Avril Lavigne has always been a big part of my life especially when I was growing up. She was very much a rocker back then and now she's gone more mainstream pop, with a lot of ballads on her new album. This was probably one of my favourite songs by her because she connected really well with the song, and it is really emotional and you can really tell that.
The song was written by Avril Lavigne and Butch Walker. Butch is an American singer, who have released a number of albums and singles, with quite a few chart numbers, but he is more known amongst artists as a producer and writer, and he has helped Avril Lavigne a lot with all of her albums so far.
This song is about heart-break and the reason why the guy broke up with her, because she thought everything was going strong. She performs this song amazingly and the music video works really well.
I like the narrative of the music video, but to be honest who is that guy she is supposed to be going out with? Isn't he too old for her? I like the start where she walks into the cinema and the film they screen is her past memories, it shows that she's thinking about it and giving it a lot of thought.
The use of colour is pretty good, in the happy scenes at the start it is in full colour, but as the relationship takes a turn for the worse the picture suddenly loses colour gradually leaving it top suggest that the relationship has gone sour and cold.
I really like the ending and how she comes out with some of her friends, which shows she's been talking to them and they are going to go out and have some fun. So is the ending really happy ending? I like that idea and how at the end of the day the break-up could be for the best, and so although it isn't the happy ending Avril wanted, it's still a happy ending.
Overall I like this music video, but there really isn't a lot to talk about is there? There isn't enough going on and that is why I had to drop off a star. However the song is amazing and I like how the narrative is the main part of the story.
I bet you all have been waiting for me to review this music video. I have to admit, it's been worrying me as this is such a big music video it is going to be difficult to review. But I will do my best and be as fair as I can be as I always am.
Rihanna, real name Robyn Rihanna Fenty, has recently became a very well known international star. She has worked very hard to get this far, and it looks like she will be keeping that crown for a little bit longer. She will be performing a song on the X Factor this Sunday, and we all know it is going to be amazing.
"We Found Love" is the first single taken from her new album Talk That Talk. It was written by Calvin Harris, who collaborated with Rihanna on this song, and further proves why this song features him even though there is no vocal performance from him. Rihanna has this strong, clear and powerful voice that makes any song she sings sound amazing. I like how she manages to connect to the song easily and that is shown throughout the music video.
I like how the video starts off with an introduction, it kind of sets the scene and makes it more understandable to people who are watching it. Agyness Deyn is the person who talks at the beginning and this is what she says: "It's like you're screaming but no one can hear. You almost feel ashamed that someone could be that important, that without them, you feel like nothing. No one will ever understand how much it hurts. You feel hopeless, like nothing can save you. And when it's over and it's gone, you almost wish that you could have all that bad stuff back so you can have the good."
There is a lot to like about this music video, and I have to admit, I am surprised that it was all filmed in Ireland. Initially it was all going to be filmed in a field, but when Rihanna started taking her clothes off the farmer who owned the field asked for the filming to be stopped, at which point it did and filming then took place in Belfast. The farmer turned around to news reporters that he had never heard of Rihanna and had no idea who she was. Personally I think the farmer did us a favour as the music video could have turned out similar to "Only Girl (In The World)" and although the music video for that song is powerful, it is a bit boring after watching it more than 5 times, and I stopped watching it on the music channels. However for "We Found Love" the narrative is amazing and I think that is why this music video makes it one of Rihanna's best music videos to date.
Some bits are a little annoying and makes you wonder why they did that. The main one is when Rihanna is sick on the side walk, but instead of bringing up disgusting stuff, out comes pink and white streamers. At first I thought they had run out of budget and couldn't afford to buy some soup or whatever actors are using nowadays. But after a closer inspection, it could suggest a distorted reality, therefore some bits aren't real and suggests that Rihanna is imagining them, which kind of makes sense since at the start you see the amount of drugs, and the amount of smoking, and how sometimes Rihanna and her boyfriend (played by Dudley O'Shaughnessy) look totally out of it.
