If there's one act that is going to stun us all at Birmingham Pride's dance arena, it's going to be Kelli-Leigh. Her vocals are amazing and she has sung on some of the most amazing club and house songs about. I am still playing Flashrider's "So In Luv" in which she sang on too. She's always one who deserves much more recognition, she's just not getting enough, but her career is going from strength to strength; she will become someone everyone is talking about soon enough. Watch Kelli-Leigh unleash amazing performance vibes in this sunny music video for "Sun Token" in collaboration with Saila.
Saila is a new music project. This song is the project's debut single, a crossover track with Kelli-Leigh. Real name Kelli-Leigh Henry-Davila, she has been one of the biggest female vocal stars amongst dance and house music in recent years; one DJs want to collaborate with. She's provided vocals to tracks: "Cry (Just A Little)" by Bingo Players, "I Wanna Feel" by Secondcity, "I Got U", "The Giver (Reprise)" & "Be Here" by Duke Dumont, amongst many others. She's definitely one to keep your eye on as she builds and builds on her career. This song is definitely catchy. It was written by Saila and Kelli-Leigh.
Directed by Bipolar Spider, the music video is a pure performance visual, showcasing the beautiful Kelli-Leigh.
She brings her a-game to this music video, and it really works. She looks stunning in the visual and it's nice to see her take up the whole visual rather than share it with another collaborator like in Flashrider's "So In Luv".
If anything, this music video just proves she deserves, not only the spotlight, but a stage. It's where she belongs and I'm so excited to see her return to Birmingham Pride. She's definitely one act I won't be missing this year - well depending on what time she's on.
It's Chart Mondays, and it's surprising to see Clean Bandit at the top with "Symphony" featuring Zara Larsson. I never thought that song would make it to the top, but it managed to get up there, so congratulations. However, I have already reviewed it, so it opens the top 10 of the UK singles chart for today's review, hence why I have chosen Kendrick Lamar, as this song is currently at number 10, and most likely to drop out come Friday, it certainly won't be climbing the chart. I'm surprised it's at this chart position, and I have no idea how it managed to climb to number six last week. Hip-hop is certainly making an impact on the UK charts lately, Kendrick is just one of many who have managed to chart high. Watch this art-form of a music video as Kendrick Lamar totally brings it performance wise with some unforgettable camera techniques in the visual for his single "HUMBLE.".
Kendrick Lamar, real name Kendrick Lamar Duckworth, has been going for a number of years and has fully established himself as one of the biggest hip-hop artists around, yet he hasn't had a full-out hit single, not until this one came along; although, his 2015 album did hit number one in the UK, so we are aware of who he is, but this song is going to be the one song everyone identifies with his name. This one has such a humble message behind it (pun intended). If it weren't for his collaboration with Taylor Swift on "Bad Blood" he may not have been as internationally known as he is; although he has had a range of all-right chart successes before then. Yet, it's this one that has had a major impact globally. It was written by Kendrick Duckworth and Michael Williams II.
Directed by Dave Meyer and The Little Homies, this music video is an art form as many have stated. It's a pure performance visual from Kendrick Lamar, parodying iconic scenes and giving a real take on the world from his perspective.
The first scene sees him dressed as the pope in a cope; before, totally switching it up where he can be seen lying down on dollar bills, shooting them out from a cash cannon. Other scenes including the reenactment of Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper, as well as using a fisheye camera for one scene, and using cross-over visuals to show the difference between photoshop and not.
There are also scenes that mimic a Grey Poupon commercial, as well as a scene where his head is on fire along with the other actors in the scene. Not only that, but rapper Jay Rock and producer Sounwave both appear in this video too.
Overall, Kendrick Lamar has, yet again, given us a brilliant video that easily accompanies the song. It relates to the song effortlessly and easily showcases him, not just as a singer, but as an artist. He goes above and beyond for this video, fully transforming his ideas and the song itself, into this incredibly thought-out video.
The dance arena for Birmingham Pride 2017 is set to go off! They have a whole host of amazing DJs in their line-up and it looks like it's going to be the place I spend most of my time. Tom Shorterz will be one of many amazing DJs set to perform this year, and he actually has a music video for one of his songs, hence why he's a part of my Birmingham Pride Special. Watch people dance to this catchy beat in profile scenes whilst crazy bubbles float around in this colourful music video for Tom Shorterz "Colours" featuring Lucy Love.
