I struggled today finding a music video I wanted to review, mainly because I have had quite the down day (apart from one little surprise). I decided to review a Saara Aalto song because she inspires me. She's been attempting a career in music for many years and she has built it up and never gave up - and she was absolutely incredible at Birmingham Pride 2017. There are not many music videos from her to choose from, now that I've reviewed "Blessed With Love" and "You Had My Heart". This one is a very sweet ballad from her, that she totally nails, which I totally expected. Watch Saara Aalto pine after her lover who has gone away but she plans on finding him in this sweet music video for "Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind".
Saara Aalto is a singer/songwriter from Finland. She came second on the 13th series of The X Factor and also came second, twice, in Finland's national selection to Eurovision in 2011 and 2016; the former was called Euroviisut 2011, and the latter was called Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu. Not only that but in 2012 she competed in The Voice of Finland during season one, where she also came second. She will be a judge on The X Factor Suomi which returns for its second season in 2018. This song is a part of her debut album along with title track "Blessed With Love". It was written by Saara Aalto herself.
This music video was directed by Sakari Mäkelä. It's a pure performance visual with only a few scenes. Saraa Aalto works the camera even when she's not looking towards it; she's totally camera-friendly.
As per usual, Saara Aalto brings it for this sweet ballad. I love how she's missing her love while she's on the bed, holding his photo close to her. She can also be seen in a forested setting and climbing over rocks. She really gets into this character.
Unfortunately, we don't see the guy that she mentions in the song. Yet, budgeting might have been the reason behind this. The video may be low-budget, but Saara Aalto works with it, conveys the narrative along with a fully fleshed out performance visual and gives us a great video in every way.
Where did this one come from? Like, seriously? It's just crept into the top ten of the UK Singles Chart at number eight, which is its highest peak to date. This week's number one is Dua Lipa's "New Rules" which I reviewed last week, therefore opening the top ten today's Chart Mondays review. I'm actually surprised I haven't written about this video yet. My problem with this is that Bebe Rexha is only featured on the track, whereas her involvement makes it much more like a collaboration and so I feel like it should be Louis Tomlinson & Bebe Rexha, especially since they both appear in the music video as much as each other and she even starts the track off. Watch Louis Tomlinson walk around Doncaster showcasing his football skills and Doncaster Rovers Football Club's Keepmoat Stadium whilst Bebe Rexha acts as the sexy girl next door in this music video for "Back To You" featuring Digital Farm Animals.
Louis Tomlinson is best known for being one-fifth/one-fourth of One Direction, who are on hiatus as they all focus on their solo music careers. All the members have gone in completely different genres of music, yet they are all performing well when it comes to the charts. This is Louis Tomlinson's second single to date and it's done moderately well on charts around the world - it's certainly a grower of a song. He's also made his mark in the football world, having played for Doncaster on non-contract terms; he has also played in charity football matches. Featured on this track is Bebe Rexha, real name Bleta Rexha; she's an American singer who has been building up her career for a few years. She's definitely one who likes to impress and will continue to build her name and reputation. She's had quite a few hits to date in collaborations, but it's about time she had a solo hit. Also featured is Digital Farm Animals, real name Nicholas Gale, who is a British DJ. He has worked with a lot of big names so far; yet, this song is his biggest hit to date. I expect we'll be hearing more of him in the future. The song was written by Louis Tomlinson, Nicholas James Gale, Pablo Bowman, Richard Boardman, and Sarah Blanchard.
Directed by Craig Moore, this music video is a pure performance visual that doesn't add anything to the song - in my opinion. I feel that the video doesn't go anywhere and doesn't attract the audience in pressing that replay button.
Kicking the song and the video off is Bebe Rexha, she's in Doncaster with Louis Tomlinson, but they don't meet up until much later in the video. As for Louis, he's walking around the streets of Doncaster, showcasing the back alleys and the streets. He comes across a kid, they play football together and Louis kicks the ball into the goal - poor kid.
The video continues with some cute shots of these two singers together. From Keepmoat Stadium to them performing on a couch in an alley. There's also a café shot which is where Louis Tomlinson starts to sing; as well as a pool club venue, where you can see both singers with cues.