There's so much going on in this music video it is difficult to comment on it all. However there is a lot of comparisons between Dudley O'Shaughnessy and Rihanna's ex-boyfriend Chris Brown. There are some scenes that even suggest that the video was based on the ex-couple because on the evening of the Grammy Awards Rihanna was subjected to physical violence in a car by Chris Brown. One of the scenes in the video link exactly to that where Dudley O'Shaughnessy is driving recklessly and Rihanna is begging him to stop. She then gets struck around the face. There's definitely a link from Rihanna's past and this video.
There is also a link with Britney Spears' "Criminal" music video, because both contain bad guys, they were both filmed in the UK and they both contain scenes of sex, violence and crime. But also both videos have had a lot of controversial in the UK, with "Criminal" being banned from being shown in the UK based on the fact that the "Criminal" is holding a gun.
Overall I really like this music video and it links in with this song brilliantly. Some bits I don't like such as the distort reality, but that is not too bad. I like the narration, both the words that are spoken at the start and the storyline as a whole. I have no choice but to give this music video the rating it deserves. And this song is definitely worth the number on it managed to get here in the UK!
N-Force is a band that have been around for a couple of years, and although I am aware of their music videos, and tend to watch them whenever I'm watching the music channels, not everybody knows about them, and that usually prevents them from getting chart-toppers that they most certainly deserve. N-Force currently consists of Lois McConnell and Jorg Schmid. They are a UK club/dance band, but have been unable to get the support they clearly deserve. They're first single "Right By Your Side" which was collaborated by Darren Styles managed to get to number 77 in the UK chart, and number 46 in Germany. This is their second single, it only just about managed the UK chart at number 114, and their remaining singles didn't chart. The band is a little unsure of where they are at the moment, since Lois is apparently attempting to get a solo career, but considering she can't get much of a career in a band, is there much hope for her? I hope one of their songs do become a hit, and push them into stardom, as I know it is what they need, and I'm definitely interested in hearing more and more from this band.
"All My Life" is originally a song that is sung by K-Ci & Jojo (now, don't do what I did a few years back and get Jojo confused with JoJo, as one is male, and one if female, and they both have totally different genres of music). K-Ci & Jojo wrote the song themselves, although it's credited under their own names which are: Cedric "K-Ci" Hailey and Joel "Jojo" Hailey (the other JoJo is Joanna Levesque, so do not get confused). I haven't heard the original, and I haven't even watched the music video, but a few people have commented saying that the original is better. I cannot judge, but to be honest I'm more into this sort of genre, than R&B which K-Ci & Jojo is. I have to admit, I love it when dance groups do covers, I think it's interesting how they can take a song of a completely different genre and turn upside down and inside out and make it something totally new. This happens a lot (example: Lostprophets (a rock band) sang Sweet Dreams My LA eX (by Rachel Stevens) and made it into a rock song). I think Lois' performance shows a lot of emotion and she relates to the song a lot.
I've probably watched this music video too much in my life time, to be honest, I'm not sure what it is about it that I like, I think it may be a number of things (including one shocking thing that I've noticed now and again). I like how this is simple, there's not a lot going on, and I think it is clever here and there.
The music video is really good although short. The narrative is pretty much simple as Lois goes into the casino and sits down, and this guy helps her to pull the leaver down and they get triple 7's, they get a hotel room and fall madly in love with one another (or so you are to believe). I don't quite understand why there's this other guy about. You could presume he and Lois just broke up and he obviously still likes her. I think he is Jorg, actually I'm more than sure, but I could be wrong, but it would be pretty pointless in putting an actor in if all he has to do is stand around and do a few things only.
Lois performs the song in the bedroom, on the cool rotating bed, that I so want. And outside the hotel room. But this guy who I believe is Jorg also appears outside. There's two girls with him, who I think is also the same two that is dancing behind Lois, and the girls are quite provocative, but that's too subtle for the word since if you keep a close eye on what they're doing, you'll be shocked. I have no idea how that slipped in there, and does it go alongside the narrative, and suggest that he's on rebound? But then I like the ending as Lois is clearly having fun, and "Jorg" is sitting alone in the casino. Not winning.