Tom Shorterz is one of the rising Birmingham DJs around at the moment. He is one of the DJs behind the leading 2:31 at the Rainbow Venues in Birmingham. It's an event I've always been meaning to go to but never had the chance to; now I might get the chance to experience his club tunes in the dance arena. He also did a killer remix of Katy B's "Crying For No Reason" which became very popular. It's no surprise he is part of the Birmingham Pride 2017 line-up. Featured on this track is Lucy Love. She is a singer/songwriter from Copenhagen, Denmark. This song is originally her song, Tom Shorterz did a remix edit, changing it into a house/club song. I much prefer this version, although Lucy Love's original is definitely interesting. This just shows how amazing Tom Shorterz is.
Directed by David Strindberg, the music video features various dancers in a very colourful setting. Their choreography is controlled and stylistic. It easily goes with the music being played.
The bubbles are an interesting addition to all that is going on, and they certainly keep the audience entertained whilst the scenes focus on the dancers and their moves.
However, there's nothing else for me to comment on for this music video. It's relatable because it's really colourful. It's intricate whilst the dancing rhythmically infuses with the song.
Another amazing DJ that will be playing at Birmingham Pride 2017. I'm so excited that Kissy Sell Out will be there, and is now a part of my blog due to my Birmingham Pride Special. His songs are pretty awesome and he has been going for over a decade now, proving himself as a DJ we all need to get behind. He was, previously, a Radio 1 DJ and has remixed plenty of big songs from internationally-known artists. Watch JJ Inkpen dance in various locations for Kissy Sell Out's music video for his single "Tell You" that features Holly Lois.
Kissy Sell Out, real name Thomas Bisdee, is a British/Canadian DJ and producer. He had his own slot on Radio 1, but his last show was back in 2012. He has collaborated with some of the best, including Tinashé and Angie Brown. His career has spanned over a decade, and he was a fundamental part of the rise of electronic music, especially when he was on Radio 1. As for his remixes, he's done some of the best I've ever heard, and I cannot wait for what the future will bring for him. His career is something many DJs inspire to have, yet there's always more he could do, he just needs one hit song, and with his focused mentality, I'm sure he can achieve this. Featured on the track is Holly Lois. Back in 2010, she was a part of girl group Vanquish, now she's focusing on a solo career. Her vocals are stunning on this track and I'm interested in what the future has in store for her.
Directed by Kissy Sell Out, this music video is a pure performance visual of JJ Inkpen. The dancer also came up with the choreography, for the music video.
We watch JJ Inkpen dance in various settings. There is a lot of foot shuffling going on, which was extremely popular two years ago when this music video was released. It's still quite popular nowadays, but not quite so obsessively over the top as this music video suggests.
The dancing isn't progressive, it looks like total freelance, and it could well have been. It relates to the song every now and again, but it's not fully focused on doing that. Some moves are hilarious though, to the extent where it is abnormal, and not something someone would actually do.
The music video, as a whole, isn't that interesting. The various settings are much more interesting, especially the painted walls, than JJ Inkpen dancing. It's nothing new and nothing exciting and doesn't bring more to the song if anything it distracts from the song because of the comical moves.
I wasn't really planning on including the dance arena acts into my Birmingham Pride Special, but since they have drawn in some big names this year, and since it will probably be the place I spend the most time at, I just had to include some of the acts into my Birmingham Pride Special. The biggest announcement for the dance arena, so far, is Tough Love, who had a total hit with this song, and it is still a club banger to this day, two years after its release. Although, I really didn't want to review this music video after coming across it; guess I was one of the lucky ones who has never seen this video before today; now I can't forget it. Watch this comedic visual, starring Rob van Vuuren daydreaming about being a lifeguard for an outdoor pool, in this music video for Tough Love's song "So Freakin' Tight".
Tough Love are a British DJ duo consisting of Alex Prinzivalli and Stefan O'Brien. They have released a range of songs and have really proven themselves as one of the top DJ duos around. However, they have only had two hit songs so far, this one being their biggest to date. If they can do it once, they can do it again and have another hit song. This happens a lot for DJs, they come and go when it comes to the chart, without lack of trying. This song samples the Jodeci song "Freek'n You". It was written by Donald Degrate Jr.
