Anyone who keeps an eye on my articles on CelebMix will know how obsessed I am with Alex & Sierra, this song is just perfect as well as the rest of their album which they released this week. I feel I have exhausted every word I can possibly use for Alex & Sierra because they are that good! I'm just glad they chose this song as the first promotional single because this is their audition song for The X Factor (US). Alex & Sierra are "Toxic" to each other in this music video as they hauntingly twist the song and it's meaning into something sexy, sultry and hypnotising.
Alex & Sierra consist of Alex Kinsey and Sierra Deaton. They won the final season of The X Factor (US), which wasn't at all surprising, even though it was a stiff competition that year, they were clearly a favourite. They went on to release an album and a few singles in America but didn't release internationally, and so this album 'As Seen On TV', without the influence of Simon Cowell, is their first release in the UK, and we are loving it! Soulful throughout, flipping songs we all know on their head and making them sound amazing, totally making them their own and fitting them nicely with original songs, it's an album you need in your life. This song is a cover of Britney Spears' "Toxic" and was written by Cathy Dennis, Christian Karlsson, Pontus Winnberg and Henrik Jonback. Alex Kinsey and Sierra Deaton has additional writers Mikal Blue and Johan Lindbrandt in their version. They have totally transformed this song and made it their own.
This music video was originally released on Yahoo Music but later appeared on YouTube. Even without the music, you can literally tell that they've switched the song because of the slow dance and the whole visual. There's a deeper meaning to this Alex & Sierra version and it's so intricate.
The main performance piece is sweet, it's clear these two know how to perform. They would definitely be amazing to see live, they work the song to their advantage and there's such a beautiful chemistry flitting across the air between them as they sing.
There's a slight narrative as they are dancing. Alex & Sierra start off in white clothes, but as they start to dance they leave black handprints on each other's clothes, which soon intensifies like some sort of poison or toxin.
By the end of the video, they are wearing black clothes, signifying that they have transformed into something else and still love each other. This reminds me of a typical relationship where people fight but become stronger because of it. Even though they may be considered bad for one another, they fight through it and become something so much more and better.
What's not to like about this music video? It shocks and outstands us and we can't help but love it. It is toxic in its own right, it infects me and I just end up loving this new version of this song! There are a few times the song lyrics don't match up in time with Alex & Sierra singing, but it's hardly noticeable. There could've been more of a narrative too, but it's still on point throughout.
I do not support James Arthur whatsoever. But it's Chart Mondays, which means I have to review the music video to the number one single in the UK, It just so happens to be James Arthur at the top spot, and he actually has a music video! This makes a change since for the past few weeks the top spot on the UK singles chart hasn't had a music video. Anyhow, here we are and here James Arthur is, so let's get this done. James Arthur sings "Say You Won't Let Go" in a relaxed performance piece whilst we watch relationships and friendships during the narrative side of the video.
James Arthur, winner of The X Factor series nine, he went on to have a few hits before his attitude ruined everything. Twitter was James Arthur's downfall; after a homophobic comment went viral online he made an official apology on The X Factor stage, but it didn't stop there. There were more Twitter spats which soon had Simon Cowell dropping James Arthur from the Syco label, but in a controversial twist, he has once again been picked up by Syco and this song is at the top of the UK charts now. The song was written by James Arthur, Steven Solomon and Neil Ormandy.
Directed by Felix Urbauer, the music video has a narrative and a performance piece. It is completely in black and white.
The narrative is botched in places making it difficult to follow and difficult to understand, there are so many so-called memories throughout, but the overall picture is showing love and friendship. It's definitely sweet and lovely, very relatable to the song which is also upbeat and cute.
The performance side is lacking. James Arthur puts so much emotion into the song, that he doesn't quite show that emotion in the visual aspect of this music video. The song means a lot to him, you can really tell that in his amazing vocals, and yet he isn't giving the audience anything in the music video.
There's nothing else to really comment on. This just doesn't quite accompany the song the way we had hoped. The narrative is all over the place and totally difficult to follow and understand. The performance aspect isn't entertaining enough whatsoever.
