Little Mix are at the top of the UK Singles Chart! And it has a music video! YES! So my Chart Mondays review is easy! They were slated for apparently releasing a similar song to G.R.L.'s "Ugly Heart" but as I stated in my review yesterday, these songs are DIFFERENT! Listening to both songs side by side, you can't hear similarities whatsoever. People really need to stop comparing them. Little Mix are pure fire in this music video for "Shout Out To My Ex" completely showing their stage presence, although would've liked a full-on dance scene.
This group won The X Factor series eight. They consist of Perrie Edwards, Jesy Nelson, Leigh-Anne Pinnock and Jade Thirlwall.The only group to have won the UK version of The X Factor so far and they are still going completely strong. They now have four UK number ones and this single is the first UK number one single of 2016 with a female lead, which is definitely quite shocking! "Shout Out To My Ex" was written by Edvard Førre Erfjord, Henrik Michelsen, Camille Purcell, Iain James, Perrie Edwards, Jesy Nelson, Leigh-Anne Pinnock and Jade Thirlwall.
The music video is a full performance piece with very little choreography thrown in. The visuals are hypnotic but once pulled apart you realise there isn't much to this at all. As others have stated, some scenes resemble other music videos, especially One Direction's "Live While We're Young" whilst the car scene reminds me of Booty Luv's "Some Kinda Rush".
They drive past a guy, but don't give him a ride. They are sexy by the pool; they have fun in the car driving past pretty purple trees. The ending scene splits the girls up, having them perform in front of different objects.
Overall the video is all right. It's a fierce song with a fierce performance visual, but there really isn't a lot going on. It feels more like a behind the scenes of a model shoot than an actual "Shout Out To My Ex" music video. Where's the dancing? Where's the energy? Where's the narrative? Where's the story? It's just missing the spark; this isn't the first Little Mix music video that has failed to impress me. However, they make up for it in the brilliantly catchy songs.
Since everyone is currently comparing this to Little Mix's "Shout Out To My Ex", I thought I'd review this one today. I'd like to state that, personally, THESE SONGS ARE NOT THE SAME! Like Little Mix has said, it's hard to release a song that doesn't sound similar to another song, and people will always be comparing two songs and saying they're the same when they're not. This is just another case! I just feel these are two different songs that aren't remotely similar. G.R.L. gets arrested at a tattoo shop, then taken to the police station. They do a line-up and we see what they've done that's put them here in this "Ugly Heart" music video.
G.R.L. were previously a five-piece girl group tipped to be the next Pussycat Dolls. They consisted of Lauren Bennett, Simone Battle, Emmalyn Estrada, Paula van Oppen and Natasha Slayton. Sadly, Simone Battle passed away and the girl group released "Lighthouse" in honour of her. The group later disbanded but have recently reformed as a three piece with Lauren Bennett, Natasha Slayton and new member Jazzy Mejia. Their first single failed to get any traction; they have a lot of promotion to do if they want to make it big once again. This song was written by Ryan Baharloo, Ester Dean, Lukasz Gottwald, John Charles Monds and Henry Walter. It is their biggest hit to date.
Directed by Chris Marrs Piliero, the video is mainly narrative with a cracking performance piece set inside, these girls can dance!
The girls are arrested in a tattoo shop, so it makes you wonder what they have been doing. We watch them in the back of a police car, in the police station, in a holding room and then finally in a line-up, where we find out what they've done to get them in this situation.
Throughout, the girls have so much energy, they nail the choreography as well as staying in-sync throughout. Sometimes the dancing is slightly off time-wise, but each and every one of them exudes confidence and that's why they pull it off effortlessly.
They climb on tables, they struggle with the police officers and they dance well in the line-up scene, but the best part is definitely the ending when Simone Battle says: "Now your face is like your heart. Ugly."
Overall this video is perfect from start to finish, there's nothing more they could have added to it to make it better. It has a great narrative with a perfect performance piece combined. This is one video I could watch again and again. Also, it's such a loss to know that Simone Battle is no longer with us.