Overall, this video goes nowhere, it doesn't keep the audience interested and Bebe Rexha practically pulls Louis Tomlinson through this performance. He seems really down, which doesn't sit right considering the song is supposed to be a light-hearted track. There is down bits about the song but there's also nice bits too, and I just feel Louis Tomlinson fails to bring the emotion across for the song in the visual. It's slightly relatable though, and it showcases his love for football.
This is the party song that I love hearing when I'm in the club. My friends and I have perfected our dance moves to the chorus of this song; it's definitely extremely catchy, although we're not as good as Demi Lovato and her backing dancers in this video. This hasn't charted that well globally, and I expect it to climb up in some countries the more we hear it and fall in love with it. "Instruction" definitely goes off when we're in a club. Watch Demi Lovato show off her dancing skills and sexy looks to the camera in this music video for Jax Jones' "Instruction" as Stefflon Don raps whilst riding a horse.
Jax Jones, real name Timucin Aluo, first came on to the scene after meeting Duke Dumont and collaborating with him on "I Got U". His biggest single to date is "You Don't Know Me" which features RAYE. We expect to see a lot more music coming our way from this DJ very soon, especially since he's collaborated with this highly successful singer, Demi Lovato. She came from the Disney channel, and continues to prove she is on her game; she delivers highly catchy songs with on-point vocals throughout. She's a total star. As for Stefflon Don, real name Stephanie Allen, she's a fairly new British rapper who is definitely putting her stamp on the music industry - she totally brings it with this song and video. I expect to see more top hits from her in the future. This song was written by Uzoechi Emenike (MNEK), Stephanie Allen, Demi Lovato, and Timucin Aluo.
Directed by Ozzie Pullin, the music video was filmed in Los Angeles, California. It's a full-on dance music video - which is to be expected since that chorus contains dance move instructions, that my friend and I kill on the dance floor.
We start off with Jax Jones playing the drums linking this to its extremely tropical sound of the song. Demi Lovato is snapshotted throughout the intro, clearly making the statement that she's on this track and completely ready to bring it in every way.
The chorus has a specific set of dance moves and Demi Lovato nails these completely, along with her backing dancers. The choreography is totally lit and it's something that we all want to learn so we can pull it off in time with this video. However, the chorus does get on my nerves slightly, as Demi Lovato missteps in the song and the word "Left" sounds kind of hesitant, which annoys me a lot!
The verses bring more sexy face shots for the camera. It's not the best at profiling, but when it comes to Stefflon Don, she fully brings it whilst being on a horse - now that is talent. Still, the editing and the camera work doesn't allow the audience to fully connect with everything going on.
It's a great party song that I absolutely love, but the music video definitely falls short. We needed something amazing and this is just plain, with a great dance choreography segment for the chorus; although, it's not something we can easily learn and Demi Lovato comes off a little like she's out with her girls training in trackies, rather than performing in a music video.
I'm literally running out of Little Mix music videos to review, I've almost done them all. Luckily, there's a few of them left for me to cover, and today is a massively important day since today marks their sixth year anniversary. I have just written up an article about their best album tracks that should've been official singles for CelebMix. I highly suggest you check it out! This song is one of my favourites from this group and definitely club-worthy! However, the music video is difficult to keep up, with too many intercutting scenes; comparing this to the recent "Touch" really shows this up as a hard-to follow music video. Watch Little Mix dance their way through this song with backing dancers and on point choreography in this music video for "Move".
Little Mix are still the only group to have won The X Factor. They were put together on the eighth series of the show in 2011, and are celebrating their sixth year anniversary today. The group consists of Perrie Edwards, Jade Thirlwall, Jesy Nelson, and Leigh-Anne Pinnock. They have had a whole range of hit songs and continue to dominate as one of the biggest girl groups in the world. "Move" acted as their first single from their second studio album - the album that spawned the least amount of singles; but there were plenty of amazing ones they could've chosen. This song managed to chart in many countries, even gaining number three in the UK and number five in Ireland. The song was written by Maegan Cottone, Nathan Duvall, Perrie Edwards, Jesy Nelson, Leigh-Anne Pinnock, and Jade Thirlwall.
Directed by Carly Cussen, the music video is a performance-based piece that showcases the girls' ability to dance whilst also looking down-to-earth. They easily connect with the audience.
There's not a lot to this. There's a lot of bright backing colour going on, helping the girls to pop in the visuals. The spotlights are on them from start to finish, apart from the very start where they are silhouettes.