One of the world's much-loved Swedish artists about at the moment is Zara Larsson. Now she's going for a global career and "Ain't My Fault" should be the start of that, she just needs to be careful, because she's at the point in her career where everything can just disappear in a few seconds. It's happened to many artists before her, hit songs are all okay as long as you continue to release one after the other after the other. This song faired well but it's a rocky ledge to be sitting on right now. Zara Larsson entertains in this sexed-up music video for "Ain't My Fault" that is completely polished it hurts. Choreography on point as well as her performance vibes. She's ready for global stardom!
Zara Larsson came to fame globally thanks to MNEK collaborating with her on track "Never Forget You". This launched her around the world, where her previous song "Lush Life" started to gain traction. Next, Tinie Tempah snapped her up for song: "Girls Like" and that was it, she was famous. David Guetta then grabbed a collab on song: "This One's For You", but it didn't do as well as her other songs globally, and now this one isn't proving the success they were hoping for. The reason being is her diversity. Zara Larsson is doing something no one else is doing in the music industry at the moment. Her songs are completely unique, and that is a risky business but one that will surely pay off. Let's be honest, her international album, which she is working on, will be perfection personified. With "Lush Life" and "Ain't My Fault" as lead singles; her album is what we need in our lives right now! This song was written by Uzoechi Emenike (MNEK), Zara Larsson and Markus Sepehrmanesh.
Directed by Emil Nava, the video is a pure performance piece with Zara Larsson really getting into this sexy role. It's definitely a side to her that we've never quite seen before. In her previous videos, it's been natural beauty, this one seems like she's trying too hard; however, she gives as good as she gets and really owns this style in some scenes.
In certain scenes she's relaxed and it works but in others, there's a complete disconnect. This is what loses the audience. On the other hand, her choreography is pulled off perfectly, although simple she's in time with her backing dancers and she's having fun.
There is a potential chance of a narrative as we see an ex-lover tied up and dangling from the ceiling. He soon disappears off-screen and is all but forgotten. Again, Zara Larsson hints at a narrative but doesn't give us one; this happened in "Lush Life".
There's not a lot to say about this, Zara Larsson struggles to adapt to this sexy version of herself. She seems awkward as if she doesn't really know how stunningly beautiful she really is. This video would've worked if she had more confidence; in parts she has it, but in others she's lost. It's a great song but there's just a distance in the music video that fails to keep the attention of the viewers.
When this was released last week, I knew it I'd have to review it at some point. Thing was, when I was able to review it, I was writing up an album review for Outlet Magazine. I was pretty much done reviewing Shawn Mendes by that point and I needed a break, regardless of his amazing vocals and songs, I just couldn't put myself through that. However, now I'm ready and this is definitely one of my favourite songs from his new album! In a split music video between narrative and performance, Shawn Mendes starts to drown inside a car as he struggles to get out. With a great performance piece proving his instrumentality, we're definitely giving him some "Mercy".
Shawn Mendes has really become this magnificent male artist over night. "Stitches" climbed up the chart slowly but surely in one of the most phenomenal climbs in the UK chart history, where he finally reached the top spot. It has been a similar case with a few of his songs, but then again it shows how catchy they really are. This song has "Stitches" elements to it, yet it's much more slower and more of a pop-ballad, yet totally strong. The song was written by Shawn Mendes, Teddy Geiger, Ilsey Juber and Danny Parker.
This music video was directed by Jay Martin, and as I said before, it consists of both a narrative and a performance piece, which usually adds up to an amazing music video, and this is sure as hell what this is.
Although basic and simple, what with Shawn Mendes slowly descending into a sea of water. Obviously, every girl and gay guy are commemorating whoever came up with this idea because a wet Shawn Mendes is an extremely hot Shawn Mendes!
The car symbolises the girl he's singing about, it suggests that he's drowning and she's not giving him mercy and so he can't get out, but finally it gives way and he swims to the surface. Totally relatable to the song, yet so simplistic. It's perfect.
The performance side shows that Shawn Mendes is a one-man band, he can literally play an assortment of instruments whilst singing. But, boy, he's not just singing, he's putting so much emotion into this song and the performance of this song, that as an audience we feel him right in our hearts. He means every single word he is singing, and we can see that. Even in the narrative piece of the video, he sings the song like his life depends on it like his heart is calling out for mercy. He's such an emotional performer and singer it's a gift we're glad to receive both visually and aurally.
This is a faultless video, it may be simple, but who needs chaos in something so authentically good? The song has so much emotion, and Shawn Mendes transcends that right into the music video. There's not a lot else for me to say. I just hope his next music video is just as good because he never fails to knock it out of the park.
