We've all been missing The Saturdays and their music but, luckily, Mollie King's brand new song and video are giving us all sorts of girl group vibes. The song itself reminds me of Girls Aloud's "Sexy! No No No...", while she impresses with her vocal range. It's something new and different for her considering she released her debut single, "Back To You", which was more of a pop-ballad. The release of this song coincides with the fifteenth series of Strictly Come Dancing, which launches next week; where Mollie King has been confirmed as a contestant. Watch Mollie King dance with her girls, flipping her hair and bringing it completely for this music video for "Hair Down".
Mollie King is best known for being one-fifth of British girl group The Saturdays, who are currently on hiatus with no plans to reunite - will they ever get back together? (We shall keep dreaming of the day that they do). She is setting her sights on a solo music career, but "Back To You" totally underperformed when it was released last year; it also has a killer music video that I'll never forget. Now, she's got this new song which I can't help but love, and with her being a contestant on Strictly Come Dancing next week, this could actually become a hit single for her; I sure hope it does. This song was written by Mollie King, Ben Taylor, Brian Higgins, Carla Marie Williams, Florrie Arnold, Georgia Morgan, Keir MacCulloch, Kris Ryeland, Kyle Mackenzie, Lauren Morgan, Sarah Thompson, and Timothy Deal.
Directed by Kyle Lewis, the music video was filmed in South Africa. The song and the visual certainly has a Kylie Minogue vibe to it as well as Girls Aloud; the latter of which isn't a surprise since the song is a collaboration with Girls Aloud producers Xenomania.
There is a lot of bright colours going on and edited slow motion, both of which relate to the song perfectly. There is great dance choreography that Mollie King perfects with her backing dancers. The visual is on fire from start to finish.
There's a lot of style and fashion going on in the clip, with Mollie King totally showing herself off as a professional artist; one who is determined to make it in this industry. She easily connects with the audience, as the dance moves are something any of us could nail if we put our mind to it.
Overall, this basic music video has got me gripped. Mollie King proves that this is exactly what she should be doing. She brings performance vibes and energy that just makes this track even better. I so hope that this slowly rises on the charts as she competes in Strictly Come Dancing.
We have a new song from Antonia, well sort of, as she features on Micke's debut single as Global Records launches into a Latin subsidiary label. I wrote this for CelebMix earlier today, and I just had to include it on my blog because I am addicted to this track and both Micke and Antonia's vocals work perfectly together. Watch Micke act as a mechanic as he checks out girls and dances with them whilst Antonia performs at a distance with her own girls in this music video for "El Amor".
Micke, full name Micke Moreno, has been in front of the camera since he was young. He's been on various TV shows, commercials, advertisements, and much more; most recently he appeared as a contestant on La Banda and The X Factor US. Now, he finally gets to release his debut single, and it features the incredible Antonia. Full name Antonia Iacobescu, she is an ex-model who has had a successful career in music, hitting international markets with the Tom Boxer single "Morena" and having a few top hits all on her own. This was a perfect team up that works completely on the track itself. It was written by Sebastian Barac, Marcel Botezan, and Micke Moreno.
Directed by Ionut Trandafir, the music video is a pure performance piece that has a slight narrative going on. It takes place in a caravan park, where Micke plays a mechanic, fixing up a car. All the while, Antonia and a bunch of girls are just hanging out, and dancing to the track.
There is a massive degree of separation between Antonia and Micke, it's almost as if she didn't want to be a part of the video, and was only drafted in because they wanted a big name to feature on the track. She stuns us from the opening and refuses to fade into the background as the video continues; bringing her usual performance vibes, ones I hope I get to experience one day. I need to see Antonia live in concert.
As for Micke, he really gets involved. It's clear he is loving every minute of this music video. Yet, he practically ignores Antonia, and although the distance is something we get used to with every play, it still looks completely awkward. Regardless, he brings so much passion to this video, that he's full of energy.
The song is totally amazing, and one I can't stop playing. Regardless of the awkwardness, the music video comes across well, with Micke and Antonia performing perfectly. The background dancers and actors play their roles well, bringing their own fun narrative to the table too. Overall, it's one video we don't mind playing again and again.
This is the party song that I love hearing when I'm in the club. My friends and I have perfected our dance moves to the chorus of this song; it's definitely extremely catchy, although we're not as good as Demi Lovato and her backing dancers in this video. This hasn't charted that well globally, and I expect it to climb up in some countries the more we hear it and fall in love with it. "Instruction" definitely goes off when we're in a club. Watch Demi Lovato show off her dancing skills and sexy looks to the camera in this music video for Jax Jones' "Instruction" as Stefflon Don raps whilst riding a horse.
Jax Jones, real name Timucin Aluo, first came on to the scene after meeting Duke Dumont and collaborating with him on "I Got U". His biggest single to date is "You Don't Know Me" which features RAYE. We expect to see a lot more music coming our way from this DJ very soon, especially since he's collaborated with this highly successful singer, Demi Lovato. She came from the Disney channel, and continues to prove she is on her game; she delivers highly catchy songs with on-point vocals throughout. She's a total star. As for Stefflon Don, real name Stephanie Allen, she's a fairly new British rapper who is definitely putting her stamp on the music industry - she totally brings it with this song and video. I expect to see more top hits from her in the future. This song was written by Uzoechi Emenike (MNEK), Stephanie Allen, Demi Lovato, and Timucin Aluo.
Directed by Ozzie Pullin, the music video was filmed in Los Angeles, California. It's a full-on dance music video - which is to be expected since that chorus contains dance move instructions, that my friend and I kill on the dance floor.
