 10 is this song! I have not seen this music video before today and I believe Sigrid does her best with what she is given. Watch Sigrid move and dance around a set that looks like it's for a movie in this music video for her hit single "Strangers".

Sigrid, full name Sigrid Raabe, is a singer-songwriter from Norway. She's been globalising on her career for a few years, allowing her songs and music videos to go viral. She knows how to build up and it's certainly working for her. This song is her biggest hit to date, although her previous track "Don't Kill My Vibe" also managed to gain traction around the world. The big question is whether she'll be able to keep her popularity and release even more hits. This is something that a lot of rising stars are struggling with, and I'm guessing that Sigrid is going to be another one for us to add to that list. This song is written by Sigrid Raabe and Martin Sjølie.

Directed by Ivana Bobic for Riff Raff Films, the music video is a pure performance visual. We watch Sigrid interpret the song for the camera as she moves around a set.

The song mentions something to do with a film, so it feels like she's appearing on a film set and she's just using the props and the camera work for her own music video. It feels really unrelated to the song as a whole.

As for the performance side of things, Sigrid really works as much as she can. She does her best and that's all we can ask of her. However, I'm not sure if it is all that good as a whole. It just feels like it doesn't connect with the audience at home and it's missing some major things. It's just not all that interesting to watch. Kudos to Sigrid, though, because she works with what she's been given.
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Eric Saade - Girl From Sweden


Girl from Sweden - Eric Saade |

This song has been stuck in my head after I came home from work the other day (this is a backdated post - it is actually March, and I've been working for a month now). So, I thought I'd see if there was a music video for this song, and once again Eric Saade has come through for me. This is not only a good music video, it's a great music video which relates well to the song and represents his home country perfectly. I'm surprised he didn't attempt Melodifestivalen with this song, as I reckon it would've been a good contender. Watch Eric Saade present his country for the whole world to see, allowing us to see some beautiful sights, some beautiful Swedish people, and this singer-songwriter dancing in this music video for "Girl From Sweden".

Eric Saade is best known for competing in the Eurovision Song Contest 2011 with "Popular" where he represented his home country, Sweden, coming third with 185 points. Since then he has released a tonne of music and even returned to Melodifestivalen a few times in the hope to represent Sweden at Eurovision again. I adore this track, and I think the song and its accompanying music video would've been perfect for Eurovision, but it wasn't a part of the competition. It didn't do quite so well chart wise in Sweden, only hitting the heatseekers chart. Regardless the song is a jam and truly shows what Eric Saade is capable of. How he isn't an international star yet, I do not know. He was also originally a part of boy band What's Up! for two years.

Directed by Alexandra Kentsdottir & Silja-Marie Kentsdottir, this music video is a pure performance piece with a narrative that doesn't really go anywhere at all. The location was filmed in various places in Stockholm, including Hornstull, Västerbron, Värmdö, and Levon. There's also a scene filmed in Smedby and Hagen in Leksand.

This really manages to show off Sweden - mainly Stockholm - amazingly and totally makes me want to visit even more one day; no doubt I will. It's a cute narrative showing Eric Saade at a press event by himself before exploring Sweden, clearly going after his "Girl From Sweden"; however a love interest never pops up, and instead three women dressed in Swedish traditional clothing appears beside him at the press event - these women can be seen during the performance pieces.

Finally, we get to see Eric Saade's dance moves, and he can certainly follow choreography. It may be basic but it's definitely one of those sequences that people will copy and perform in the comfort of their own homes or with other people. It's like he's bringing back something we've seen plenty of times from the 90's and the 00's and it really works. We want to be able to pull off those dance moves with his style and flair.

