Hunter Hayes - Yesterday's Song


Yesterday's Song - Hunter Hayes |

Talk about a look-back music video... Hunter Hayes has delivered his best music video yet, and did I mention how handsome he looks in this? Hunter Hayes is fully maturing into a gorgeously sexy man that we can't stop watching. This song and it's accompanying visual is a great throwback to his previous songs and music videos, whilst heading in a new direction for his new music. I'm totally excited to find out what his new music is like. I'm sure we all are. Watch Hunter Hayes glance at his past as he finds his a whole new direction. "Yesterday's song" is a reflection on his life and career so far, and works well as a music video.

Hunter Hayes is an American country music artist who has been very busy with new music this year, that we bet he can't wait to unleash on to his fans. He's one of many country stars who have attempted to hit the UK market, but Hunter Hayes went above and beyond by changing some of his most-known songs into pop versions, so much so he released a whole new album with the intention to crack the UK music industry, and although the album did chart - at 85 - it still shows that country music doesn't do so well over here in the UK. But other artists have managed to do it, and if Hunter Hayes continues to focus on doing so then I'm sure he'll make it over here as well. All it can take is one hit song. This song is one of his latest singles. It was released in September 2016, but the music video just dropped this week at the end of March 2017. I'm ready for new music, you are all ready for new music, so Hunter Hayes get to it and release something fresh! This song was written by Hunter Hayes, Barry Dean, and Martin Johnson.

This awesome music video was directed by Ryan Hamblin. I wasn't sure what to expect when it started, especially when Hunter Hayes picks up the broken mirror ball. To be fair, I've always wanted to know what a broken mirror ball was like, so at least I know now.

After placing the mirror ball back down, he finds a much bigger one that has crashed down on the building he's in. He heads over to it in a flippant way and enters inside. We follow him and see mirrors everywhere reflecting his previous music videos from "Wanted" to "Storm Warning" to "Invisible". It's great to see how far he's come.

Inside the mirror ball, there is a woman walking in the background with a mirror ball as a head, probably a reference to the girl he's singing about in his songs, therefore suggesting that he's moved on from her now and from writing songs about that person. This is how I interpret the song's meaning. We also see a guy in a business suit, who also has a mirror ball as a head. He displays a case full of cash, Now all the gay guys are suddenly interested (jokes); personally I think it's a business deal, suggesting that he's done things he's not proud of, probably sang songs he didn't really like, in the chance to have money; maybe he's been offered deals to go down a different route but he's sticking to his direction/ He finally finds a way out of the mirror ball and follows down the path he wants to take.

The ending scene sees him running towards a mirror, to which he jumps through, ready to start his next career path. And we're totally jumping through that mirror with him as all his fans continue to support him.

This music video is beyond brilliant and easily relates to the song. It reflects on Hunter Hayes past and he takes his fans through his memories too. It's incredibly engaging and something I could watch over and over again, and that isn't because of how hot he looks in the music video; well maybe a little bit. This music video deserves awards, and it's getting a high rating from me.
Buy on iTunes

Prince Royce & Shakira - Deja Vu


Deja vu - Prince Royce & Shakira |

This is currently YouTube Trending at the moment, and I just felt like it's about time Prince Royce graced my blog. Something new and something different for today's review. A bit of a latin flair, although I'm not so convinced that this was a good collaboration, especially with Shakira constantly looking at the camera in this music video. Watch Shakira dance with various guys whilst Prince Royce performs on stage before coming down and dancing with his collaborator in this music video for "Deja Vu".

Prince Royce, real name Geoffrey Royce Rojas, is one of the biggest latin pop male artists in America. He has sung with a multitude of different artists including Jennifer Lopez and Daddy Yankee. I don't think he'll ever manage to appeal to the UK market, if you all thought country is hard to sell to the UK, you should see how latin pop does, because that rarely touches the UK charts, if at all. However, Shakira has charted in the UK plenty of times, and so have some majorly influential latin pop songs. If Prince Royce were to attempt to crack the UK market, I'm sure he would be able to do so. Collaborating on this track with Shakira, full name Shakira Ripoll; their voices work well together. She's definitely one of the top female artists in the music industry, although her latin pop songs don't fare well in the UK either. To be honest, I'm not so sure of what to make of this song as a collaboration. It was written by Geoffrey Royce Rojas, Daniel Santacruz, Manny Cruz, Kevin Mauricio Jiménez Londoño, and Bryan Snaider Lezcano Chaverra.