We start off with Jax Jones playing the drums linking this to its extremely tropical sound of the song. Demi Lovato is snapshotted throughout the intro, clearly making the statement that she's on this track and completely ready to bring it in every way.
The chorus has a specific set of dance moves and Demi Lovato nails these completely, along with her backing dancers. The choreography is totally lit and it's something that we all want to learn so we can pull it off in time with this video. However, the chorus does get on my nerves slightly, as Demi Lovato missteps in the song and the word "Left" sounds kind of hesitant, which annoys me a lot!
The verses bring more sexy face shots for the camera. It's not the best at profiling, but when it comes to Stefflon Don, she fully brings it whilst being on a horse - now that is talent. Still, the editing and the camera work doesn't allow the audience to fully connect with everything going on.
It's a great party song that I absolutely love, but the music video definitely falls short. We needed something amazing and this is just plain, with a great dance choreography segment for the chorus; although, it's not something we can easily learn and Demi Lovato comes off a little like she's out with her girls training in trackies, rather than performing in a music video.
I'm literally running out of Little Mix music videos to review, I've almost done them all. Luckily, there's a few of them left for me to cover, and today is a massively important day since today marks their sixth year anniversary. I have just written up an article about their best album tracks that should've been official singles for CelebMix. I highly suggest you check it out! This song is one of my favourites from this group and definitely club-worthy! However, the music video is difficult to keep up, with too many intercutting scenes; comparing this to the recent "Touch" really shows this up as a hard-to follow music video. Watch Little Mix dance their way through this song with backing dancers and on point choreography in this music video for "Move".
Little Mix are still the only group to have won The X Factor. They were put together on the eighth series of the show in 2011, and are celebrating their sixth year anniversary today. The group consists of Perrie Edwards, Jade Thirlwall, Jesy Nelson, and Leigh-Anne Pinnock. They have had a whole range of hit songs and continue to dominate as one of the biggest girl groups in the world. "Move" acted as their first single from their second studio album - the album that spawned the least amount of singles; but there were plenty of amazing ones they could've chosen. This song managed to chart in many countries, even gaining number three in the UK and number five in Ireland. The song was written by Maegan Cottone, Nathan Duvall, Perrie Edwards, Jesy Nelson, Leigh-Anne Pinnock, and Jade Thirlwall.
Directed by Carly Cussen, the music video is a performance-based piece that showcases the girls' ability to dance whilst also looking down-to-earth. They easily connect with the audience.
There's not a lot to this. There's a lot of bright backing colour going on, helping the girls to pop in the visuals. The spotlights are on them from start to finish, apart from the very start where they are silhouettes.
The dance choreography is complex and intricate to a certain extent. It's clear that Little Mix worked really hard on nailing the moves and in the entire clip they fully bring it in every way. They're totally in-sync and they have so much energy.
The problem is, we're switching between way too many scenes. The editing of this makes it very difficult to watch however it's full of great vibes that keep us until the end. The profile shots of Little Mix helps the audience identify with each and every one of the four girls.
There have been so many incredible releases today, it was so difficult to choose a music video for my New Release this week. However, Miley Cyrus has been solid lately and has made her new album available to pre-order with this incredible song being the title single! This song is catchy to no-end, and its music video seriously has some cool but old vibes going on, looking into the past and bringing it into the future. Watch Miley Cyrus showcase her performance vibes with this Elvis-inspired music video that has us enthralled from start to finish and hoping that we'll have a Miley Cyrus musical one day in this visual for "Younger Now".
Miley Cyrus, real name Destiny Cyrus, has been teasing new music recently with the release of "Malibu" and "Inspired", so I'm ecstatic that she has released a new one that's ever so catchy and motivating in every way. It's a whole new era for Miley Cyrus, and I feel like this song looks back on her past as she states that people do change as they find their way. I am loving this new sound, and "Younger Now" is something that deserves to be a hit, and we're sure it will be! This came with the announcement of her album, with the same title, which will be released on 29 September 2017 - I cannot wait! This song was written by Miley Cyrus and Oren Yoel.
The music video was directed by Diane Martel. It is very Elvis-inspired with a great message throughout. She has even used old people to be her backing dancers and to join her in the visuals, which is a great tribute to how the song came to her - since her mother started the ball rolling with the lyrics by telling her that "you're younger now at 24 than you were at 4!" which totally explains where the song came from.
I love this pure performance visual. There are some iconic scenes throughout, including some Elvis-inspired looks. I am obsessed with her red outfit - she looks super hot in that scene; as well as the blue jumpsuit.
She continues her ode to Elvis with the puppet scene. This directly links in with Elvis' music video for "Wooden Heart". Today marks the 40th anniversary of his death, so Miley Cyrus has picked the perfect time to release this video.
My favourite scene has to be the ending, that looks like a scene from the future Miley Cyrus musical theatre show - surely this is something that will happen at some point; her iconic songs would easily be able to come together to make a hit musical. The old dancers fully bring it as if they are young, and it's incredible to see Miley Cyrus enjoying her life in every way and enjoying her time on this set.
Overall this music video is a brilliant tribute and completely relates to the song. I love her biker chick outfit which makes her look a bit like Fergie; I also like the float because it's a float. I do feel that this could've been a little more engaging, and I feel that after the first watch she'll lose some viewers as it's not something you would definitely watch again and again. Regardless it is polished and has got me excited for 29 September when the new album drops!