Overall, this music video is really good, it sort of relates to the song, to the extent where it shows off Sweden and the pretty women who live there. However, a love-interest would've certainly upped this music video rating that tiny bit more.
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Aston Merrygold - Get Stupid


Get Stupid - Aston Merrygold |

This song is literally everywhere at the minute (it's currently March - this blog is backdated to the end of January) and has been rising in listeners due to the Samsung using it during their Unpacked Live Event which revealed the Samsung Galaxy S9. Not only that, but the song have been used in various other places recently, finally allowing Aston Merrygold to gain attention for this song. It's certainly catchy, although I'm not so keen on the track itself. The hook at the start of the chorus is what draws us in, but the rest just spoils the track, which explains why Samsung only used the first half of the chorus for their live event. Watch Aston Merrygold, from JLS, dance around the shopping mall in his debut music video for the song "Get Stupid".

Aston Merrygold is best known for being a member of British boy band JLS, who came second on the fifth series of The X Factor - which Alexandra Burke won. The group went on to have a number of hits before parting ways and they will forever have established themselves in British music. Aston Merrygold has always been interested in a solo career, so it's not a surprise that he is now going it alone, although his latest releases haven't gained traction, if any at all; not only that, but he also appeared on Strictly Come Dancing, so he can only hope that that helps him, music wise. He's always come across arrogant, to me, and I don't think he could shake that from my perception of him, as much as he may try. This song actually managed to chart at number 22 in the UK, number 10 in Australia, number 15 in Scotland, and number 72 in Ireland. "Get Stupid" was written by Aston Merrygold, Karen Poole, and Sonny J Mason.

Directed by James Lees, this music video is set at the Del Amo Fashion Centre in Torrance, California. It has a staring narrative that turns into a performance visual. I certainly can't knock Aston Merrygold's dance ability because it is certainly of a high quality.

The start comes off completely staged, to the extent that it's flat-out uninteresting to watch - where is this singer-songwriter's acting ability? - regardless, it doesn't last for long and we quickly jump into the song. It's clear that Aston Merrygold loves to show his dance ability with backing dancers, which does come across a little like he's still in JLS.

The rest of the music video sees him enjoying himself throughout, with the choreography relating to the song as he performs with a spring in his step. He is loving his life in the shopping mall - I wish I had that sort of energy on a daily basis. The ending sees him walk out. It's bright, it's catchy, it's fun, but does it really relate?
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Chart Mondays: Jax Jones Featuring Ina Wroldsen - Breathe


Breathe (feat. Ina Wroldsen) - Jax Jones |

Time for Chart Mondays on this backdated date, and we have a brand new number one. It's Drake's song "God's Plan", yet the music video isn't released until late February, whereas this blog is being backdated to the end of January, so we have a few weeks until I finally review Drake's number one song, opening the UK top 10 to my review, and I have adored this song since it dropped - plus the backdated date is my birthday, 29 January - so, of course, I was going to review the music video to this, although I'm not happy about the music video itself. The song features one of my favourite artists, Ina Wroldsen, who's career I have followed for a few years. Watch dancers Shaadow Sefiroth and Shala Sarah Haruko Iwaskow perform in iconic London locations, such as the Natural History Museum, in this music video for Jax Jones' song "Breathe" which features Ina Wroldsen.

Jax Jones, real name Timucin Aluo, is a British DJ who has had a number of hits in his home country, as well as around the whole world. He's had the honour of collaborating with some massive names in the music industry. He continues to prove he is a force to be reckoned with and this song climbed up to the UK top 10 after the release of this music video, so no matter what my thoughts on it are, it does show that the release of the visual helped the song rise. It features the incredible singer-songwriter, Ina Wroldsen. She's known for writing some of the biggest songs in the industry, as well as providing her vocals to some iconic tracks. She continues to get her name out there and keeps giving us hit after hit. I can't wait to see what the future brings for her. I originally wrote up about this music video for CelebMix; I also wrote about the song upon its release, for the magazine. This song was written by Timucin Aluo, Fred Gibson, Uzoechi Emenike (MNEK), Ina Wroldsen, and William Clarke.

Directed by James Slater, this music video showcases these two incredible dancers. Shaadow Sefiroth and Shala Sarah Haruko Iwaskow dance their way through intricate choreography in this visual, keeping the audience entertained throughout.

The problem I have with this music video is that the artists don't appear in the visual, not even slightly; not only that but the choreography isn't anything amazing, there's a lot of body-popping going on with some good translation of the lyrics, yet sometimes there's just nothing that relates to the song.