Directed by Craig Moore, this music video stars comedian Rob van Vuuren. This explains why it's very comedic, and it works well since he is a confident guy and not worried at all about what he looks like. This works because he's clearly a great actor.
A daydream turns Rob van Vuuren into a lifeguard of a busy outdoor pool. He fantasises that there are a lot of girls in bikinis at the pool, which he gets to watch over. He finds suncream in the pool, which the dream character, Rob van Vuuren, imagines sexily squirting the suncream over a woman lounging by the pool, yet it doesn't turn out that way and goes completely wrong.
This happens again in a scene involving ice cream, where the dreamed-up lifeguard comes across two women eating ice cream. He imagines sexily caressing the ice cream over the women's bodies whilst they do the same to him. A choreographed scene ends the imagination and the women are not happy when he grabs for the ice cream.
Rob van Vuuren really gets into the lifeguard character as he drools over the women at the pool. The last scene makes us realise it was all a daydream, and he's just the cleaner. It's comedic, but it's also interesting since there are many men who have daydreams just like this one; although, I doubt they have daydreams inside of daydreams... It's a complex idea for a music video, one that's really unappealing to watch, but they have actually managed to pull it off. Yet, it's unrelatable and definitely something we don't want to see again.
Not my usual pick for New Release, but it makes a change to switch up my blog with a possible future hit single, especially since I'm on a Birmingham Pride Special at the moment, which is currently showcasing some oldish songs; make sure you check it out when you have a chance, by clicking the link. This does seem quite the group, yet it's a catchy number and it works quite well. Watch DJ Khaled throw a party at his house with Justin Bieber, Quavo, Chance The Rapper, and Lil Wayne; where they bring a chilled out relax performance vibe in this music video for "I'm The One".
DJ Khaled, real name Khaled Khaled, is a record producer and DJ amongst many other professional titles. He has had a successful career in music for many years and has definitely made a name for himself; although, I reckon this song will become his biggest worldwide hit. Featured on the track is Justin Bieber, who is the sole reason why this track is completely popular, as he is a full-on international star with many hits to his name. As for Quavo, he is mostly known for being in a three-piece group called Migos who also appear in the visual. They're definitely one of the rising hip-hop groups around; I expect to see more of them in the future. Then there's Chance The Rapper, real name Chancelor Bennett, he has been going for a few years and certainly made his name known through collaborations with Justin Bieber and Snakehips on "Confident" and "All My Friends" respectively. Then there's the rapper who needs no introduction, Lil Wayne, who's real name is Dwayne Carter, Jr. He's a multi-award winning hip-hop artist who has had various hits. He truly has established himself as one of the top rappers in the industry. This is quite a collaboration, one that could've easily gone wrong, but it works and this is certainly a future hit. I wonder where it will chart in the UK next Friday. The song was written by Khaled Khaled, Jason Boyd, Quavious Marshall, Chancelor Bennett, Dwayne Carter, Jr., Nicholas Balding, David Park, Bobby Brackins, and Ray Jacobs.
Directed by Eif Rivera, the music video starts off with DJ Khaled's son, Asahd Khaled, in the director chair, in a very cute snapshot. He also appears on the front of the single cover artwork in quite the tropical themed picture. We continue to watch as DJ Khaled talks on the phone to Chance The Rapper, organising a party; whilst he stares at a woman riding up to him on a horse.
The party is in full swing later on as we watch Justin Bieber singing the song whilst adding some awkward dance moves throughout; yet, it shows how relaxed he is in this setting.
The other artists come in at certain intervals and the music video easily showcases each artist. Lil Wayne gets the biggest spotlight of all, which is understandable; and yet, he doesn't take it for granted and works it to his advantage.
There are women dressed sexily in the music video, and we seriously do see this a lot in hip-hop music. It's nothing new; but I admire the fact that they have kept it subtle and relaxed. There isn't much focus on the women which makes a very nice change. It keeps focus on the song as a whole, and this is why this music video works.
It's very relaxed and easily watchable for anyone who is viewing. It's not too much compared to a variety of music videos I have seen. It's calm, sunny, and definitely something I wouldn't mind catching on the music channels. This music video could've been over-the-top and could've been a typical hip-hop party music video. Instead, they drew it back, focusing on the song and the presentation of it. Nice one!