The Pretty Reckless released their new album titled "Who You Selling For" this week, and this is the official first single from the album. After reviewing the album on CelebMix, I thought I might as well continue reviewing one of my favourite bands, amongst many! The Pretty Reckless give a perfect performance in this music video for "Take Me Down", filmed in black and white with a red filter which sets the mood well.
They are a four-piece rock band consisting of Taylor Momsen, Ben Phillips, Mark Damon and Jamie Perkins. The band have been popular here in the UK ever since their first album! They've always done well and some of their best songs were their first singles. However, like all bands, they have developed. Personally, their new album is their best one to date, although if "Wild City" doesn't become a single and get a music video, I'll be very disappointed! This song was written by Taylor Momsen & Ben Phillips.
Directed by Meiert Avis, this pure performance music video has so many energetic vibes, you can tell this band was meant to perform on a stage!
It may be in black and white, but I love the use of the red filter. It prevents the video from being boring, and instead lightens it up and makes it much more interesting.
This video really shows what The Pretty Reckless are like on stage. I love the use of backing singers, and the entire band manages to draw the audience into this video, However, the song would be perfect for some sort of narrative. It's consistent energy but the video doesn't go anywhere.
Nytrix is new this week! Unfortunately, Dami Im hasn't released a music video for her awesome new song, "Fighting For Love", yet. So instead I've chosen this one. Possibly Halloween inspired, perhaps slightly too early. The song is catchy though and it's undeniable that this video is hot! Nytrix entertains as a DJ, whilst Neon Hitch is in a bird cage, distracting everyone, as they steal a fortune in this video for "When Will I See You Again?".
Nytrix is a new DJ who is doing the rounds and is certainly catching some attention. His good looks and fire tracks are propelling him into the music industry. Having remixed a few tracks, he has gone on to release a few singles and remix EPs. He's definitely one of the newcomers to watch. Teaming up with Neon Hitch has definitely given him more exposure. Neon Hitch is her actual name, for those of you who didn't know. She was originally a part of the Archaos circus. She has released a few singles that charted around the world as well as a few EPs, and earlier this year she released her debut album. She is mostly known for featuring on Gym Class Heroes' single "Ass Back Home". This song is definitely a grower, and I could see it becoming a favourite of mine the more I hear it.
The video was directed by Nytrix. The two artists are totally sexed up, obviously Neon Hitch more than Nytrix. Sex totally sells! Just be careful if you ever are near them because they have a habit of stealing everything expensive including watches, rings, bracelets, bags and money. Don't wear anything valuable.
Neon Hitch is centre stage throughout, distracting the viewers whilst her dancers nab anything they can. She dances in a bird cage, I don't know what it is about bird cages but they pop up everywhere.
Throughout Nytrix is stylishly sexy behind the DJ decks, and during a card game. He dons a top hat in the bus scene, totally reminding me of Penguin from Gotham. He can be my DJ at any party!
The dancers are on point every step of the way. Perfect choreography throughout that totally glams the whole thing up. Neon Hitch fails to stun us completely; however, I'm sure straight guys will totally disagree with me. She works it during the bus scene, but she actually comes into her own when she steals the bag off that woman's shoulder and the money on the table.
Overall it's an early Halloween haunting music video, that is totally sexed up; one that may leave you clinging to your jewels; crowns and all. Not quite so relatable to the song which is about love and the feelings that go with it, pining to see that special person again. Yet, with a banger of a tune and a sexy spooky video, does it really matter?
Inna graces my blog once again, purely because it was her birthday last Sunday and I thought I'd continue the celebrations on my blog. Not only that but I am seeing her in Dublin, Ireland on 3rd December, which I'm totally excited for. Revisit Thursdays are for videos that are five years and older, this is the only one of Inna's music video that meets that rule and hasn't been reviewed by me yet. I have not reviewed it before because I really don't like the music video, and feel it's more Bob Taylor's video, to be fair it is more his song than Inna's; however, in the UK it was promoted as an Inna song. Inna poses for a photo shoot on a boat, as the main music video for Bob Taylor's "Deja Vu" kicks off with flirtatious dancing and sexual intent.