The music video is mainly a performance piece with a subtle narrative. We see Shakira dancing with various partners before inviting the singer on stage to come down and dance with her, the singer of which is Prince Royce.

The performance pieces are very separate, with Shakira's taking place in a different room, she looks as sexy as ever and pretty much doesn't look like she ages at all. She's looking fierce throughout and giving direct eye contact with the camera. This is usually good in her own music videos, but Prince Royce comes off much better.

He gets involved in the visual, continuing to include the audience within. He looks much more professional and makes Shakira seem less so as she is constantly looking at the camera.

The ending scene should've been sexy and interesting, but as Prince Royce continues to look at Shakira giving her his full attention, her eyes are looking at us, and it just doesn't come off all that great.

Overall, the video isn't all that bad, and it kind of works, I suppose. Yet, Shakira kind of lets the video down throughout, grabbing the spotlight and keeping it on her throughout. It feels like she's trying to create a battle between them, yet Prince Royce isn't interested in fighting for the spotlight.
Buy on iTunes

Chart Mondays: Anne-Marie - Ciao Adios


Ciao Adios - Anne-Marie |

Finally, the chart has sorted itself out, slightly; and I can finally get back to my Chart Mondays reviews, now that Ed Sheeran isn't dominating quite so much, he's still at number one with "Shape of You", though. I'm so glad Anne-Marie has got into the top 10 with this awesome song, she's been fighting for her career, and finally, it's paying off and people are noticing her like they should. She's been on my radar for over a year now and I have supported her ever since. I'm excited to see her progress and become someone everyone is talking about. Watch Anne-Marie perform with her girls in this music video for "Ciao Adios" that has got us all copying her dance moves.

Anne-Marie, full name Anne-Marie Nicholson, has really come into her own, and that was definitely with the help of Rudimental and Clean Bandit, especially the latter where she featured on "Rockabye" which became a UK number one hit for weeks on end. She's an inspiration to us all as she really has developed her own sound and kept true to herself whilst building a career for herself. She's managed to become someone everyone's talking about, and I'm so proud to see that she's finally at that stage. She just needs to hold on to her fame, but her genuine personality and her real songs are what will allow her to continue to succeed. This song is at number 10 on the UK Singles Chart, hence why I'm reviewing the music video. "Ciao Adios" was written by Anne-Marie Nicholson, Tom Meredith, Jennifer Decilveo, and Mason Levy.

The music video is a pure performance visual with Anne-Marie totally releasing performance vibes, and she definitely gets kudos for the dancing, although it's a shame it's cut up so much by the editing team; I want to learn the chorus dance moves.

Following a perfect theme from "Alarm", it's clear her debut album is going to be complete fire! We see her giving this music video her all, whilst being relaxed and trendy at the same time.

The choreography is easy for people to copy and I can so see youngsters doing the "Ciao Adios" dance; I'll be there at her concert doing it myself! As per usual, she's a trendsetter, making her mark in the music industry with iconic but different songs. She is one to watch for sure, and she performed amazingly at Birmingham Pride 2016 - I hope she returns to that stage this year.
Buy on iTunes

Dev - In The Dark


In the Dark - Dev |

I woke up with this song in my head... Whatever happened to Dev? That was the question I was wondering as I was singing this song during my morning routine. This song charted all right globally, but it was the start of her music career slowing down. This song is catchy for reasons we don't know, probably because of the beat behind it. Watch Dev be all sexy and suggestive of dancing "In The Dark" during this music video, although there's not a lot of dancing going on, just a lot of freaky hands.

Dev, real name Devin Tailes, apparently has a second studio album set to be released soon, although the lead single of which "#1" was released a whole year ago. Has promotion of this said album just ceased? Where is the comeback of Dev? Her sexually induced vocals are what makes this track lit, along with all her other songs, from the features to her solos. What's surprising is that she hasn't held on to her fame, she was all the range back in 2011/2012, with the possibility to become one of the leading female artists, but she didn't keep her momentum and soon fell. Yet, all it takes is one new hit song, and she'll be back once again. This song was written by Devin Tailes, Niles Hollowell-Dhar, and David Singer-Vine.

Directed by Ethan Lader, the music video incorporates a sexy vibe with a dark and mysterious feel to it all. It's a pure performance piece with Dev looking as hot as she can be.

It comes off really weird, in my opinion. It has a club energetic feel to it, and there are scenes where she's on the dancefloor clubbing away. They are dancing in the dark, but I'm expecting a full-out choreographed scene and that is nowhere in sight,

On the other hand, or should that be on the scary hand? Dev brings it during the performance, being sultry throughout and relating to the sexy tone of her voice. Yet there's something majorly missing and the video doesn't come off the way we all think it should.