Today is Thursday, which means I throw it back for a revisit, and it was obvious I was going to do another Alexis Jordan song because I may not get another chance; plus this song is another banger from her! This, along with "Happiness", may be extremely catchy, but they also become tiresome if you listen too often, this one especially - which might explain the moderate chart placements of this song compared to "Happiness". We won't talk about her follow-ups that just didn't do well at all. Watch Alexis Jordan be fierce in this choreographed dance performance music video of her second single "Good Girl", knocking out the dance sequences perfectly.
Alexis Jordan started off in America's Got Talent in the very first season. She made it to the semi-finals before being eliminated - she was just 14 years old. She then started uploading covers on YouTube, which caught the attention of Stargate and Jay-Z, and therefore kick-started her career in the music industry. However, in 2014, she was dropped from her label and her second studio album never surfaced; although, rumours state that she is set to make a return in the near-future, which I am certainly excited about. This song charted at number six in the UK, we practically loved her over here. It was written by Autumn Rowe, Mikkel S. Eriksen, Tor Erik Hermansen, Petr Brdičko, Sandy Wilhelm, Espen Lind, and Amund Björklund.
Directed by Erik White, the music video is mainly a performance piece with full-on dance choreography throughout. Some scenes look like there was a planned narrative, which may have got cut; instead, leaving us with snapshots of various scenes that doesn't relate all that much.
The dance sequences are on point throughout. There's a couple of main ones, mainly Alexis Jordan performing with her backup dancers. She's in-sync throughout, being confident and sassy whilst maintaining her "Good Girl" charm. There's also another scene where she's dancing with her on-screen love interest who is dancer Hefa Leone Tuita; they show the clear chemistry between them as they nail every dance step.
There are a few different characters that she portrays, from the everyday street woman to the high school geek, from professional dancer to the good girl princess. There's a lot going on but they've made it a good performance piece, it's just difficult to keep up with what's going on at times.
I have just written up an article about this song and music video for Outlet Magazine, so I thought I might as well write a blog post about the visual too. She's pretty new on the scene, after launching her music career last year, but LIZ LOKRE is certainly gaining momentum and definitely one for us all to keep our eyes on. This song does remind me of Drake feat. Rihanna's song "Too Good", but only slightly. Watch LIZ LOKRE bring a burst of colour with this infectious confident track that energises all the viewers to be sassy and be prepared to say "Buh Bye"; perfect motivation throughout this music video!
LIZ LOKRE, previously known as Liz Loughrey, launched her debut single "Rise Up!" last year, and this one is her second single release. Both songs have over 150,000 streams on Spotify, which just goes to show how catchy her music really is. This song, in particular, is sultry and hot, whilst bringing some soul into this undeniable pop song. I could so imagine this being remixed with Drake feat. Rihanna's "Too Good", it'll just work perfectly.
Directed by Sean McBride & Caroline Torti, the latter of which also acted as the choreographer, this music video is a pure performance visual surrounded by a full on burst of colour. It has a pop-art feel to it and contains LIZ LOKRE knocking out killer choreography with two backing dancers.
It's complete confidence throughout with LIZ LOKRE keeping the spotlight on her. She is seriously telling us "Buh Bye" and she means every single word of the song. This singer/songwriter proves that she deserves to be in the music industry and needs so much more recognition.
Overall, the music video is great to watch, and something I could watch over and over. She totally nails the choreography throughout. There are no distractions and it's very colourful. There isn't a love interest, unfortunately, but this video is fire nonetheless.
Her first solo singles away from Fifth Harmony, and I don't even know how I have not blogged about this music video before today. To be fair, Camila Cabello's debut solo music video isn't striking or all that memorable - which probably explains it all really. The song is a climber and a grower for everyone and has been starting to get those important chart numbers that it clearly deserves, but it's been quite the wait. I'm interested in what her new music will bring, whilst Fifth Harmony continues as a four-piece. Watch Camila Cabello perform "Crying In The Club" and "I Have Questions" in this haunting club music video for her debut solo singles.
Camila Cabello is mostly known for her time in girl group Fifth Harmony and for being the first member to release solo music and leave the band. Fifth Harmony were put together on the second season of The X Factor (US) and each member auditioned individually before being put together. They came third overall and went on to become the biggest act from all three seasons. Now going solo, Camila Cabello is definitely proving that she can make it on her own; however, Fifth Harmony remains strong without her. This song has charted all over the world, not making a striking impact but it's done all right. The song samples Christina Aguilera's "Genie In A Bottle". It was written by Camila Cabello, Sia Furler, and Benjamin Lever. The start of this video gives a snippet of the promotional single "I Have Questions", which charted in a few countries. It was written by Camila Cabello, Jesse Shatkin, and Bibi Bourelly.
This music video was directed by Emil Nava, who is totally an in-demand music video director - this name pops up all the time. Yet, this video is less impressive and I'm not so keen on the two song medley.
The opening starts with "I Have Questions" which is my favourite out of the two songs; yet, as a snippet, it's that slight bit too long and it makes you wonder when "Crying In The Club" will start up - it fully takes one minute and forty seconds.
Visually it's appealing but it doesn't go anywhere. It's mainly, haunting profile shots of Camila Cabello. The bath scene reminds me of Britney Spears' "Everytime". I totally love the glass box in the centre of the dancefloor, it reminds me of the mini-stages and the poles that you get in some of the clubs - but Camila Cabello looks awkward being in the centre spotlight, not quite being confident.
Overall, it's an all right music video that relates to the song to an extent; yet, it's nothing new, nothing exciting and definitely doesn't stand out. The song is a killer track, that had an even better follow-up, but the video just fails to impress.