There are some great locations, such as the Natural History Museum during after-hours, which is filmed inside the entrance, which is usually taken up by Dippy the Dinosaur, however, he's currently on tour around the UK, so we get stunning shots of a Blue Whale skeleton, that's hanging from the ceiling. Other scenes include a derelict shopping centre, a deserted Millennium Bridge, as well as them performing in the middle of Oxford Street - in the middle walkway between the two roads.

Overall, I totally adore this song, but it's music video just isn't enough for me. Kudos go to the dancers, who bring it to the best of their ability; and, to the Jax Jones-head dancer, who appears on the Millennium Bridge with the two dancers and pulls off some simple moves. The ending sees Shala Sarah Haruko Iwaskow alone on Oxford Street looking at a billboard advertising Jax Jones' "Breathe" with the mint sweets.
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New Release: Micke Moreno Featuring Kryan - Juego


Juego (feat. Kryan) - Micke Moreno |

Anyone who knows me, knows I'm obsessed with Global Records and their array of artists on the record label. They recently created a division titled Global Records Latin, which Micke Moreno was the first star to release under that division with "El Amor" which featured Antonia. The label has continued to release songs that are beyond addicting, and here is another one on this backdated new release. I previously wrote up about this for CelebMix, and although it wasn't strictly released on this backdated date, it was released a few days earlier, it was still new for that week. Watch Micke Moreno and Kryan battle it out during a car race intercut with performance scenes in this music video set in a car park for "Juego".

Micke Moreno, who is sometimes known as just Micke, is best known for taking part in The X Factor (US) and La Banda. Now, Global Records Latin has picked him up, along with some of his friends for their new record label, and it is proving to do well for everyone involved. His debut, "El Amor" got millions of YouTube views, although we reckon that was with the help of featured star Antonia. This single sees him collaborate with Kryan, again - they first teamed-up for "Eres Tu" along with Fabyan and Yoandri. Kryan is known for being on La Voz Teens where he was a semi-finalist. Now, he's a part of Global Records Latin allowing him to pursue his dream and passion. He manages to twist up this track, adding his stamp and flavour. The song was written by Micke Moreno and Brien Melo with Alexandru Cotoi helping to compose the music.

The music video has both a narrative and a performance piece, so you would expect my rating, at the end of this review, to be high; this is the core of a great music video, however this just doesn't come off quite so well. The performance takes over as the main part, leaving the uninteresting and overdone narrative to become a minor part.

The car race launches this whole music video, but sometimes the cars don't look as if they're competing. They go around the car park as we wait to see who wins. We've seen plenty of car races in music videos. Micke Moreno looks disappointed at the end, suggesting he lost, but maybe he's just unhappy about Kryan's inability to perform in the performance part.

To be fair, it's not just Kryan's fault, the camera operator focuses on the women dancers far more than the two singers, and we can't really blame Kryan for being distracted, now can we? It would be good to see Kryan perform all by himself, to see if he does grab the audience at home. As for Micke Moreno, he is on point and definitely a future star, he controls the energy and slams it right into the viewers at home. He's not distracted and wants to give a good performance, and he manages to save this video in every way.
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Jordan Fisher - All About Us


All About Us - Jordan Fisher |

Once again, YouTube came through for me with this music video as I found it on the right panel when I was reviewing Forever In Your Mind's "Smooth", and the thumbnail just stood out at me. I recognise his face, although I'm not quite sure where from, as I've only ever seen Grease Live! from what he has been in, and I don't remember him in that show, although he clearly was one of the main characters. I probably recognise him from all the press from the 25th season of Dancing With The Stars, which he won. He's been trying for a music career for some time and he has done all right to date. Watch Jordan Fisher profess his love for a woman while he knocks out some brilliant dance choreography in this music video to his debut song "All About Us".