Inna, real name Elena Alexandra Apostoleanu, turned 30 years old last Sunday. She is gearing up to release her fifth studio album. She made her name internationally with her debut single and its follow-ups. We are expecting a tropical exotic sound from her new album, but she's currently in America, which may influence new material for the album. This could be her best album to date. Featured on the track is Bob Taylor. It is originally his track but was promoted in the UK as him being the featured artist. He is a Romanian DJ who has had mild success. His real name is Bogdan Croitoru, and previously released music under Daddy Fizz. The song was written by Sebastian Barac, Radu Bolfea and Marcel Botezan. These three make up producing trio Play & Win.
The music video was originally filmed without Inna in it at all. This resulted in having to add a recorded clip of Inna segmented into the video purely because it was being marketed as an Inna song. Bob Taylor definitely takes centre stage throughout as he hosts this club party.
Inna's part is very minor. It was filmed at Nessebar, a resort on the black sea coast of Bulgaria. She adorns swimsuits as she poses for the camera on a yacht. There's very little performance presence from her because of the photo shoot, therefore not quite connecting with the audience.
The party, however, is in full swing. The dancers are in-sync and pulling out the choreography like it is nothing. On the other hand, the choreography isn't all that complex. There is much more emphasis on being sexy in the club. Sex definitely sells, but this video just doesn't cut it.
There seems to be a slight narrative but it is rarely brought to the forefront, due to the little amount of time, especially with the added cuts of Inna. Bob Taylor is DJing at the club, but it's nothing spectacular. The entire video feels like a shambles. It just doesn't work.
No one can deny the beauty of this song. His vocals are perfection throughout. Now he's the frontman of Kállay Saunders Band, bringing something completely new to the music industry table. He represented Hungary in the Eurovision Song Contest 2014 and came fifth overall with 143 points. This year was one of the toughest since there were quite a few amazing songs entered. András Kállay-Saunders brings an emotional performance piece as we watch a narrative showing the life of abusive parents. This music video for "Running" is a stunning portrayal of the lyrics.
András Kállay-Saunders was born in New York City, United States. He is half American and half Hungarian. He spent time in Hungary in 2010 and saw a television commercial for Megasztár. He applied and came fourth in the fifth series. He went on to release some singles and started recording an album. He's album wasn't released and instead, he took part in and won A Dal 2014, the Hungary national selection for Eurovision 2014. Since then he created his band Kállay Saunders Band, who released a debut album. They took part in A Dal 2016 but came fourth, and therefore didn't represent Hungary in the Eurovision 2016. They have recently released new single "#GRIND" which I reviewed for CelebMix. This song was written by András Kállay-Saunders and István Tabár.
The music video is on point throughout. There's a performance piece and a narrative piece, both are flawless from start to finish. There is also a dance choreography scene which is developed into the narrative.
The performance side of things is so full of emotion, it's clear András Kállay-Saunders cares a lot about this song. The song was inspired by one of his friends who was an abuse victim. He feels every single word deep inside, whilst unleashing it for us all to see.
As for the narrative, we follow a group of kids walking through a forest. Focus is on a young girl who watches her parents have an argument that escalates to her father coming upstairs into her room and beating her. We watch as she struggles with her life and ends up running away and being with a group of kids in the forest.
The dance scene is intercut beautifully. We watch the contemporary dance which is inspired by being abused. It totally sets the piece apart, although the full scene isn't shown because there is so much in this music video as a whole. As the dancer is unmasked, we see she is bruised, another victim of abuse.
There's strength in unity and that is what this video shows. It definitely brings awareness to this issue and the fact that he brought it to the Eurovision stage is just something magical. I'm excited to see where his career will take him, no doubt Kállay Saunders Band will knock it out of the park in the next few years.
With her new album dropping very soon, I thought this would be the perfect music video to review today, especially since I haven't seen it yet. The single didn't chart as well as everyone thought it would, but there's still time for it to climb when the album is released. I'm a little worried it will climb really high and affect my choices for Chart Mondays in the coming weeks, but I can worry about that at a later date! Lady Gaga sings about the "Perfect Illusion" in a party infused video, she's sexed up and ready as flashing lights distort the video. Lady Gaga is the illusionist we want to see.