Aminata is back with another brilliant song and music video that it's shocking to think that this Latvian singer didn't win Eurovision 2015 with her epic song "Love Injected"; however she continues to bring out amazing follow-ups that just demand all of our attention. How she isn't an internationally-known star, yet, I do not know; just explore her music and you'll see exactly what I'm talking about. This song is pure magic, and is the start of new music from Aminata - we literally cannot wait to hear more. This is on fire from start to finish. Watch Aminata perform her new song whilst showcasing Latvian fashion, culture, dance, and sport in this music video for "Prime Time".
Aminata, full name Aminata Savadogo, first came to my attention when she represented Latvia at the Eurovision Song Contest 2015 with her awesome song "Love Injected". She came sixth with 188 points, but that year was definitely highly competitive. Since then she went on to release more incredible singles and two albums; we hope that the release of this song is the start of her dropping her third. This song is beyond catchy with a brilliant sing-a-long hook that we can't get out of our heads! The song was written by Jonas Brogger Filtenborg, Edvin Hjertquist, and Aminata Savadogo.
Directed by Steve Spencer, this music video is a pure performance piece with Aminata taking the central spotlight as she dips into various attention-grabbing scenes. She's stylish throughout, and I am obsessed with her socks and skirt look at the start - if it's now acceptable for men to wear shorts and socks, it's time for women to embrace skirts and socks because Aminata rocks this look perfectly.
There are various scenes throughout, the tattoo scene is sexy, the football scene is fierce, and the dancing throughout is on point. The visual shows Aminata performing her song, bringing it like we've seen her do plenty of times before.
It's another great performance visual from Aminata and really works with the song. Yet, this isn't all that memorable next to the song, it feels like there's too much going on whilst not enough is being shown in each scene. Some shots look like there's a narrative that isn't shown, especially with the tape going into a parcel. Not fully expanded, but works nonetheless.
It's time for Thursday Revisit, and I thought I might as well promote Samantha Jade more and show off her debut music video, which was actually the theme song to the hit movie Step Up! It's surprising that she was a part of one of the biggest dance films ever released, and it didn't help to launch her career - however, promotion with the song is usually key when it comes to this sort of thing. I guess it's good that things didn't work out as she ended up going on The X Factor Australia and won. Watch Samantha Jade and her friends create their own "Step Up" music video in promotion of the film and its soundtrack.
Samantha Jade, real name Samantha Jade Gibbs, made it big when she won the fourth season of The X Factor Australia in 2012; which saw her winner's single "What You've Done To Me", go straight to number one in her home country. We are still waiting for an international smash from her, which we sure isn't far off. However, many people - including me - were unaware that she attempted a career way before then. This is her debut single released in 2006 in promotion of one dance film that we all know (and that launched Channing Tatum), titled "Step Up". It was the title track of the soundtrack to the film. The song was written by Diane Warren and produced by Wyclef Jean.
Directed by Scott Winig, this music video is a typical mid-00's visual, that is totally taking us back in every single way! She's seriously bringing it in the music video and it works completely.
There's not a lot to this video, however. We see her and her mates find out about a "create your own Step Up music video" promotion, and decide to do just that. They end up in front of an electrical shop and they distract the cashier as they record the video, using the equipment.
Throughout there's typical 00's dance choreography that Samantha Jade totally nails with her backing dancers. Most of this scene is in front of the electrical shop. We later see the narrative expand as she gets a message about being in the Step Up film - suggesting that she won the music video competition.
As this is a soundtrack music video, we also see clips of the film Step Up throughout. It's so great to see Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan again; reminding me of how long it's been since I've seen this film - way too long.
Overall, it's a great soundtrack music video; however, the clips of the film are way too short, and I feel like the narrative could've been broadened as it's not completely obvious. On the other hand, Samantha Jade is totally fierce and brings it in every way. I also really like the concept too.
A few days ago, The Nightingale Club - which is my favourite club to go to in Birmingham - announced their event dedicated to Little Mix. They've recently started playing more Little Mix songs amongst their sets - old and new; so this didn't really come as a surprise. During one of my nights out, my friend and I came up with a salute dance move to this song - I'm sure we all have one - and we cannot wait to do it again whilst clubbing at this event, on 5th August. The song is one of my favourites, and has killer choreography throughout! Watch Little Mix "Salute" to this amazing song representing all the women in this empowering music video.
Little Mix are a British girl group consisting of Perrie Edwards, Jesy Nelson, Leigh-Anne Pinnock, and Jade Thirlwall. They are still the only group to ever win The X Factor; which they did back in 2011 on the eighth series. They continue to up their game with every single release and album release. Their most-recent album finally got the girls their first number one on the UK Albums Chart. This single was the last one released from their second studio album of the same name. They didn't release many from this album, compared to the others; even though they have killer tracks written by Nicola Roberts on their albums - why oh why did they not release these ones as single? This song managed to chart at number six on the UK singles chart. The song samples Xzibit's "Paparazzi". It was written by Thomas Barnes, Peter Kelleher, Ben Kohn, Maegan Cottone, Perrie Edwards, Jesy Nelson, Leigh-Anne Pinnock, and Jade Thirlwall.
Directed by Colin Tilley - another in-demand music video director - this visual is commanding, dark and completely fierce in every way.
As mentioned, the key part of this music video is the dance choreography. The girls bring it like no other girl group can, that I have seen. Fully nailing every step and seriously getting into it in every way.