A lot of people have mentioned a number of things, one being that people think Lois is chubby. Personally I don't think she is, and to be honest who really cares, shouldn't personality count for something? And besides, as long as she's happy everyone else should be. She kind of reminds me of Natalie Horler, from Cascada, and N-Force could possibly be the UK's answer to Cascada, if people gave them a chance and a half.
Also another thing I like about this video is that in one of the rooms Lois looks a bit like the anime characters of Caramella Girls' music videos, and you could so imagine that if they did a collaboration it would take place in that room Lois is in, when she is wearing that striped blue and white top.
Overall I like this song, and is played in the clubs a few times, which is always good. I very much doubt the original is played often, however I could be wrong as I haven't heard it yet. The music video is okay, but could have been a lot better, and could have been one of the reasons this song didn't chart very high. Also some clips may have been included which really shouldn't have. But apart from that I like the narrative, although there isn't a lot going on, and would you really go into a hotel room with the person you have to share your winnings with?
Taylor Swift, is now a world-wide star. She is a country/pop singer and has totally given charts across the world the chance to include country. Especially in the UK, the genre has more or less died out rarely managing to get a chart hit. But Taylor Swift has changed all that proving that country singers can make it over here. It's taken some time for various other American country singers to try, but try they have and are getting chart hits here and there, Lady Antebellum and Sugarland are the few I know that have tried and charted quite high, and that's just off the top of my head, if I were to look closely I bet I could name a few more. However Taylor Swift's two most recent singles, haven't made the chart at all, but what is the reason for this? She had a sold-out UK tour back in March/April. So why isn't she making it? Personally I think it's because there isn't enough promotion, and it is usually difficult to find out when the singles are officially released, and by the time it is, no one knows it was released, therefore managing to get a low charting position is an achievement.
I have to admit, I did go to the live tour. This song wasn't sung, which is a little disappointing, but it was the Speak Now tour, and artists rarely sing past songs unless it is a chart topper. Unfortunately this song only got to number 51, which isn't too bad as it was her third single in the UK, and I don't think it was promoted much (if at all). This song probably means a lot to people, it means a lot to me too, and to be honest I bet everyone, once in a while, has been in the same situation and so you can definitely empathise with this song. If you have not, comment below and I'll be surprised, but to be honest Taylor Swift sings with so much emotion that it's not hard to at least sympathise with her. The song was written by Taylor Swift herself along with Liz Rose, who has worked with Taylor Swift a number of times, collecting awards for her songwriting. She has written a few songs that were released by other artists, but Taylor Swift is the most prominent artist. I like Taylor Swift's songs because she writes from her heart, and she feels confident enough to express those emotions, such as this song displays because she uses his first name "Drew looks at me, I fake a smile so he won't see". I think it's clever and quite interesting that she was confident to include his real name. The song is based on her friendship she had with Drew Hardwick while they went to the same school. He had a strong lasting relationship with the girl he used to talk about to Taylor Swift, and Taylor Swift never told him how she really felt. So she has done it in song. Taylor Swift, comes up with so many ideas on writing a song, that it is really interesting reading the background of some of the stories, and sometimes it happens to everyone, and that's why people relate to her really well.
I really like this music video, if you haven't already noticed this is definitely my favourite song she has ever released, because it is so emotional. And here comes the typical Taylor Swift music video, and I wouldn't have it any other way. There's an amazing narrative, but there is also a performance of sorts, that links in with the song and the story, so it is really clever.
The storyline is pretty much how I could imagine it going with Taylor Swift and Drew Hardwick. They are best of friends, and at the very start, Drew asks: "Hey, are you gonna go to the game on Friday?" and Swift lightens up with a smile and says: "Well, I don't know. I was thinking about it. Why?", possibly hoping that he was asking her. But he tells her that he was just curious and that he's met this girl he really likes. We then see other clips such as when they are in the library and Drew is making her laugh, and in the chemistry lab and she accidentally puts too much of one substance into another and it bubbles over, and they both hurry to clean it up. Then the last bit they are walking along the corridor and they are both smiling, but Drew ignores her totally (which in my opinion is a little rude), and then kisses his girlfriend in the hallway. This is such a typical narrative, and I like how well it is portrayed as Taylor Swift is a good actor and this proves it.