The dance choreography is complex and intricate to a certain extent. It's clear that Little Mix worked really hard on nailing the moves and in the entire clip they fully bring it in every way. They're totally in-sync and they have so much energy.
The problem is, we're switching between way too many scenes. The editing of this makes it very difficult to watch however it's full of great vibes that keep us until the end. The profile shots of Little Mix helps the audience identify with each and every one of the four girls.
There have been so many incredible releases today, it was so difficult to choose a music video for my New Release this week. However, Miley Cyrus has been solid lately and has made her new album available to pre-order with this incredible song being the title single! This song is catchy to no-end, and its music video seriously has some cool but old vibes going on, looking into the past and bringing it into the future. Watch Miley Cyrus showcase her performance vibes with this Elvis-inspired music video that has us enthralled from start to finish and hoping that we'll have a Miley Cyrus musical one day in this visual for "Younger Now".
Miley Cyrus, real name Destiny Cyrus, has been teasing new music recently with the release of "Malibu" and "Inspired", so I'm ecstatic that she has released a new one that's ever so catchy and motivating in every way. It's a whole new era for Miley Cyrus, and I feel like this song looks back on her past as she states that people do change as they find their way. I am loving this new sound, and "Younger Now" is something that deserves to be a hit, and we're sure it will be! This came with the announcement of her album, with the same title, which will be released on 29 September 2017 - I cannot wait! This song was written by Miley Cyrus and Oren Yoel.
The music video was directed by Diane Martel. It is very Elvis-inspired with a great message throughout. She has even used old people to be her backing dancers and to join her in the visuals, which is a great tribute to how the song came to her - since her mother started the ball rolling with the lyrics by telling her that "you're younger now at 24 than you were at 4!" which totally explains where the song came from.
I love this pure performance visual. There are some iconic scenes throughout, including some Elvis-inspired looks. I am obsessed with her red outfit - she looks super hot in that scene; as well as the blue jumpsuit.
She continues her ode to Elvis with the puppet scene. This directly links in with Elvis' music video for "Wooden Heart". Today marks the 40th anniversary of his death, so Miley Cyrus has picked the perfect time to release this video.
My favourite scene has to be the ending, that looks like a scene from the future Miley Cyrus musical theatre show - surely this is something that will happen at some point; her iconic songs would easily be able to come together to make a hit musical. The old dancers fully bring it as if they are young, and it's incredible to see Miley Cyrus enjoying her life in every way and enjoying her time on this set.
Overall this music video is a brilliant tribute and completely relates to the song. I love her biker chick outfit which makes her look a bit like Fergie; I also like the float because it's a float. I do feel that this could've been a little more engaging, and I feel that after the first watch she'll lose some viewers as it's not something you would definitely watch again and again. Regardless it is polished and has got me excited for 29 September when the new album drops!
Today is Thursday, which means I throw it back for a revisit, and it was obvious I was going to do another Alexis Jordan song because I may not get another chance; plus this song is another banger from her! This, along with "Happiness", may be extremely catchy, but they also become tiresome if you listen too often, this one especially - which might explain the moderate chart placements of this song compared to "Happiness". We won't talk about her follow-ups that just didn't do well at all. Watch Alexis Jordan be fierce in this choreographed dance performance music video of her second single "Good Girl", knocking out the dance sequences perfectly.
Alexis Jordan started off in America's Got Talent in the very first season. She made it to the semi-finals before being eliminated - she was just 14 years old. She then started uploading covers on YouTube, which caught the attention of Stargate and Jay-Z, and therefore kick-started her career in the music industry. However, in 2014, she was dropped from her label and her second studio album never surfaced; although, rumours state that she is set to make a return in the near-future, which I am certainly excited about. This song charted at number six in the UK, we practically loved her over here. It was written by Autumn Rowe, Mikkel S. Eriksen, Tor Erik Hermansen, Petr Brdičko, Sandy Wilhelm, Espen Lind, and Amund Björklund.
Directed by Erik White, the music video is mainly a performance piece with full-on dance choreography throughout. Some scenes look like there was a planned narrative, which may have got cut; instead, leaving us with snapshots of various scenes that doesn't relate all that much.
The dance sequences are on point throughout. There's a couple of main ones, mainly Alexis Jordan performing with her backup dancers. She's in-sync throughout, being confident and sassy whilst maintaining her "Good Girl" charm. There's also another scene where she's dancing with her on-screen love interest who is dancer Hefa Leone Tuita; they show the clear chemistry between them as they nail every dance step.