There are some profile scenes on each of the girls; these really work to emphasise independence even when they are seen in a group. This allows the viewers to latch on to one of the girls, someone who they can identify with slightly and follow throughout the visual.
Overall, this music video should've had a slight narrative, and it looks like there could've been one in the making but it may have been stripped away. Regardless, this is fierce and on point. The girls give it their all and it really does pay off.
My friend is obsessed with this song and music video, and since I couldn't think of anything else to review, I thought why not. Now, watching this music video surprised me, all they're doing is walking down a street, but these three sisters have made an iconic music video in every way. It's completely unforgettable and so stylish, cool, and brilliant. Watch the three HAIM sisters walk down Ventura Boulevard, adding style and dance to make it rhythmically iconic during this music video for their song "Want You Back".
HAIM are a three-piece girl group consisting of Este Haim, Danielle Haim, and Alana Haim. They have been building up their career since their first single release. Their debut album managed to hit number one in the UK; yet, their biggest single to date is "The Wire". This single is the first single to be released from their just-released second studio album. It has already charted in many countries, including the UK at number 59. The song was written by Danielle Haim, Este Haim, Alana Haim, and Ariel Rechtshaid.
Directed by Jake Schreier, this music video is beyond simple yet it is so effective. I love the concept. It was supposed to do with cars and there was meant to be some drifting donuts within the video, but they had to change the whole concept as there was an accident.
The whole clip looks as if it was done in one whole take. We watch the girls walking down the street to this song. Thing is, they aren't singing the song, they lip-sync certain lyrics but it isn't throughout. This is slightly on the disappointing side. However, it focuses more on them and what they're doing and their surroundings rather than anything else.
There's choreography that builds, which is extremely clever, and it's great to see it progress into full-on. They're all in-sync during all the right times, although there is the occasional misstep or out-of-sync that they make work.
Overall, this is better than I initially thought but it just doesn't go anywhere. It doesn't feel like a music video as they aren't singing along. There isn't a lot going on either. However, as a last-minute concept, it's great. It's truly iconic and unforgettable.
Thought I was stuck this week for my Thursday Revisit, trust me to have already written about all of Alexandra Stan's music videos which are five years older or more. Luckily, for me, Mike Posner was the feature on Nick Jonas' "Remember I Told You" alongside Anne-Marie; so, I picked him for my Thursday Revisit this week. This song didn't chart well globally, and it's understandable since this song isn't all that memorable, and the black and white music video isn't anything special. Watch Mike Posner perform his song whilst women dance sexily as lights flash on and off throughout this music video for "Looks Like Sex".
Mike Posner is one of these artists that have a big massive hit, then isn't heard from for a few years, and then makes a total comeback with one song, and goes away again. This is the story of Mike Posner's life and it definitely has a lot of ups and downs. He's most notable for "Cooler Than Me" and "I Took A Pill In Ibiza". This was his fourth single to be released, and it charted well in Belgium, managing to reach the top five in both of their official charts. The song was written by Mike Posner and Mason Levy.
Directed by Jason Beattie, the music video is shot purely in black and white, apart from the occasional scene that contains a bit of colour that is more on the faded side than anything else.
It's a pure performance visual which Mike Posner does an okay job of pulling off, but he doesn't exactly engage the audience and gets outshined throughout by the women in the video.
On the costumes are some parts that light up, this looks so good and makes me wish I had those clothes; however, it doesn't save the video and fails to keep our attention.
Overall, I wasn't expecting much, not going to lie; but, I still expected something better than this. It doesn't go anywhere and isn't all that memorable throughout. Mike Posner has done so much better when it comes to music videos.
Yet again, the number one of the UK singles chart has been claimed by Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee with "Despacito" featuring Justin Bieber - which still doesn't have a music video, yet; so this opens up my Chart Mondays review, and I have been dying to review this one. Another One Direction solo debut single, and this one is totally a jam of mine. I'm literally claiming it as my favourite solo material from the guys, and I'm totally looking forward to Liam Payne's future releases because I never expected that his musical route would be totally up my street. Watch Liam Payne perform his debut single "Strip That Down" alongside Quavo in a neon-lit room, segmented with an on-fire dance group who nails brilliant choreography throughout this music video.
Liam Payne, in case you didn't know, was one-fifth/one-fourth of One Direction before their hiatus. All five members of the group have gone solo, with Liam Payne being the last of them to release solo material. This single managed to peak on the UK chart at number three, but now it's slowly heading down the top ten, and will probably drop out completely by Friday, or the Friday after. Featured on this track is Quavo, real name Quavious Marshall, who is mostly known for being one-third of hip-hop group Migos, as well as featuring on DJ Khaled's "I'm The One" alongside Justin Bieber, Lil Wayne, and Chance the Rapper. This song is beyond catchy and works perfectly. It samples Shaggy's hit song "It Wasn't Me", which itself samples War's "Smile Happy" which explains the long list of songwriters. "Strip That Down" was written by Liam Payne, Steve Mac, Ed Sheeran, Quavious Marshall, Orville Burrell, Rickardo Ducent, Shaun Pizzonia, Brian Thompson, Sylvester Allen, Harold Ray Brown, Morris Dickerson, Le Roy Lonnie Jordan, Charles William Miller, Lee Oskar, and Howard E. Scott.
Directed by Emil Nava - another popular music video director - the music video is a pure performance visual. It has two main parts, Liam Payne and Quavo singing the song, and a dance performance from a dance troupe.