Lady Gaga, real name Stefani Germanotta, is one of the biggest female singers globally. Batting out hit after hit after hit, she is the one to watch. This is the first single from her fifth studio album titled "Joanne". It is a pure power song that leaves you wanting more. It unfortunately doesn't go anywhere because Lady Gaga brings it hard from start to finish. It was written by Lady Gaga, Kevin Parker, Mark Ronson and Michael Tucker.
The video directed by Ruth Hogben and Andrea Gelardin. There are a few cameos in the video from Mark Ronson, Kevin Parker and Michael Tucker. It was filmed in Los Angeles and the directors also shot the single cover artwork.
There's not a lot going on in the video. Lady Gaga performs like no one is watching, she brings so much fire to the stage it's how you would imagine her being at a gig. She's completely energetic on stage, and the crowd is clearly loving her from start to finish.
We watch her get out of a car and kick the sandy ground as she keeps singing. There is also another similar scene where she is wearing different clothes and is surrounded by a band and the crowd. She gets hands-on with her band.
The lights are a complete distraction, at times they flash way too much for even me to deal with. It definitely distorts the video completely. Lady Gaga also swings the microphone, it's so addicting to swing something with rope, she's probably done it plenty of times and she pulls it off like it's nothing.
Lady Gaga has so much confidence and presence when performing, she is the perfect illusion in our dreams. Quite a different video from her, a pure performance piece with brilliant stage vibes. Bring on her album!
It's Monday, so it's Chart Mondays again! James Arthur is reigning supreme at number one on the UK Singles Chart with "Say You Won't Let Go", which opens the top 10 for my review. Luckily, Bruno Mars has jumped to number nine so I have a music video to review. Bruno Mars acts full of confidence, strutting around with his dancers in "24K Magic" music video. Classy, fun and slightly arrogant, what happened to Bruno Mars?
Bruno Mars, real name Peter Hernandez, is definitely one of the biggest male artists around at the moment. His lengthy career has really proven that he is a force to be reckoned with in the music industry. He has so many hit songs behind his name, he literally has earned his spot internationally. This song is pronounced twenty-four karat magic. The song is retro, definitely bringing the incredible disco of the 80's and turning it into a 21st century song. No one can do such a thing apart from Bruno Mars, and he definitely pulls it off in the song. Perhaps not the video though. The song was written by Bruno Mars, Christopher Brody Brown and Philip Lawrence.
Directed by Bruno Mars and Cameron Duddy, it was filmed in Las Vegas at The Bellagio Las Vegas Hotel and Casino. Scenes includes a Bruno Mars party as well as him riding in a black Cadillac Allanté. Whilst Bruno Mars rides on a jet ski, Britney Spears' billboard advertisement for her Las Vegas show can be seen in the background.
The entire thing is over-the-top, this is not the way we picture Bruno Mars. It's a total step in the wrong direction from "Uptown Funk", it's like an extremely arrogant sequel to that music video.
The dancing is definitely disco 80's. But, unlike the song, there is no 21st century spin on the choreography, instead it looks out of place, as if we have gone back in time. However, it is in time to to the music and everyone is in-sync.
The party is definitely hitting it off, but Bruno Mars just doesn't look like he belongs. Personally, I think it's what he is wearing, especially when everyone else fits in. He stands out like a sore thumb, definitely not in a good way. He seems extremely cocky and the video just doesn't work.
Overall, the video is relatable, it's just not something we expect from Bruno Mars. The song is upbeat with party vibes, but the choreography doesn't work and Bruno Mars just looks too arrogant for the video.
For those of you who follow me on CelebMix, you'll be aware that it's Inna's birthday. Celebrate with CelebMix by looking back at her career to date, and why not give Inna a gift and donate money to the Hospice Casa Sperantei. To celebrate her birthday on my blog, I thought I'd review another one of her music videos, I'm pretty sure I've reviewed almost all of them! Have a look back at the reviews of her music videos that I have done by clicking here. Juan Magan flips this club and house track into a latino anthem in this remix of "Be My Lover". Party out with this ultimate latino dance track!