Jordan Fisher is a name people are quickly getting to know. He's an established actor and musician, and he is certainly getting his name out there. As previously mentioned, he's the winner of the 25th season of Dancing With The Stars, which is bound to push him to future success. He has appeared in 12 episodes of Liv & Maddie; starred in Grease Live!, Teen Beach Movie, Teen Beach Movie 2, and appeared in 9 episodes of The Secret Life Of An American Teenager. He has also appeared in the Broadway production of Hamilton. As for his music career, this song was his debut single back in 2016. He has since released an EP and three follow-up singles. I am certainly interested in seeing what the future brings him, music wise. The song charted on the US Billboard Mainstream Top 40 at number 26. It was written by Nick Bailey, Rick James, Ryan Ogren, and Steve McMorran.

Directed by TK McKamy, this music video is a pure performance visual that really showcases everything about Jordan Fisher. He sings passionately, he dances like he's on fire (no wonder he won Dancing With The Stars), and he can stay in character all the way through a music video.

You would think this visual has it all. The choreography is on point all the way through, and there's even a slight narrative with his love interest. However, he loses connection with the audience. I'm not sure if the song isn't exactly to his liking, or he hasn't quite felt it within him, but whatever it is, he feels slightly out of it.

The audience loses interest as the first scene progresses and we're drawn back in when additional dancers added into the scenes. However, it happens again towards the end of the music video as it doesn't develop or grow. It feels like it's one flat visual.

Regardless, Jordan Fisher gives it his all. His dancing is superb and the choreography is so on-point that we all wish we could dance just like him. The additional dancers, as well as his love interest, add flavour and intrigue to the mix, but it's just lacking connection overall. Jordan Fisher is on fire in this clip and this excites me for what is to come from him in the future.
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Forever In Your Mind - Smooth


Smooth - Forever in Your Mind |

I wouldn't say I'm a fan of Forever In Your Mind, but I do love their music, and here's another example of a very catchy song; although, I don't approve of what they said about BTS, on the other hand, they did apologise about it, so I guess it can be forgiven. This song may be beyond catchy, but the music video is lacking a smooth quality which we were expecting - there's just way too much smiling going on. Watch Forever In Your Mind attempt to be sexy and sultry and smooth whilst they dance with female love interests in this music video for their song "Smooth".

Forever In Your Mind are a three-piece boyband consisting of Emery Kelly, Ricky Garcia, and Liam Attridge. They made their name when they were formed on the third season of The X Factor (US); however, they only made it to the Bootcamp stage before being eliminated. I guess they proved Simon Cowell wrong though since they have gone on to release two EPs and a bunch of singles. Not only that, but they almost bagged a Disney TV series as the lead stars; unfortunately, the show wasn't picked up - they could've been the next Jonas Brothers. Regardless, they are still going and releasing contagious music that I can't help but love. This song, "Smooth", was written by Dustin Atlas, Emery Kelly, Emily McDonald, Liam Attridge, and Ricky Garcia.

Directed by Nayip Ramos, this music video is a pure performance piece with the guys attempting to nail it with the song. They clearly connect with it but are just having too much fun on set that they can't help but smile, rather than act smooth - this is the major flaw with the music video.

The concept is great, seeing the women in the music video as parts of their imagination; clearly, they are still on the guys' minds. Then, they surprise us with some brilliant dance choreography that they completely nail in every single way.

Throughout, they bring sex-appeal and killer dance moves. They manage to be sultry and smooth all the way through the scenes; however, it isn't consistent. The worse is Liam Attridge who may have perfected his smooth look during his verse, but throughout he's always smiling for the camera before he realises he's not supposed to smile and tries to look sultry again. He's not the only one, Emery Kelly and Ricky Garcia have their moments too. They're just living the life and having fun on set; it just sidetracks the viewers. If they can't stay in character for an almost four-minute visual, then it's no surprise their TV show wasn't picked up by Disney Channel.
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Lauv - Paris In The Rain


Paris in the Rain - Lauv |

I'm trying to add more male singers' music videos to this blog, purely because I feel that week-on-week I'm writing about female artists, and as much as I love writing about some of my favourite queens in the industry, I need a break from them every now and again. So, after randomly clicking through a few YouTube videos, I came across this one and I thought, why not? At 16 million YouTube views, I just had to review it. Watch Lauv's car break down in the middle of nowhere, he then gets out and sings his song with an amazing falsetto whilst dancing in front of the Paris, Texas sign in this music video for "Paris In The Rain".