There are a few different characters that she portrays, from the everyday street woman to the high school geek, from professional dancer to the good girl princess. There's a lot going on but they've made it a good performance piece, it's just difficult to keep up with what's going on at times.
Today's been a day of catching up with my music video reviews on this blog, so it's always a welcomed treat when something new slides into my email. This one was suggested by someone who noticed my previous review on Dua Lipa's "New Rules" - which is incredible in every way. One listen to this song, and it was stuck in my head, and I knew I had to review it on my blog! So here is Ashley J with her fourth single "Trapped", and after listening to all her other songs, this is definitely her best to date. This one just has that contemporary-pop spin that suits her in every way; plus it's beyond catchy. I think I've found another new female singer that I love! Watch Ashley J be confident and expressive in this music video for her fourths single "Trapped" which showcases her fierce energy.
Ashley J, full name Ashley Jean, has been working on her music career for the past few years. 2015 was the year she launched on to the scene with "One And One", which is a cover of the popular Robert Miles song of the same name; this managed to chart on Billboard's Top 20 Dance Charts. She followed that up with "Cali" with Ralphi Roasio, which debuted at number one on Billboard's Breakout Chart. Then, last year, saw her release "Dare Ya" which peaked at number three on the Official European Independent Music Charts. It's clear that Ashley J has talent and great songwriting skills on her side. We're sure this song will become much bigger the more that people hear it, and I certainly can't stop listening to it myself. It was written by Ashley J; whilst it was produced by Narada Michael Walden.
The music video is a pure performance visual throughout. The song is about being trapped, being lost or mesmerised by her lover. I don't know about you, but this sultry music video certainly has me trapped from the very start.
This girl not only has the vocals, but she has the sexy visual to go with it. Ashley J starts off subtle, calm, and composed; but, just like the song, she builds and builds before unleashing these performance vibes that really come out of nowhere.
She certainly has that star quality to her as we flip through the various scenes, our favourite being the second scene we get to watch. Most parts are filmed in the same place only with Ashley J wearing something new or there being a different projected visual - each one making it smoky, just like the track itself.
The very last shot just makes the video complete. This works fully, and the corner of the walls brings the visual impact of being trapped, whilst her energetic performance shows the emotion to this song. It relates it draws the audience in, and the song itself is one of my favourite new jams!
I recently reviewed this song and music video for Outlet Magazine. This is what I love about writing for this website because I come across some amazing tracks and videos and this is most-definitely one of them. It later appeared as a snippet in one of Matt Crawford's videos and I knew I had to review the weird-ass music video for my blog because this is one heck of a groovy track that embeds itself in my head effortlessly. It's so catchy and the video is out of this world on the freakiness scale, and yet it's still relatable and totally works. Watch Sofi Tukker totally bring it, in their bizarre music video which shows them as not caring about what people think, for their song "Fuck They" - who's they anyway?
Sofi Tukker are a duo consisting of Sophie Hawley-Weld and Tucker Halpern, who have been making waves with this track as well as their debut; "Drinkee" was the first song they released and it was nominated for a Grammy award in 2017 - talk about launching well on the music scene. They've gone from strength to strength, and this particular song is making waves all around the world and deserves to at least chart somewhere because we all can't get enough of it!
The description of the video describes what the song is about: "'They' is anything that holds you back from being who you are. Whoever 'they' is in your life / in your mind, Fuck They! Who's they anyway?" - I totally back this 100%, stay strong, go forth, and be whoever you want to be.
There is so much going on in this music video, it's hard to keep up with it all. There's Sofi Tukker at the basketball courts, there's them acting as dogs, there's them in a car and on top of the car, there's them on the street talking to each other through a tin can telephone; and, we mustn't forget the awesome graffiti jacket that we all just really want!
The role reversal ending makes it all worth watching in the end. I'm obsessed with this song and its music video, and I really believe Sofi Tukker are a duo we should be keeping our eyes on as they are at the forefront of this musical wave that is quirky and different but will seriously change music for the better. How people aren't jumping on their style, music, and concept - I do not know.