It's Thursday, so it's time to look back on a music video that is 5 years old or more. My only option, really, this week, was Saara Aalto, and I'm glad to be revisiting her since my previous review has had a lot of hits and is currently one of my most viewed posts this month! Saara Aalto will be performing at Birmingham Pride 2017, hence why she's a part of my Birmingham Pride Special. She probably won't be singing any of the songs she has released officially in the past few years, and I fully expect to hear her sing cover versions; I am definitely hoping for Sia's "Chandelier" since she never sang that at The X Factor Tour, which was a complete disappointment, I needed to hear her sing that song. This one is just as impressive though, her range is amazing. Watch Saara Aalto unleash energetic performance vibes, as she sings this ballad debut single "Blessed With Love" that is certainly filled with a lot of heart.
Saara Aalto is an inspiration to us all. She never ever gave up on her dream and her love of singing. She has built her career up and up, and it just shows that if you carry on, if you keep fighting, you can make it. Her voice is stunning to no end. She competed in the thirteenth series of The X Factor, which is where most people from the UK know her from, where she ended up as the runner-up. Coming second is something she's used to, she came second on the first series of The Voice of Finland, and she's also been runner-up twice at Finland's national selection to Eurovision in 2011 and 2016. The show was called Euroviisut, in 2011, but in 2016 they went for a different approach which was called Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu. It was with this song that she competed and came second in Euroviisut 2011. The song is good and catchy; Finland missed out on a good one with this. The song was written by Saara Aalto.
The music video is a pure performance visual, with a slight longing narrative included. She's a stunning performer even five/six years ago.
It's hard to give out a strong performance behind a piano, and only the best of artists manage to pull it off, and it's clear from the get-go that Saara Aalto is one of those artists. She fully brings it, like no other artist, and she definitely had stage presence, even back then. How she never made it to Eurovision, I'll never know.
She looks as if she's in a castle, which goes well with her fairy princess personality. There is clearly a lot of longing in this music video, and she is fully passionate about the song and its portrayal. It's so nice to see her giving it her all but controlling her voice and her acting throughout.
Overall, this music video just proves that Saara Aalto has always been a full-on talent. She's definitely a future international star, and she has recently signed a five-album deal with Sony Music UK and Sony Music Finland. I'm excited to find out what the future brings for her, surely she deserves a hit and I hope one gets released when she's ready. Her voice is amazing and deserves worldwide attention.
There's a new girl group around, and they will be hitting the Birmingham Pride 2017 main stage in just over a month's time, and they will definitely be singing this single. The line-up for the group has been changed over and over again, and they were initially called 5Angels. The constant line-up changes haven't helped them get off the ground, but with a new name, they might just get the chance they deserve, or not - since I'm not so keen on this song. Watch this four-piece girl group called Pink Angels attempt to perform sexily with simple choreography in this music video for new single "Mamma Don't Lie".
Pink Angels, formerly known as 5Angels, are a Czech Republic girl group consisting of Natálie Skotnická, Angelina Shestak, Tereza Haklová, and Nikola Metlová. They have supported the likes of Little Mix and Union J. They definitely have some girl power going on, but are their vocals really strong enough? They seem somewhat lacking in this song, and there doesn't seem to be much of a relationship between the girls. They really need to draw in their connections to one another. It seems like they're all out for themselves, which clearly doesn't work. They could be a great girl group if they embraced it more. The song is all right, but I feel like it could've been better in itself. It was written by Andrew Murray and Alice Chatter.
Much like the song, the music video could've been much better. Directed by Sitcom Soldiers, the visual makes it out that the girls have already made it and that they are some massive girl group. Yet that is not the case and the music video just falls to pieces because of it.
The choreography is extremely basic and the girls have no enthusiasm behind the moves. They start off strong at the start but the moves come off flimsy as time goes on. There's also too much hair flicking, some of the girls nail it whereas others fall short. It just looks a total in-sync mess.
The girls don't even look like they are enjoying this music video or the song, and that really transcends to the viewers. Personally, I was much more interested in the light segmented pillar thing they were leaning against that looked like the middle bit of a revolving door - I want one, I'm not sure why but it'll look good in my room, even though I wouldn't have anywhere to put it. I hope Pink Angels bring it on the Birmingham Pride 2017 stage because if it turns out like this, then it seriously isn't going well for them.