Inna, real name Elena Alexandra Apostoleanu, turned 30 years old today. Her career has been amazing so far, having worked with greats Flo Rida, Pitbull, Daddy Yankee, Alexandra Stan and J Balvin. Have a look in more detail at all she has done in my CelebMix birthday article. This is probably the biggest house track on the Party Never Ends album, and it is so so catchy! Juan Magan has collaborated with Inna previously on track "Un Momento". He is a Spanish singer and he's real name is Juan Manuel Magán González. He has worked with many famous and well-known names. This song should've been a worldwide hit and should've done the rounds in clubs but it didn't rise up the way it should've done. It was written by Melanie Thornton, Uli Brenner, Gerd Amir Saraf and Lane McCray.
There are two videos released of this song, there's the original "Be My Lover" and then there's this remixed latino version. Not much difference between the two, although this one removes Inna's second verse and replaces it with a Juan Magan verse.
Different settings appear for this video, Inna is performing at a block party, which is totally set alight. Full with energetic vibes she totally owns the entire performance segment, as well as the few scenes on the beach. There's a desert scene which features several dancers cast in shadow due to the sun. Then there's the stunt biker scene which looks awesome. Then there's Juan Magan.
Juan Magan could've at least tried to fit in, instead it distracts from the entire video. He's recorded in front of a white plain backdrop. It's totally out of place and is definitely a downer on this music video.
Overall, it's a party song with a party music video. Inna is looking stunning throughout and she is clearly having an amazing time. This is how I imagine she is going to look and act in Dublin, Ireland when I go and see her! Juan Magan's verse is good and adds a new flavour to the song, but in the video, it fails to fit in. The original is much better.
I've just been listening to this song on my iTunes, so it's the music video I've chosen to review today. This video is quite complicated, the concept was to create a movie, not an over-the-top one but one that looked straight out of a spy movie. The thing is the short time frame of music videos rarely manages to become a movie because it's not long enough. This is why it doesn't really work, it's too complex and difficult to follow and understand. Demi Lovato is a spy in this music video for "Confident", beating up guys whilst rivalling against Michelle Rodriguez.
Demi Lovato is one of the biggest female international singers out at the moment. She made her name on the Disney Channel being in the Camp Rock films as well as Sonny With A Chance. She launched her singing career, and then later became a judge on The X Factor (US) where she had amazing banter with Simon Cowell. Her most recent singles haven't done quite so well in the UK, she has yet to have a number one, maybe she'll have one in the future, hopefully. This song was written by Demi Lovato, Ilya Salmanzadeh, Max Martin and Savan Kotecha.
The music video is directed by Robert Rodriguez. Demi Lovato is a spy in this movie music video, which also stars Michelle Rodriguez, Jeff Fahey, Zane Holtz and Marko Zaror. The idea was to make it more of a film than a music video, but with a running time of three minutes 34 seconds, it just doesn't work. A fully narrative piece with a slight performance segment.
The narrative is very developed. Demi Lovato is in a maximum security prison. We watch as the U.S. Marshall gives her a pardon on the condition she brings Michelle Rodriguez. Demi Lovato gets all geared up and goes with her team to get who is wanted.
Only when Demi Lovato arrives, her team is secret agents and are on Michelle Rodriguez's side and attempt to capture Demi Lovato. She loses and is transported back to the prison, but on the way there, she overcomes her captors and launches herself in Michelle Rodriguez's car.
In a fist fight with her rival, they work out that they are being pitted against one another and they come after the U.S. Marshall instead. Better as a team, they defeat the problem and nod at the end, this is possibly not the last time we've seen these two team up.
Demi Lovato's performance piece is on point throughout. The scene isn't shown that much, but when it is, she gives fire to the song. Performance vibes leak from her, she was born to sing and perform.
Overall it's a great music video, but it has a complicated storyline and it's too compact. The fighting isn't so extraordinary, it's so basic that it's slightly believable. I think it's slightly too much and it is over the top, even if that was what they were trying not to do. They didn't use the time available effectively, and instead gave us a kind of rushed narrative and a hard to follow music video.