Lauv, real name Ari Leff, went international with his single "I Like Me Better" which was a global hit, charting in many countries around the world, although they were moderate chart numbers. His other singles haven't quite reached up to the success of that previous track, although I certainly can't deny his amazing singing voice and off-the-radar vocals. This track, in my opinion, should've been a worldwide smash, it's catchy, it's meaningful, and Lauv definitely brings it. What more can we want? Regardless, this track will no doubt become a treasured track by many, including myself. I am so glad I've stumbled across this song, and I definitely can't get it out of my head. "Paris In The Rain" was written by Ari Leff, Michael Matosic, and Michael Ross Pollack.

Directed by Chase Smith, this music video is a pure performance visual which easily showcases Lauv as an artist in every way. If we were to go and see him live, we know exactly the sort of energy he would unleash to the crowd, just from this music video alone.

There's not a lot going on, the car breaks down so he dances in the street. A car does drive by and he tries to hitchike but he's just ignored. Then an umbrella pops out of nowhere as he continues to move. At one point, we see that he has stopped in front of the 'Welcome to Paris, Texas' sign.

Overall, the song is beyond amazing and Lauv really shows off his voice in every single way. Unfortunately, the music video barely relates to the song and doesn't keep the audience interested all the way through. I would've liked to have seen a love interest, at least. Regardless, Lauv is certainly a singer who deserves to stay popular, and I can't wait to see what the future brings him.
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New Release: Platnum & Sweet Female Attitude - Looking For Love


Looking for Love - Platnum & Sweet Female Attitude |

We all know how obsessed I am with Platnum, and I had planned to catch up on my blog in time for this new music release, however I am so far behind right now that I'm just taking one day at a time and trying to focus every single day and attempt to catch up to today's date; and I will eventually, it's just going to take some time. I have been obsessed with this song ever since Platnum and Sweet Female Attitude debuted the track at Staffordshire University's LRV - which is the uni I used to go to; their gigs are always pure fire and beyond worth going if you ever get the chance. Watch Platnum & Sweet Female Attitude dance and perform their collaboration song whilst they light up in UV lighting intersected by a group of dancers and fire performers in this music video for "Looking For Love".

Platnum are a duo consisting of Aaron Evers and Michelle McKenna, they were originally a three-piece with Mina Poli and went on to achieve success at the start of their career by featuring on H2O's track "What's It Gonna Be" before having a solo hit for themselves titled "Love Shy (Thinking About You)". They have gone on to release awesome fired-up tracks that I am still obsessed with today. Now, as a two-piece, this is their first song since they've been a duo, keeping their Platnum edge and style whilst making it more current. For the song, they teamed-up with classic garage artist and friend, Sweet Female Attitude, which is now the stage name for Leanne Brown. She's best known for the 90's track "Flowers". She's also had an amazing career to date and continues to drop new music; she easily stays current and totally slays when it comes to her vocals, just listen to what she brings to this song! This was a collaboration made in heaven, something we've needed in our lives before we knew it. We can only hope they team up again in the future, as this track is pure fire.

The music video is basic, filled with unstoppable energy throughout. It's clear that both these acts love being in front of a camera doing their thing and singing their songs. The track is upbeat and undeniably catchy, and all three artists convey that in the performance visual.

There's a lot going on although the main section of the video is the performance piece which sees Platnum and Sweet Female Attitude embody the musical energy of the song and unleash it out to every single viewer. This is the same energy that they bring to the stage at every single event that they go to. I've seen Platnum twice and I hope I continue to see them again and again as the years come and go.