He's returning to Birmingham Pride, Paul Morrell is back and he's a part of my Birmingham Pride Special. I missed out on seeing him last year as he was on early, and the same will probably happen this year. Last year, I was dying to see him due to the fact that he had released a collaboration with Chris Leonard called "Move", the video of which is no longer available, but I'm still obsessed with that song. However, it's this one that is Paul Morrell's most popular video to date, probably because it's a collaboration with professional vocalist Katerine Ellis, who has worked with a variety of big names. Watch Katherine Ellis perform this song in this black and white visual for her collaboration with DJ Paul Morrell titled "That Ain't The Way (To Show Me Love)".
Paul Morrell is a DJ who has been going for many years. He's known for promoting some of the up-and-coming stars. His collaborations include Mutya Buena on "Give Me Love", Chris Leonard on "Move", Sonique on "Only You" and "What You're Doin'", Kimberly Wyatt on "Givin' It Up", and so much more. He had a DJ set at Birmingham Pride 2014, Birmingham Pride 2015, and Birmingham Pride 2016, it's clear he loves performing at this event since he keeps coming back year after year. Establishing a career as a DJ is not an easy thing to do, but Paul Morrell is definitely not one to give up, and slowly it is paying off as he gains recognition all around the UK. As for Katherine Ellis, she's sung so many amazing songs, and even featured on the Gravity soundtrack. She has worked with the Freemasons, Soul Avengerz, Roger Sanchez, amongst many others. This song sure is catchy, but reminds me a lot of Tom Jones & The Stereophonics' version of "Mama Told Me Not To Come".
There isn't a lot to this performance-based music video, where photography was done by Max Ellis. It uses a black and white filter, which doesn't help the visual all that much.
Unfortunately, Katherine Ellis doesn't give off great performance vibes. She fails to interest the audience and keep us entertained throughout.
There's not much else going on, but the editing is intricate, as we see Katherine Ellis appear a number of times in a scene as if they're finishing off the lyrics for one another. It's clever; yet, not engaging.
This music video is not good at all. Katherine Ellis has no stage presence in the visual and as a viewer, it's not something we would optionally watch again. The song isn't so bad though and after a few listens it could get stuck in one's head; yet, the accompanying music video doesn't help the song at all.
She was one of the first few to be announced for Birmingham Pride 2017 and having heard her sing live on The X Factor tour, I just know she's going to blow us away on the Birmingham Pride stage. I wanted her to win The X Factor, and I cannot wait to see what the future brings to her. This is the first time I have come across her songs and I adore this one, it's so catchy and does have a 007 James Bond theme to it as many have commented. Her voice is absolutely incredible, and will definitely take her places, it has to! Watch Saara Aalto sing about a guy who cheats on her with another woman, a guy who had her heart and chose someone else in this music video for her song "You Had My Heart".
Saara Aalto first came to my attention during the thirteenth series of The X Factor, where she placed second overall. Her voice and power were amazing on the show, and she came back week after week, fighting for her right to be in the competition. She proved herself time and time again, winning over the British public. This single was her second release overall, back in 2013. The song is definitely catchy and it's a shame it didn't become an international hit. She's now under the Syco record label, and so she might release a hit song soon, we all hope so. She's quite the fighter and most definitely an inspiration to many. This song was written by Saara Aalto and Teemu Roivainen.
Directed by Marko Mäkilaakso, the music video is both a performance piece and a narrative. In both scenes, Saara Aalto impresses to no end, as expected.
The performance piece shows her stage presence, her killer vocals and her amazing performance vibes. She could literally sing any song in the world and do it justice with her vocals. She exudes confidence and stage presence. She is loving having a backing band and it works so well, assisting her incredibly with the song.
The narrative is highly emotional, as we see Saara Aalto in what looks like a wedding dress, singing to her groom, who is played by actor Sergei Ionin. We later see her love interest meeting a blonde-haired woman, who is played by actress Evi Oivanen. They kiss passionately.
This storyline fits perfectly with the song, as we see Saara Aalto find out about the kiss. He's in love with someone else, whilst she's clearly in love with him. He had her heart and he's just used her. As the final scenes begin, we see Saara Aalto prepared to get her revenge, but we never find out what she does, leaving it up to us to wonder.
Overall, this video is a killer. It's fully relatable to the song, it has an incredible performance piece and an engaging narrative. This deserves to be seen internationally, with the song becoming a global success. Unfortunately, a four-year-old song would never get that chance. Regardless, this will forever remain our little treasure, as we watch Saara Aalto become the star she deserves to be.