As for the performance visual, Liam Payne is trying to look sultry and sexy, but he just looks like he is not enjoying this at all - maybe that sunbed room is too hot for him? He seriously looks lost without his band mates beside him. In the song, he mentions how he is having fun, yet he fails to send that across the viewers; and, apart from the one smile that takes up a few seconds of this music video, there is no enjoyment from him in this music video whatsoever.
As for Quavo, he tries not to overshadow the ex-One Direction member, and he doesn't do half a bad job. Yet, it's this amazing dance troupe, with the killer choreography that grabs the music video entirely. However, I am not so keen on the black and white contrasting with the very colourful neon room. You can watch the full dance video below.
Overall, this just doesn't work. I feel there was an attempt to make this sexy in every way, but Liam Payne looks bored out of his mind, more than anything else. There is a very long silent intro, that definitely lined up the tragic music video. The dance troupe pretty much saves this disaster of a video. However, the song will still continue to be a jam of mine, and I cannot wait for Liam Payne's future music; it's just a shame about the video.
How have I not reviewed this yet? There just seems to be more and more music videos coming out and I can barely keep up. This is a brilliant collaboration, the song itself is full of club-vibes which totally make it my sort of track; however, the opening is a little too downbeat for my liking; it just doesn't excite me until the chorus kicks in. Even though it's rare for artists to join forces a second time, we're all hoping that they do. Watch Cheat Codes and Demi Lovato perform "No Promises" in what looks like a post-apocalyptic world, as the boys' logos and geometrical shapes emanate from within the visual of this music video.
Cheat Codes are an electronic dance trio from America, consisting of Trevor Dahl, KEVI (Kevin Ford), and Matthew Russell. They became famous after a collaboration with Kris Kross Amsterdam on the song "Sex", which certainly launched them globally. They've had a few great follow-up hits, this song being one of them - yet, they haven't managed to create the same success as before; although I bet it's not too far away. This collaboration sees them teaming up with Demi Lovato, who is certainly one of my favourite female singers around. She definitely helped the success of this single. She is currently working on new music, although it might be a wait until she releases her solo material since she has quite a few planned features being released with many top DJs. It's great to see her defining her sound and discovering new types of EDM music. This song has done moderately okay on the charts around the world, but it definitely deserves to climb up further; however, I truly believe the start of the song could be to blame for the okayish chart numbers. "No Promises" was written by Trevor Dahl, Matthew Russell, Kevin Ford, Demi Lovato, Ari Leff, and Loote.
The music video was directed by Hannah Lux Davis, the in-demand director. This has surprised me that she directed this video because I'm so used to something better; although, I reckon the visual idea behind this was awesome, and it was stripped back.
It's a full-out performance piece, and I was totally expecting chemistry between Demi Lovato and Trevor Dahl; but, instead of using Demi Lovato's acting skills brilliantly, they decide to focus on the camera, and making the audience see them. This just doesn't come off engagingly, and although these profile shots are intricate and gorgeous, it just doesn't work that much without the chemistry between the singers.
Demi Lovato steals the show completely. Her sexy scenes in the warehouse-like building are complete fire. She's channelling Clarke Griffin in every way (from The 100 TV show); it totally works with her surroundings.
Overall, this should've been polished perfection, much like many other Hannah Lux Davis-directed music videos; but, whether Cheat Codes and Demi Lovato don't get on, or they were just rushed with the whole visual, who knows. But, this clearly doesn't work as well as we all wish that it did. I also fail to see how it relates to the song exactly; however, Demi Lovato's fierce camera acting saves this from being a total disaster.
I'm so glad that Alexandra Stan has a new single out, and not only that, but it has been released on a Friday! This means I can review the music video for my New Release blog, which I am ecstatic about. Breaking away from Global Records and releasing her music on Alexandra Stan Records, "Boy Oh Boy" is planned to be the first single from her upcoming fourth studio album. I have previously reviewed the song and music video for CelebMix,. The song has distinct reggae vibes mixed with 90's influence and Asian culture, all wrapped up in a modern Eurodance song that is typical of Alexandra Stan's style. The song is addictive to say the least; while the music video showcases her beautifully. Watch Alexandra Stan sing her song "Boy Oh Boy" while captivating Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in every possible light.
Alexandra Stan continues to prove that she's one of the top female artists out of Romania. Her effortlessly catchy songs are released one after another. She keeps to her style, with her voice on point throughout, whilst managing to progress and further her career. This single is a great transition single from "9 Lives", which was her last single release from her third studio album 'Alesta'. This one is a slightly new direction, showing that she has got some amazing new music on the way. "Boy Oh Boy" was written by Alexandra Stan, Marius Mirica, and Andi Grasu.
Directed by Bogdan Paun, the music video is a pure performance visual that was filmed in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Alexandra Stan wanted to capture the Asian culture, the Asian people, and the Asian atmosphere; and she pulled it off perfectly, even meeting people who wanted to star in the video.
Some of the scenes were filmed at the Batu Caves Tempur, as she revealed in some of her Instagram photos. She has dropped teaser one and teaser two in the run-up to this music video. She brings her usual energy to the visual, clearly caring a lot about this song and meaning every single word.
My favourite scene is when she's walking through the street, clocking all the people around her, allowing them time in the visual. There are also brilliant scenes of what appears to be a food warehouse, displaying the food served in Malaysia - tantalising.
The song's ending bridge is beyond anything we could've imagined and is certainly the best part of the song - if only it lasted a little longer. I hope that this sort of bridge appears in many of her new songs. During this part of the video, Alexandra Stan releases all her performing vibes, easily giving the camera everything it needs to capture her beautifully. Definitely an unforgettable moment during this segment of the video.