I've nearly reviewed this music video a couple of times since it's been on my YouTube recommendations for weeks; however, I'm not a fan of Dua Lipa and haven't really enjoyed her music she has released previously but OMG this song is pure fire and the music video is a killer in every way. I saw her perform at Birmingham Pride - check out my reviews of the event on Fuzzable, Fox & Squirrel Photography, and Electric Mode. Yet, this video just puts her as an iconic figure in the music industry and I can't wait to see what the future brings for her, especially as this song is rising to the top of the UK Chart, where it deserves to be. At the moment "Feels" by Calvin Harris featuring Pharrell Williams, Katy Perry & Big Sean is at the top, knocking off that Spanglish song we all know and love. This one is set to rise but is currently at number five. Watch Dua Lipa in Miami's Confidante Hotel as she tries to make up her mind whether she should give her ex a second chance or not in this brilliant music video for "New Rules".
Dua Lipa first came on the scene through YouTube after she posted covers of her favourite songs - this is usually where talent is spotted nowadays, let's be honest. This female singer has proven her worth as she continues to bring out chart hits and has worked her way up to the top. Her collaboration with Sean Paul on "No Lie" definitely boosted her fame around the world. This song is my favourite from her to date, even if today was the first time I've seen the video - now I can't stop watching. The song was written by Caroline Ailin, Emily Warren, and Ian Kirkpatrick.
Directed by Henry Scholfield, this music video is a pure performance profile visual from start to finish. The inspiration came from a Naomi Campbell photo shoot with Versace, where she's on the back of another woman - it reference women looking out for each other and this music video is exactly that.
From the very start, we see Dua Lipa considering her ex whilst she's in the hotel room, but as the music video continues we see her confidence as the pre-chorus is repeated - which we totally love. The second take she is styled sexily and agrees with her girls whilst singing along, whereas the first take she's ready to take that guy back.
They head to the pool and she is fierce completely because she's told her new rules to herself again and again. As the third pre-chorus comes along, she's telling the exact same advice her friends told her to another friend who is trying to make the same decision she was.
It's a brilliant music video with plenty of stuff going on. Dua Lipa proves that she has everything going for her and that she's meant to be this massive force within the music industry - and boy does she not disappoint. This music video is everything and will be one we will continue to remember years later.
I literally walked into a shop today and I swear an Alexis Jordan song was being played, but when I got home and looked up her songs, it wasn't any of them... So, who knows what that song was, I can't even remember the lyrics; so, instead I decided to review this song and video since it is beyond catchy and the video is very intricately put together and has a brilliant visual that keeps us entertained right until the very end. Watch Alexis Jordan fall for a guy in this monumental movement music video that is beyond iconic and completely memorable in every single way for her debut "Happiness".
Alexis Jordan launched onto the music scene back in 2010 with this very single. She first came to TVs all around the world when she competed in the first season of America's Got Talent at the age of 14. She was eliminated during the Semi-Finals. She then had a YouTube career where she uploaded covers, which brought her to the attention of Stargate and Jay-Z. She released an album and a few more singles before being dropped from Roc Nation and there's no sight of a second album on the horizon, unfortunately. Yet, she deserves to come back around and I'm sure she'll have another hit before we know it. This song was a chart success in many countries, including Australia, the UK, Norway, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Poland. The song was written by Joel Zimmerman, Mikkel S. Eriksen, Tor Erik Hermansen, Autumn Rowe, and Petr Brdičko. The song samples Deadmau5's "Brazil (2nd Edit)"
Directed by Aggressive, who has directed some very well-known music videos; this one is memorable in every way. It transports Alexis Jordan and her love interest, played by actor Tom Williamson, into this futuristic world where you literally don't have to walk anywhere as the world moves you forwards and backwards - sounds like the life.
It's very colourful throughout. There's a performance piece running alongside a narrative that keeps us entertained. Alexis Jordan performs on a platform surrounded by water. She's in-step with her backing dancers whilst keeping the spotlight on her throughout. If I'm honest, I'd rather have seen more from this scene than the others.
The narrative follows a concept of Alexis Jordan and Tom Williamson meeting for the first time and their connection growing - he clearly makes her happy. She drives past him at the bus stop as she is set to possibly leave town, but him in the mirror of the car makes her think twice. She soon hops in the driver's seat and reverses to find him, as the world battles against her as it guides her out of town.
The video is in-depth and very clever. I remember that it stood out on the music channels every time I saw it. It is completely bright and fun. It's different but in all the good ways possible. Even years later, everyone still remembers it. It's also completely relatable in every way.