The performance side of things is amazing. It's subtle but emotive, and that's what is key, especially since it is a performance in her "bedroom" and there is no audience. She is wearing an aquamarine dress, which is perfect as it suggests the tears that is pouring out of her. I like how she is lying by her guitar as well, and when that tear escapes, it shows how much this song means to her.
This video has had a lot of comments, and a lot of people expressing their opinions. And to be honest I am not sure what side I am on. Some think that if you are in that sort of situation you should tell him/her, otherwise you'll regret it for the rest of your life. In this case I sort of see why people will think that, at least you know you've tried and they may like you back just as much and isn't that at least worth the risk to finally find out? But there is a problem with that, if he/she likes you as much as you like them, then why haven't they said anything. The other thing people are saying is that you keep it to yourself, and your friendship should stay strong, if it's meant to be then he/she will come out and say it. If they don't like you the same way, then telling them would wreck any friendship you have, and somethings better than nothing right? It kind of reminds me of my favourite verse from Paramore's "Crush Crush Crush": "If you want to play it like a game, well come on come on let's play, cuz I'd rather waste my life pretending, than having to forget you for one whole minute". This lyric is my inspiration, and links in perfectly with this song.
Overall I love this song, it's so capturing and emotive and relates to a lot of different people (not just me). But it's music video works amazingly, it links, it suits the song, and I can't really fault it. For those of you who are interested, the person in the music video who plays Drew is Tyler Hilton. This music video definitely deserves this rating, and I hope you all agree that it does.
This song is created by Guru Josh Project, I have to say it is extremely catchy and although I wasn't necessarily into this sort of music when the song was released, I bought the single, loving the song. I must have watched the music video quite a few times on the music channels, purely because I liked the song...
The band consists of Paul Walden (A.K.A. Guru Josh), Anders Nyman and Darren Bailie. They didn't last long, and only released two singles, this one being their most well known one. The song is a remixed version from Guru Josh's single "Infinity" which is also referred to as "Infinity (1990s... Time For The Guru". It was a club classic and still appears on compilation albums to this date. The re-worked version pushed the original back into well known status and has once again became a massive hit for Guru Josh. This remixed version uses DJ Klaas' mixed beats, as the single of the song. The song was written by Paul Walden, and is definitely one of the club classics that will still be heard of in about 10 years time, maybe even more. I have to admit, I don't understand what the lyrics mean, there's just nothing that good behind them, all I can get is that if you get with Guru Josh "you will find Infinity", which suggests a night of your life? Or maybe just a hell of a lot of fun, which is what this song is all about especially when played in the clubs.
Now the music video isn't necessarily the best, and there are a lot of problems I have with it and I sure you do too. But the main thing about it is that it doesn't really link in with the song, I don't see that anywhere, if she's getting the night of her life from Guru Josh, why couldn't they have shown that message better? I don't get it at all, and sometimes without a link, it could make it a good music video (as I have mentioned in the past), but in this case, it looked more like they just made a video for the sake of it, and personally I would have preferred just seeing everyone dancing at that live performance.
Right, let's start off with the good thing about this, and then I'll come back to the bad bits. First up is the use of the TV, although it is blurry and distorts the picture amongst other things. It is a really good technique, and it makes you think you are watching the same thing as the girl is and so that you become connected to her (until she starts to take her clothes off and then you question why she is getting excited about this piece of TV footage, maybe it was the saxophone player?
Okay so.... Why on earth would you go into an abandoned house, for one thing? The next thing is how on earth did she know that it was already furnished, with a settee, a saxophone and a TV? Also what are those things doing there in the first place? And where on Earth did that hammer come from? And why attack the house when it is in such a damaged state already that in doing so it may crash on top of you? This makes no sense what so ever and all I'm coming up with is more and more questions.
This is all I have to say on this, questions, questions and more questions. I do like the song and I can see it being around for a very long while, although I have not even heard the original, let alone compared both music videos, maybe that could be my Sunday revisit? Or maybe not. I don't think this music video is that good, and although the song is really catchy, I think I would have expected more, maybe I did?