Other shots see three dancers nailing choreography that works perfectly with the song, as well as a fire performer. There are also some interesting UV shots that see the stars wearing UV paint and lighting up in the dark. It's a great basic music video that I could watch over and over again. I cannot wait to see what these artists release next. What a way to kick off their 2018.
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Chart Mondays: MK - 17


17 - MK |

Catch-up spree is in full force, and here's my Chart Mondays review from five weeks ago - yes, I am that far behind, although you wouldn't know since I have backdated the date. This song is totally the club-banger around at the moment, which isn't a surprise since it is by MK. I am reviewing the music video to this as on this backdated date, Ed Sheeran is still at the top with his song "Perfect". This music video fails to interest me whatsoever and was not at all something I was expecting. Watch a bunch of young people party, dance, and hang out with flashbacks of their youth in this music video to MK's "17".

MK, real name Marc Kinchen, is a DJ that has stayed current as the decades have passed. This is not something many DJs can state, although in recent years they have become ever so popular; which has allowed MK to return to the mainstream recently. He'll certainly be someone that will give us hit after hit, although he's not someone we're all going to be talking about as he is known for his initials, and that's going to take quite a few hits for people to get used to; although, if anyone can do that, it's MK! This song has hit it big in Scotland, Mexico, The UK, and Ireland. It was written by Carla Monroe, Dave Whelan, Marc Kinchen, and Mike Di Scala.

Directed by Dean Richardson, this music video really doesn't have a lot going for it. It's not engaging to the audience, and when you've seen it once you're not all that bothered if you see it again. It's bright and colourful and I love the fact that MK is representing black men and women within dance and house music.

We watch a party go on, before we watch the group interact in the street, all intercut with flashbacks and camera recordings. It's clever but it is so not interesting, it doesn't actively involve the viewers.

Overall, this music video falls flat, which is in major contrast to the song. Appreciation has to go out to the fact that it is quite relatable to the track and the lyrics; the content just isn't something that leaves us wanting more. Instead, within the first minute or so, we're wondering what else we could watch.
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Hilary Duff - Play With Fire


Play With Fire - Hilary Duff |

Once again, I have left my iTunes to choose which music video to review. I always have it on shuffle and I have such a diverse range of music available that I'll probably be using this method in years to come since it actually allows me to stumble across videos I've never seen before or ones I've forgotten all about - which is the case with this one. There are two music videos released for this song, one of the original song and another of the Richard Vision Remix; I was planning on doing the latter, since I much prefer the song, however, as for music videos, I much prefer the original, but only by the tiniest little bit. Watch Hilary Duff bring fire in the background of this visual while she sings to the camera in this performance-style music video for her song "Play With Fire".

Hilary Duff is someone I have been a fan of for years, both in her music and her acting roles. She's recently been focusing on acting where she stars in TV series Younger, and she has a new film coming up, titled The Haunting Of Sharon Tate. She has dipped into music and is planning on releasing her sixth studio album in the future, although news about new music has pretty much died, with the last mention of it in 2016, although rumours are certainly hyped up. We certainly are dying for new music, especially since her last album was released in 2015, and as much as we all loved it, there wasn't much promotion around it and the singles, and she didn't tour with it. We're hoping that a world tour happens when she next releases music - we so need to see her live. This song wasn't a commercial success at all. It only managed to chart on the Billboard US Dance Club Songs at number 31 and didn't chart anywhere else. The song was written by Hilary Duff, Kara DioGuardi, Rhett Lawrence, and will.i.am.

The music video was directed by Alex and Martin. It is a pure performance piece using video editing and mirrors to transform what could've been a great energetic visual into an unreal, uncaptivating, and quite off-putting music video.

Any energy that Hilary Duff could've pushed out to the audience falls flat with the editing techniques used. This is so not engaging at all. It was inspired by Orson Welles 1948 film noir The Lady From Shanghai.

The music video is known as Hilary Duff's sexy transition into a woman. I actually think people grasp at straws when it comes to Hilary Duff since she is a Disney star and we've all them take down this sexy route so they can strip away their too-nice front; however, this phase isn't easily found in Hilary Duff and she's gained a lot of respect from her peers for this exact reason. Regardless, this music video just doesn't work and although it was nominated for awards, it just falls flat.
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