There's just too much light and shade with it not directly linking in with the song all that much. Dev isn't really doing mush during the visual and that fails to keep the audience interested. It would be stunning if it were a photoshoot, but it's a music video, and it doesn't quite work.
Buy on iTunes

Amy Lee - Speak To Me


Speak to Me - Amy Lee |

This is beyond beautiful; this is beyond stunning; this is beyond anything we've ever seen from her yet. The frontwoman of Evanescence has this amazing music video for her new single "Speak To Me" and Amy Lee totally brings it like you wouldn't believe. This came up in my YouTube recommendations, and I have actually been waiting for this, so I clicked on this straight away and just had to review it for my blog. I almost cried, almost. Watch Amy Lee, the frontwoman of Evanescence, deliver a gorgeous visual for her song "Speak To Me" that is a soundtrack theme song for the film "Voice From The Stone".

Amy Lee is best known for being the frontwoman of the band Evanescence, who are supposed to be returning to music soon. For the time being, she has been focusing on her solo career as well as looking after her son. This song proves that Amy Lee can really truly sing. You may know her for her rock songs, and undeniably she can sing rock really well. Evanescence would not have gained a number one single with "Bring Me To Life" if it wasn't for her amazing vocals, but this song right here shows her vocal range, shows her versatility, and also shows her ability to flood a song with raw emotion. Amy Lee deserves so much more credit than what she has, and if there's one singer that is underrated and underestimated, it's her. This song is intricately stunning, it's perfection. This should be a global hit. It was written by Amy Lee and Michael Wandmacher.

The music video was directed by Eric D. Howell, It shows Amy Lee in a stunning dress, that she designed herself along with Anna Lombardi, whilst playing the piano. There are short narrative scenes that show her watching over a child.

The child looks a lot like her son Jack Lion Hartzler (it's not, though; instead, it's the director's son), and he goes around the grounds of a castle, throwing stones in the water, playing with toy trucks, running about. Throughout, Amy Lee is following, as if she's a ghost.

The narrative continues as we see short clips of Amy Lee and the child spending time together, she is wearing something different and it has a feeling that it's part of their past. Throughout, there's a hidden meaning, suggesting that Amy Lee has passed away, hence why she is looking over the boy as if she is a ghost. Then we watch the rest of the performance piece.

Emotions run wild in the performance piece, enough to break all our hearts. This song means a lot to her and she's put that in the song and the music video. There's a lot of yearning for her child in this music video, and Amy Lee easily displays that emotion to us. She makes us want to cry.

Many fans have noticed some scenes are similar to previous Evanescence videos, perhaps an ode to her previous visuals; such as the black and white visual where she is floating in the water, is very reminiscent of "My Immortal", although she has been in the water since "Going Under". Then there's the angel scene, which we can all presume has a very tiny link to the album artwork of Evanescence's first self-titled EP, from way back in 1998.

Overall, this music video is completely stunning along with the song. She has proven herself as an artist, as a singer, and as a songwriter. This song deserves a lot more recognition. As for the music video, it relates to the song perfectly, and will probably work amazingly with the film "Voice From The Stone" that will be released soon. I've been battling with the rating all day, but due to the fact that the whole narrative isn't fully displayed, with the viewers having to gather what is going on, I have dropped a star. But this is a video I can't stop watching! Bring on more stunning visuals Amy Lee!
Buy on iTunes

New Release: Iggy Azalea - Mo Bounce


Mo Bounce - Iggy Azalea |

She's back! The follow-up to "Team" is finally here and it has an interesting title. I must warn you not to confuse this with her previous single "Bounce", she must really like that word, or maybe this is her sequel to that previous song? Whatever the reason, this song is here and it is full-on catchy. There isn't a lot of lyrics to this song, but who cares, it's less to learn as you sing along to it. Watch Iggy Azalea twerk and dance with a bunch of women in her music video for "Mo Bounce".

Iggy Azalea, real name Amethyst Kelly, has been working hard in the studio on a new range of songs for her second studio album, this is her second song to be released from the said album which will be titled "Digital Distortion". This song is different to "Team" that was released last year, and so it's intriguing to see the direction she has taken for her new album. This song is catchy, but with Ed Sheeran dominating the charts at the moment, I doubt she'll get a look-in with this song. It was written by Amethyst Kelly, Jonathan Yip, Jeremy Reeves, Ray Romulus, Ray McCullough, Maurice Simmonds, Kevin Nishimura, James Roh, and Virman Coquia.