Totally cheating using this as my New Release this week since it was released on Tuesday, but still it counts and I am totally in love with this amazing song! I previously reviewed this for CelebMix. This is the first Antonia song I've liked a lot, but I haven't heard many of her others yet. Label mates to my favourite singers in the world, Inna and Alexandra Stan, Antonia is set for big things. Antonia dances through this music video with Achi, she wants everyone to "Get Up And Dance" in this catchy song.
Antonia, full name Antonia Iacobescu, is a Romanian singer, she previously lived in the US and has had a successful modelling career. This is clear in this video because she is looking gorgeous throughout. She made a name for herself on the Tom Boxer hit "Morena" and then later had a solo hit with "Marabou". She hasn't quite made it as big as her label mates, but she's always been there, people know who she is... She just needs a worldwide hit, and the path she's on now with a good solid song like this one could possibly turn her into the worldwide success she deserves. She looks like a star and her voice is magnificent! Here comes Antonia, keep your eyes on her! Featured on the track is Achi, real name Octavian Petre, has previously worked with Marius Moga and is definitely an up-and-coming Romanian singer. This song was written by Lucan Vlad Octavian, Petre Ioachim Octavian, Chiosea Marian Florian and Paul Maracine.
Directed by Spike, this music video is a performance piece with an editing twist that prevents it from being boring. Instead, it makes it much more entertaining and visually amazing.
Antonia is stunning in her three different costume changes, she could literally wear anything and pull it off like it's nothing. She shows her dancing ability and her on-stage presence, imagine seeing Antonia live, now that'll be one heck of a show! She's relaxed in this video; she clearly loves this song.
Achi fares well in the video too, performance vibes bounce off him like this song is his tune. He's also relaxed; also clearly loving this song.
The editing team did an amazing job on this. It's stylish, current and it's entertaining. This is flawless in a performance-piece styled video. This is how they should all turn out!
What more can I say or comment on? This is a great complete package, it's simple but amazing to watch. This song is a banger of a tune that will totally be played at any parties I hold. Although I don't approve of the Lipton advertising, totally out of place!
Can you believe it's been five years since Ariana Grande released her first ever song and music video? This means she can appear on my blog again this week for my Thursday Revisit. This is the song a video Ariana Grande hates, she calls it the worst moment of her life, and you can definitely see why. Ariana Grande asks you to "Put Your Hearts Up" in the air, whilst doing heart hands and turning the street into a musical. Totally over the top and way too cheesy.
Ariana Grande became well known for playing Cat Valentine on Victorious, which then lead to a spin-off show called Sam & Cat. This was her debut single, back in 2011, and many fans have said that this reminds them of Cat Valentine and that she was just acting in this entire music video. It is extremely cheesy. Ariana Grande has described it as 'bubblegum pop' and that that genre is not her. Personally, it's more 'cheesy pop' than anything else since 'bubblegum pop' has come a long way compared to what it was, just check out Alexandra Stan's "Cherry Pop". This 'cheesy pop' song has been taken off Ariana Grande's Vevo account as she hates it so much! This was supposed to be the lead single from her debut album, but "The Way" replaced it and this song is all but forgotten about now. This song samples 4 Non Blondes' "What's Up?". It was written by Linda Perry, Martin Johnson and Matt Squire.
Directed by Meiert Avis and Jeremy Alter, the music video feels like it's straight out of 'Hairspray'. It's over the top cheese, with extra on top, just to make sure. No wonder Ariana Grande hates this.
There's a full choreography part, that Ariana Grande pulls off like we totally expect her to, although the ending clips show that she did actually mess it up a little bit. Totally in sync with the dancers, who totally bat out this dance sequence like it was made for them.
It's quite cute as a complete package, but there's not a lot to comment on, and Ariana Grande does not suit this pink dress whatsoever. This is not great to watch compared to how far she's come and how polished her music videos are right now.
One of my favourites from the Eurovision Song Contest 2014, but that is mainly because I've supported Ruth Lorenzo since she appeared on The X Factor in 2008. She scored 74 points for Spain in Eurovision 2014, where she placed 10th. I have and will continue to support Ruth Lorenzo, and I hope that new music will be on the way soon. In this video, Ruth Lorenzo gives a great performance piece as well as showing off her skills in "Dancing In The Rain" with Giuseppe Di Bella.