Overall, the song is something I can't get enough of, and the music video perfectly relates to the song. I like how she wanted to show off Malaysia. It works well, although I'm not so keen on some of the colourisation filters used; it makes it slightly too dark and mysterious, which doesn't really go with the rest of the scenes.
Here is Kiesza, once again, proving she is a vocal powerhouse and determined not to go down as the "Hideaway" girl; I just know there is another hit on the horizon, for sure! This song deserved to be one, but we'll keep it amongst our treasures; one we'll sing along to every time we hear it; one we'll request to play at every party; and, one that we will never forget; just like all the other treasures we have. Bakermat has really proven his ability to create a hit, and although it may not have chart success, it's one I absolutely love. Watch Kiesza inspire everyone to dance in this ode of a music video to the past, whilst still keeping it modern and with a comedic effect, for Bakermat's "Don't Want You Back".
Bakermat, real name Lodewijk Fluttert, is a Dutch DJ and music producer, who has had a few successful songs, but most of which have been solid hits that haven't got the recognition they deserved. Only two of his songs have hit the UK Chart, these are "One Day (Vandaag)" and "Teach Me". It's a shame this one hasn't made it, especially since the collaboration is with Kiesza, real name Kiesa Ellestad, who may be a Canadian singer, but she's had massive success in the UK. Her hit, "Hideaway" peaked at number one, and she followed that with "Giant In My Heart" which got to number four; and, even her third single, "No Enemiez", peaked at number 30, inside the top 40! Yet, she hasn't been able to chart since, but promotion of this artist isn't as high as it was when "Hideaway" dropped; but, with a voice like Kiesza's, you'll always be a fundamental part of the music industry. This song was written by Lodewijk Fluttert, Clifford Goilo, Janée Bennett, Komi Al-Hakam, and Tamera Foster.
Directed by Adam Madrzyk, this music video is tongue-in-cheek as Kiesza encourages everyone to stop what they're doing and to dance their way through this song. Her vocals are on point throughout as she brings some fun to this brightly-themed music video.
The whole concept reminds me of Jigglypuff from Pokémon because everyone is asleep by the time she stops singing, probably from the exhaustion of dancing to the song. The opening scene sees a child go downstairs to watch TV and eat breakfast; it's clear that this is a children's TV programme that Kiesza is performing on.
She inspires fitness, wrapping it all around dance choreography, which she totally nails next to her backing dancers. The song is catchy, and Bakermat is looking super handsome in the visual. I also love how the people behind-the-scenes all start to dance too, and we also have an annoyed director who then ends up dancing too.
It totally works, but does it really relate to the song? It feels that the music video is a comical visual that doesn't really reflect the song. However, it's one I could watch over and over again; one that you'll see something new every time you watch.
It's Thursday Revisit, so of course, I was going to do this song by Elena, since she was in the Eurovision Song Contest after all. I also believe I've seen this music video on the music channels years ago, and the fact that it charted in the UK shows how much this was well received in this country. The video on the official Eurovision YouTube channel is a bit on the blurry side but we can deal. Elena represented Romania at the Eurovision Song Contest 2009. She came 19th overall with 49 points. The song sure is catchy, it's just a shame she didn't do better in the contest. Watch Elena, backed up by two women, dance around and completely nail choreography, in this music video for Eurovision 2009 song "The Balkan Girls".
Elena, full name Elena Ghorghe, was originally in Latin group Mandinga, who have had a string of hit singles and albums and went on to represent Romania at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2012 with "Zaleilah"; this was all after Elena left the group to pursue a solo career. Since Eurovision 2009, Elena has built her career and has released some amazing hits, I still can't get "Mamma Mia (He's Italiano)" out of my head when I hear it. I truly believe she has a great voice and could have an internationally successful song in the future. She was chosen as the Romanian representative through Selecția Națională, which she won; it's just a shame she didn't do better during the Grand Final. The song was written by Laurentiu Duta, Ovidiu Bistriceanu, Alexandru Pelin, and Daris Mangal.
There are officially two music videos, one released in promotion of Selecția Națională in January 2009, which is the one I'm reviewing, and then there's an official music video that was released in March 2009 (which I'll probably end up reviewing at a later date). This music video / promotional video was filmed at a TVR 1 studio.
There are two main scenes, one is a slight narrative which then leads into the main dance scene, and then there is a slight segmented performance piece throughout. Elena is looking fierce, totally embodying superstardom in every way.
We watch Elena ride a horse with her two backing dancers doing the same. They ride them to this spiral staircase which they then descend. This leads them to a venue, or in this case, the studio, where they all perform amazing choreography in sync and perfectly relating to the song throughout.
The performance segment sees Elena on a silver couch, performing the song engagingly. A male dancer appears in a hallway and performs a great dance sequence. It might have been a great added touch to see him and Elena perform together at the end.
Overall, the music video doesn't have a lot going for it, but Elena and all the dancers make up for it by performing and giving it their all. After looking back at her performance during the Eurovision Song Contest 2009, I do much prefer the music video as the girls aren't exactly in-sync. Regardless, Elena gave it her all on that stage, and she could've faired much worse. It is quite a forgettable song and stage production, which probably didn't help; and I only just remember it way back when I watched this show in 2009.