Directed by Lil Internet the music video was filmed in Hong Kong. It was teased by Iggy Azalea by a series of gifs that she has been posting over the past few days.

She has always claimed that she isn't a dancer, but she could've fooled us all because that girl can twerk! She follows some sort of choreography with various other women, totally bringing it with confidence; she's fierce throughout.

There's not much else for me to talk about, the music video isn't appealing to me personally but would probably appeal to men who are interested in Iggy Azalea. I feel like she channelled Nicki Minaj for this music video. It's not something I would watch on repeat, but I guess it relates to the song.
Buy on iTunes

Rascal Flatts - Here Comes Goodbye


Here Comes Goodbye - Rascal Flatts |

I thought I'd stick with the country theme this week, and choose Rascal Flatts as my Thursday Revisit after I reviewed their latest music video "Yours If You Want It". This was one of their most-watched music videos, after "What Hurts The Most", obviously. This one is highly emotional and follows the same style as their other videos. Watch Rascal Flatts perform in the music video to "Here Comes Goodbye" whilst we watch a narrative about a woman grieving over the loss of her son, who is buried next to her father.

The Rascal Flatts are a country music trio consisting of Gary LeVox, Jay DeMarcus, and Joe Don Rooney. They are big in the United States of America, hitting the country charts hard constantly; but, as per usual, they don't even make a mark here in the UK. Country music just doesn't do well over here, and it's disappointing to see since there are some amazing acts in that genre, and the Rascal Flatts are one of them. This charted well in the states and deserved to have been a worldwide hit, maybe they'll have one in the future, we can only hope. This song was written by Clint Lagerberg and Chris Sligh.

Directed by Shaun Silva, this wintry music video is full of emotion from start to finish, with frontman vocalist Gary LeVox shining throughout the performance visual, whilst the actors in the music video portray a heart-wrenching narrative.

The storyline isn't clear from the start, as we see a little boy playing with toy trucks whilst an old man talks about the time he was that age. The narrative continues as we watch two women grieving, they then walk out through the snow to two graves. We watch on, intrigued to work it all out, and then discovering that the woman is grieving for her son, who has sadly passed away, and his grandfather has come to take him up to heaven.

The performance piece is typical Rascal Flatts, adding all the right emotion, whilst adding energetic vibes making us all want to see them live. At least they guarantee that regardless of the song they will be singing, the Rascal Flatts will give you a show to remember.

Overall, it's another solid music video from these guys. The narrative could've been a bit more explanatory; however, it's relatable to the song as it is time to say goodbye to the lost loved ones. I hope the Rascal Flatts return with a killer album that we are all going to love, bring on their future releases.
Buy on iTunes

Neon Trees - Songs I Can't Listen To


Songs I Can't Listen To - Neon Trees |

Back to YouTube recommendations and the thumbnail made me pick this one, obviously. Neon Trees has always been a band we are all aware of, but they haven't quite had a hit. This song is full of emotion and it really does make you think. It's so sad it didn't become the hit we all needed. The music video is cute and just as emotional, although it doesn't come off real instead it's quite awkward. Watch Neon Trees perform, as frontman, Tyler Glenn, takes on one of the lead roles in the narrative storyline about a gay relationship that falls apart, in the music video for "Songs I Can't Listen To".

Neon Trees are a four-piece American rock band consisting of Tyler Glenn, Chris Allen, Branden Campbell, and Elaine Bradley. The band dropped their debut single "Animal" back in 2010 and it has been one of their biggest singles to date, as well as "Everybody Talks". This song is their most recently released single, which was a non-album single, way back in mid-2015, so I guess it's good to presume that they have plans to release a new single and album soon, if not this year then surely next year. This song was written by Tyler Glenn.

Directed by Rebecca Thomas and co-starring actor and model Dustin Lance Black as the love interest, the music video has both a narrative and a performance piece shown throughout. We watch Tyler Glenn sing this song, thinking about the past memories, the ones shared with Dustin Lance Black and the ones where he's single and alone.

The narrative shows Dustin Lance Black and Tyler Glenn listening to a song together, then shots of their loving relationship unfolds between our eyes, then the fights and the arguments follow towards the end of the video, and we can see that Tyler Glenn is singing this song because he's thinking of Dustin Lance Black, knowing that he can't listen to the songs they listened to together as it reminds him of their time as a couple.