Ruth Lorenzo was a part of the fifth series of The X Factor, where she placed fifth overall. She competed in Mira quién va a Eurovisión, Spain's national selection process. She came joint first with Brequette who sung "Más (Run)", but Ruth Lorenzo won overall because of the public vote, which prevails over the jury vote if there is a tie. She went on to release her album Planeta Azul, which was then re-released as a special edition with additional tracks. She later took part in Tu Cara Me Suena (the Spanish version of Your Face Sounds Familiar) which she won. Hopefully, new music is being created and a new album will be out soon, well that's what I'm hoping for. This song was written by Ruth Lorenzo, Jim Irvin and Julian Emery.
Directed by Paloma Zapata, the video is a pure performance piece, showing how amazing Ruth Lorenzo is live; if only I got the chance to see her again on stage. I last saw her at The X Factor tour, but I was very far away from the stage.
This song shows off her powerful voice, yet the music video doesn't quite portray the amazingness of her vocal cords. On the other hand, it does show off her dancing ability.
Giuseppe Di Bella and Ruth Lorenzo shine in the dance scene. They pull off the choreography flawlessly, which definitely isn't easy when they are dancing in water with spray coming down on them. Ruth Lorenzo is clearly having a ball of a time, getting soaked with Giuseppe Di Bella.
As a complete package, this video is stunning in its own way. However, it lacks engagement from the viewers, with nothing to keep us interested, as such. It's not something we'd particularly repeatedly watch. Therefore it comes off average, yet the song is amazing and deserved better than 10th place, although the 2014 Eurovision Contest was extremely competitive.
First off, Justin Timberlake is the thumbnail for no reason whatsoever, this needs to be corrected, although I suppose it's giving this already popular song more hits than usual, but still it's misleading. THIS IS NOT A JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE MUSIC VIDEO! Just wanted to clarify that. This is a James Morrison and Nelly Furtado song and is still being played on the radio today. James Morrison sings in a room whilst Nelly Furtado watches through a one-way mirror before their amazing electric voices blow objects up in the room; breaking guitar strings and heart strings.
James Morrison, real name James Morrison Catchpole, was one of the biggest British male singers back in the mid-00's, having a hit with "You Give Me Something" before this one became his bestselling hit. He has a Brit award and he has sung with the likes of Jessie J and Jason Mraz. He's still releasing music, but he's fairing much better in the Netherlands than in the UK. Featured on this track is the stunningly beautiful Nelly Furtado, who was also at the height of her career in the mid-00's. This song was the Olly Murs & Demi Lovato's "Up" of the mid-00's... Nelly Furtado is also still releasing music to this day but has yet to have another global hit after the amazing "Maneater". Yet with those vocals and her gorgeous style, I bet she could easily make a comeback. This song hit number two in the UK, beaten to the top spot by Lady Gaga's "Just Dance". Itwas written by James Morrison, Fraser T Smith and Nina Woodford.
This music video was directed by Micah Meisner. Fully relatable to the song, the video is mainly a performance piece with a narrative built within. It reminds me of a cross between Nickelback's "How You Remind Me" and every video that has a wall to separate artists (there's been a lot of them so I won't type them all down).
James Morrison starts the song off in his room with his guitar. He's singing to himself in the mirror, as if he can imagine Nelly Furtado on the other side, maybe she is actually there or it's just his imagination.
Nelly Furtado jumps in with her amazing vocals, and their hands are touching on the one-way mirror. FUN COMPETITION: Nelly Furtado swaps hands for one short snapshot before switching to the original hand. Find it and either Tweet, Facebook, Instagram me or comment below the time or a photo.
This inconsistency is surprisingly annoying. Like seriously? How do you miss that? It's not okay, it really isn't.
Luckily we're distracted by the amazing song. Objects blow up in James Morrison's room as they are connecting hands on the one-way mirror. Towards the end, they fix themselves and the room is just normal again. Nelly Furtado is gone for good. It's the same as heart strings when they are broken, they learn to fix themselves and the heart heals; it becomes stronger.
This song is completely powerful, yet the video is just as powerful. Back then this was a strong music video, and it completely relates to the song. Usually, that inconsistency would knock a star off my rating, but I can't bring myself to do it because this video is amazing!