You all knew this blog post was coming today after I wrote up my article on it for CelebMix, and since Inna is my queen. This is definitely a tune of the summer, and what with "Despacito" by Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee featuring Justin Bieber, being at the top of the UK charts, why can't another song that contains Spanish lyrics climb its way up - I can only ever hope. Compared to Inna's recent releases, I feel that the song itself falls short, it feels like a mix between "Heaven", "Me Gusta" and "Bad Boys", creating this cool summer sound that doesn't really work for me; regardless, I can see it becoming a grower as I learn the lyrics. Watch Inna and Erik perform on a tennis court whilst dancers back them up and continue the party on in other scenes, including an awesome bonfire in this music video for "Ruleta".
Inna, real name Elena Alexandra Apostoleanu, has had international fame, especially when she released her debut single "Hot". Since then she has been building up her career, and even though she doesn't chart well globally, she still nails it in her home country of Romania. She manages to sell out shows all around the world. Now, Inna is preparing to drop her fifth studio album, which will contain most of her recent singles. Her music oozes summer, so be prepared for an album that you'll have on repeat all year round. Featuring on the track is Erik, full name Erik Tchatchoua. He is a Romanian rapper who has previously collaborated with Mandinga on their song "Aventura". This song proves how great he really is, and it excites me to see where the future will take him. The song's music and lyrics were created by Sebastian Barac, Marcel Botezan, David Ciente, Elena-Alexandra Apostoleanu, Frank-Erik Tchatchoua, Marius Dia, and Isaac Breyan.
Directed by Barna Nemethi, this music video hasn't got a lot to it. There are three main scenes, with a subtle short scene within the entire visual. It seems like there wasn't much thought behind it and not much time either. It feels rushed but still looks so much better than many other music videos I've seen.
The main scene is Inna and Erik performing on a tennis court, with a group of dancers behind them. There is a slightly missed opportunity of them all doing choreography; however, Inna rolls with it as she always does and there's definitely some dance moves inside of her as she continues her camera-friendly profile.
As for Erik, he doesn't really shine on the tennis court, that may be due to how gorgeous Inna is. Nevertheless, he gives it his all and you can see the passion behind his words. I'd also want to give kudos to seeing two women kiss, Inna has always been LGBT+ friendly in some of her music videos, and it's good to see it again here. There's also a man and woman kissing to even it all up a bit too.
The other scenes include the dancers showing off their amazing skills in a circle; some of which are incredible and has been edited perfectly to the song. Then there's the bonfire, the place we all wish we could be; it looks fun and it looks warm. Then there are the kids dancing in front of the wall; this clip is short and sweet and if you blink, you might miss it. At first, I did think some of these kids were from Inna's team echipa Inna from Vocea României Junior, who later collaborated as a group known as The Kidz where they released the song "Kids In Town"; unfortunately, I don't think these kid dancers are Inna's kids from the show.
Overall, this music video could've turned out completely low-budget and very simple; breaking it down, it seems this way; however, Inna and Erik plays it cool throughout and totally nail it. The dancers bring it as much as they can. It may seem like there isn't much to this, but that's because there isn't; yet, they've made it work, so kudos to everyone involved.
Making his debut on my blog is George Ezra with this feel-good summer song which will no doubt gain momentum as the sunshine starts to bake us all. He dips in and out of the public eye but was launched with his highly successful song "Budapest". It's undeniable that he has a brilliant voice that has definitely earned him a place amongst the music industry, it's just a shame that his music isn't to my taste; it's not something I personally would listen to, and this song in itself feels like he doesn't care about it. He sings it as if he's too relaxed and as if it doesn't matter at all when he sings. The backing track is much more appealing than the lyrics, and I bet the instrumental version is much more interesting than the song itself. Watch everyone have a great summer time in George Ezra's new music video for his recently released single "Don't Matter Now".
George Ezra, full name George Ezra Barnett, hit it big with his debut single "Budapest" which skyrocketed up the charts around the world. That catchy little single perfectly showed off how iconic his voice is; he then followed it up with an album which also sold well around the world and a few other singles. Now he's back with a brand new song that I was hoping would be addictive, and although the backing track certainly contains an upbeat summer-infusion, the lyrics fail to match well and his vocals doesn't really fit with the song. It just feels like he's singing a different song in a relaxed style, and I feel that it doesn't work all that well. The song was written by George Ezra Barnett and Joel Laslett Pott.
Directed by Marc Oller, the music video contains many actors, actresses and dancers; these people have been credited as the following: Adriá Brita, Daniel Chamizo, Anna Viñas, Harman, Pedro Muñoz, Targil, Jeldris, Lihon Sun, Julia Sanz, Shelia Gadea, Júlia Hernández, Julia Espinosa, Will McGrath, Xavier Salvat, Danielle, Gina Berenguer, and Aina Carafi.
The main scene throughout is George Ezra and his dog going on a road trip. The dog is totally loving life in the passenger seat; to be fair, so would I if I were in a car with George Ezra. The dog even has hair bobbles in his hair, can it look any more adorable?
As the instrumental chorus kicks in we follow other people, who are on a beach, in the video. There are three people performing choreography by Anna Macau; there are frisbee playing and badge loving "Don't Matter Now" people too.
Other scenes see people just having fun in the glorious sunshine. It's all very tongue-in-cheek with the pie-face, the dancing, the 'ouch' plaster, the heads in the sand, the kissing of a gnome. The ending sees George Ezra click the "Don't Matter" button in the car and speeds down the road, disappearing in a set of fire tyre tracks just like in the film "Back To The Future".
Overall, this music video works and relates to the song. It's nothing special but it completely turns the song into the visual and totally works. I may not like the song, and I may not like the music video, but I admit that they go well together and certainly bring summer vibes that we very much need in the UK at the moment.