Luckily, I haven't been able to hold a boyfriend long enough for this to happen to me, and I'm dreading the day that it does. Occasionally Tove Lo's "Talking Body" makes me think of boyfriend number one, and any song of Tulisa's, mainly "Sight of You", makes me think of boyfriend number two, but it's not to the extent where I'll stop listening to them because of it. It's just a slight reminder, but I don't feel loss at all, I am better off without them, and they only lasted a week and a half each so it wasn't a big impact on me. I shall continue to listen to those songs, and I do.

My problem with this narrative is that we don't see them kiss, it's not even properly implied, with it being cut here and there. It's always awkward when they draw in close, and I feel like it comes across as bad acting because it doesn't feel real whatsoever. Many people believe the reason is because Dustin Lance Black is the fiancé to Tom Daley. Yet, I feel the music video lacks integrity because of it.

Then there's the performance piece, which Neon Trees totally smash. Tyler Glenn is quite the performer and anyone is lucky to see them live in concert. The rest of the band is just as energetic, channelling the vibes coming from Tyler Glenn and releasing them on the instruments. This is one of the best performance pieces in a rock music video, for sure.

Overall, the video on paper should be amazing, it relates to the song perfectly and keeps the viewers entertained from start to finish. In visual, this is not entirely the case due to the plenty of awkward scenes between Tyler Glenn and Dustin Lance Black. This should've been a perfectly polished music video, but it just falls short. I also don't get the moment when they lose gravity and are suspended in air, did the soundwaves from the record really fling them into the air? That's a confusing scene for sure.
Buy on iTunes

Greta Salóme - My Blues


My Blues - Greta Salome |

She's back with a brand new music video that features The Mountain. This is exactly what we needed and it's completely catchy. Although, I was kind of expecting The Mountain to break out in song throughout. Regardless, Greta Salóme totally makes up for it with her fired-up vocals. Watch Greta Salóme work out with The Mountain, showing that her vocals aren't the only fierce thing about her in this music video for "My Blues".

Greta Salóme, full name Greta Salóme Stefánsdóttir, first came to my attention at Eurovision 2016, when she, unfortunately, didn't make it into the Grand Final with "Hear Them Calling" whilst she represented Iceland. I'm not sure what went wrong as that song is a killer. Regardless, she has continued to release music and she is constantly proving that her vocals are intricately amazing. She also, previously, represented Iceland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2012 alongside Jónsi with the song "Never Forget", she did much better back then, placing 20th in the Grand Final. This song is her most recent release and is probably my favourite song from her ever; it's infinitely catchy and seriously tests her vocals, which she nails throughout.

Directed by Ásgeir Helgi Magnússon with Nazar Davidoff acting as director of photography. The video features The Mountain from Game of Thrones, who is played by Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson. It is set in a gym, as we watch The Mountain and Greta Salóme train together.

We see them work out on a few things, including chin-ups or pull-ups, weight lifting, sledgehammer training, and tyre flipping. The best is the push-ups where Greta Salóme can be seen doing push-ups on The Mountain's back as he does push-ups at the same time - you can see his strength as she attempts to stay on his back. The ending is hilarious.

There's not a lot else I can comment on with this video, although it's intense throughout and gripping as a viewer. It's interesting to watch them work out together and watch their relationship unfold in the video, they get on so well.
Buy on iTunes

Chart Mondays: Ed Sheeran Continues To Dominate The UK's Top 10 Singles Chart 17th March 2017 - 23rd March 2016

Ed Sheeran is still obliterating the UK chart, two weeks on the trot. It's all because he released his new album almost three weeks ago, yet it's still dominating the UK Singles Chart, with nine songs in the top 10.

As I explained last week, the inclusion of streams into the UK charts has become the most annoying this about the chart, since the top 10 rarely changes week on week, with some prolific stars not getting a look in at all. This has ruined the chart recently, and they really need to decide what they are going to do about it, as they can't keep going on as it is.

Ed Sheeran's Facebook Cover Picture

I reviewed the album for Outlet Magazine, adding my own streams to this chart, but my one stream of each track clearly combined with everyone else's which made this impressive album get an equally impressive chart record.

Here's the current UK Top 10 Singles Chart:

2) Ed Sheeran - Galway Girl
4) The Chainsmokers & Coldplay - Something Just Like This
5) Ed Sheeran - Perfect
6) Ed Sheeran - New Man
7) Ed Sheeran - Happier
8) Ed Sheeran - Supermarket Flowers
9) Ed Sheeran - What Do I Know
10) Ed Sheeran - Dive
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)