I've been waiting for this one, seeing it rise on the UK Chart, and just hoping it would appear in the top ten. There were only two choices for me this week... James Arthur's "Say You Won't Let Go" was the other option. It was beaten to the top spot by The Chainsmokers & Halsey with their song "Closer", which doesn't have a music video. As much as I don't want to review a James Arthur video, I may have to in the next coming weeks if it stays in the top ten, or climbs up to number one. For now, I shall avoid it as much as possible as I am not a fan at all of James Arthur. Luckily, this is my Chart Mondays review. Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj work "Side To Side" in the sauna of a gym, amongst hot static guys. Ariana Grande even works out in sync on some bikes in this sexed-up music video.
Ariana Grande is the person on everybody's lips, the singer everyone is watching because she's batting out hit after hit after hit. She first appeared as Cat Valentine in Victorious. She has fully left acting behind as she has quickly made her name in the pop world. Now there's no stopping her, the future is bright for Ariana Grande. This song features Nicki Minaj, another solid singer in the music industry. Her real name is Onika Maraj, and practically everyone knows who she is. She labels herself as the 'Queen of Rap' in this song and she pretty much is, let's be honest. These two singers have worked together before, with Jessie J on the song "Bang Bang". This song was written by Max Martin, Savan Kotecha, Alexander Kronlund, Ilya Salmanzadeh, Ariana Grande and Onika Maraj.
Directed by Hannah Lux Davies, it's no surprise that this is a high-quality music video. It's so thought out and extremely suggestive, especially since the song is about soreness after sex, according to Ariana Grande.
We start off with Ariana Grande and her dance troupe on bikes after a slight scene of her staring into the camera. The girls perform on the bikes, pulling off the dance routine in-sync; the choreography is well thought out and is performed to perfection. They have put a lot of effort in preparing to pull this off and it works perfectly.
The other big scene is the sauna room, where Nicki Minaj has her rap. Her and Ariana Grande are stylish and are clearly having fun and a bit of a mess around, these two clearly get along easily. The male dancers are extremely static, and although that pushes all the attention to the two singers, more movement would've been much more interesting.
There's not a lot else to say, the shower room scene is extremely steamy, and Nicki Minaj knows how to capture the attention, but that's nothing new. As a whole, it's solid and relatable and definitely full fire. The song is a massive catchy song, that will no doubt continue to rise on the charts globally.
Still reeling from the party last night, this song was stuck in my head when I woke up this morning, and I had to review the music video. This is another dancefloor filler, that you can't help but sing-a-long to. It's undeniably catchy. I never knew who it was by until I looked it up, and I'm surprised this is another song that hasn't made an impact on the charts worldwide and is yet the song we hope to hear in a club. Beenie Man and Fambo are living it up in a club, clearly drinking rum and Redbull amongst other drinks in the video, and they're totally okay.
Beenie Man, real name Anthony Davis, is a Grammy-award winning Jamaican reggae singer. He is mostly known for his 2004 hit "Dude" that features Ms. Thing and Shawnna, which hit number seven in the UK. Yet, it's this song we want to hear on the dancefloor. At just ten years old, he released his first studio album back in 1983; he has gone on to release 19 more albums and has totally proven himself as a recording artist. This song is the first in a string of singles that aren't part of an album; it was released in 2010. Featured on the track is Fambo, real name Warren Williams, who is mostly known for this hit. He has been in and out of the music industry for a while but has definitely built his career for himself.
Directed by Janelle Dyer, the video is low quality and quite old-fashioned, and yet it's viewable.
The speech bubbles are a total distraction, they don't last long enough on the screen, so it's difficult to read them in time. They don't blend enough with the visual and are totally out of place. Although it may have seemed good on paper, it doesn't work at all and cheapens the whole video.
There's not much else to comment on. There's an amazing dance scene where dancers show off their skills in a circle of bystanders. More focus on this would've been great; instead, the video flits between the club and Beenie Man's performance piece.
The performance piece is filled with energetic vibes, but there's just not enough substance to his performance. He's very relaxed, he's totally made a name for himself and he knows he has. Arrogance comes from him easily but he works it well as he sings the song.
Overall, the video is nowhere near as great as the song is. It's not on the same level at all. It's dodgy, low quality and totally uninteresting. Beenie Man and Fambo do their best to draw the attention back to the video, but their performance pieces aren't enough to keep us engaged.
