Ruth Lorenzo is back! It's official, her second single is actually going to be released here to the UK, and I'm so happy. I just can't stop talking about this song to people and I have been listening to it over and over again, I am really hoping it will chart this Sunday, but there's no sign of this song on the iTunes top 1000, it needs to chart people, you need to buy it now! This has been a long time coming to be honest, and her first single "Burn" didn't get released in the UK, so this makes it her debut here, but with little promotion and not a lot behind her, will she suffer? Well with this voice she will not be defeated, and I do see her eventually gaining the chart numbers she needed.
Ruth Lorenzo is from The X Factor UK, and came fifth in the fifth series. Her fellow contestants also got recording contracts and stuff, here's where they are now... Alexandra Burke (winner) working on her third album, has three number one singles and is kick-starting her career in the U.S.; JLS (second) are due to break-up, they have four albums behind them, five number one singles and are getting ready to release a greatest hits; Eoghan Quigg (third), one album, one single, and has disappeared from the spotlight; Diana Vickers (fourth), one album with a second being released soon, one number one single; Rachel Hylton (sixth) just starting up; Daniel Evans (seventh) released a single and album but failed to chart and has disappeared from the spotlight; Laura White (eighth), one single, has an album in the works and is now working under the stage name 'Martha'; Bad Lashes (twelfth) disbanded after releasing one single.
"The Night" was written by Ruth Lorenzo and Tim Ross. The song was originally called 'The Night Belongs To Us', and was given as a free download to her fans on FaceBook a couple of years back, and now it has been turned into a single, with remixes, that are great to listen to. The song is extremely catchy after a few plays, and her voice is outstanding, it's a shame she never got to the final of The X Factor, Simon Cowell missed out on something good here. Her emotion comes across amazingly, and I still think her rendition of Prince's "Purple Rain" on The X Factor sing-off is one of the best performances ever, I don't think anyone can top it.
The music video is mainly a performance piece but has a slight narrative that I find similar to Avril Lavigne's "Wish You Were Here". The narrative tightens heart strings and kind of displays her emotion out on a plate, however I think there should've been more to it, it lacks something crucial, maybe it would have been good to include past memories that she is thinking about.
The performance side of things to this music video is theatrical in a good way, you know her live performances will be full of energy and vibes that will reach across to the fans.
Overall a great song that gets stuck in my head really easily. The music video lacks a solid narrative, and the performance piece has lighting which doesn't always keep her in the light. The video, at the end of the day could be better, and be improved, yet it goes well with the song.
Avril Lavigne is my Sunday Revisit, purely because I cannot believe I have not reviewed this music video yet, plus her new song "Here's To Never Growing Up" was meant to be released today or tomorrow. Instead it has been pushed back a month, for reasons I am unsure of, hopefully she will put in more performances to help promote it, since everyone will have forgotten her performance on The Voice UK, in a month's time. Her new song has remnants of her old style and fingers crossed it will give her, her first UK number one single... Time will tell if it hits the top spot.
"Sk8er Boi" was written by Avril Lavigne, Lauren Christy, Scott Spock and Graham Edwards. The song did well all across the world, but only managed number eight here in the UK. The song is great, and I love the lyric chorus changing past half way. This song really tells a great story, but the video is just as good.
The video brings out the Avril Lavigne sk8er chick, who we all used to love so much. And yet she still has it as her latest video to "Here's To Never Growing Up" proved.
The video shows promotion at the start, with a slight narrative, as there is a 'sk8er boi' promoting the song as well as skating around her. Then it develops into this gig, filled with lots of energy, exactly what we expect to see at an Avril Lavigne concert (I still haven't seen her live, I hope I will in the near future)!
The thing I like about most of Avril Lavigne's music videos is that she includes her backing band, at the time of this video her backing band included Evan Taubenfeld (who returned for the video to "Here's To Never Growing Up"), Jesse Colburn, Mark Spicoluk and Matt Brann.
Overall a great song with a perfect accompanying music video. It is possible to stick a whole narrative to this song, yet they have decided to do it a different way, and it really works. So you can gather what my rating will be...
Echo Park, is a new band that came to my attention after James, the bass player, asked if I would review them on my blog, and here we are. They are June's "Artist Of The Month" with a special twist... Usually I'm not normally impressed with these requests, new unsigned bands don't usually have the quality and the connection that most famous bands do... But this band is different, and I'm sure Echo Park will be a name we'll be uttering with excitement. They are a five-piece band consisting of Laurence Brundson, Michael Walden, Jordan Buck, Max Santos and James Gregory. They sound totally original and I can't think of a single band they sound like, they are unique, and so great to listen to. They have aspects of Kids In Glass Houses, Hundred Reasons and Brand New. Keep an eye on these guys, they won't be quite unknown for long.
"Circles" was written by the band, they usually write as a collaborative effort, sounds like song writing comes naturally to them. Echo Park said of the song: "It's about being fatally attracted to someone you can't have and you know will only be bad for you." It's extremely catchy and I have played it too many times, I think I know most of the lyrics. It gets stuck in my head and I can't stop singing along to it. If you like it too, you can get a free download of the song from here: http://echoparkofficial.bandcamp.com/
The music video is a performance piece. I was expecting a typical first music video from a new band, they tend to be music videos where the band performs the song, and there's nothing special about the video, and the band fails to give any energy vibes. But like I said before, this band is different and this video proves that.
They are full of energy and emotion, and I just want to see them live now, knowing that the vibes they send out to their fans are real.
The lighting makes this video much more interesting to watch and definitely points out each of the members of the band. This is such a great introductory music video, one for the fans to recognise and identify the band members so that their future music videos will be just as great to watch.
Overall a great song that I can't help but tell people about, and I hope I am making more fans of this band. The music video relates so well and gives us an introduction to what this band is like. I have no problems with the video, and I can't wait to see what the future brings for these guys... Don't forget to download the song here: http://echoparkofficial.bandcamp.com/ as well as checking out my EXCLUSIVE in "Artist Of The Month".
Avril Lavigne is officially back, and you knew I was going to review this music video. This song is released next week, but will she score her first UK number one single? Well going back to her roots in this video could be exactly what puts her on the top of the chart, and I guess this planned performance on The Voice UK this weekend could go in her favour, unless it goes completely wrong, which it won't. She is getting ready to release her fifth album at the end of the year. And if this single is anything to go by, it could be her best album thus far.
"Here's To Never Growing Up" was written by Avril Lavigne, David Hodges (Evanescence fame), Chad Kroeger (Avril's fiancé as well as lead singer of Nickelback), Jacob Kasher and Martin Johnson (lead singer of Boys Like Girls). Seems like an all-star writing cast, and hence why this song is so catchy, and has hit various charts across the world. But the only number one coming from the Philippines. Could the UK follow suit, and get Avril her first UK single number one, we did it for The Saturdays with "What About Us", it's about time Avril got a single UK number one.
The music video has Avril written all over it. Back to the roots with her song, so the music video does the exact same. What with the "Complicated" skater costume, as well as bringing back her old backing band.
That's right, Evan Taubenfeld and Devin Bronson return on stage with Avril and her current backing band drummer Rodney Howard. No wonder Avril had fun on set, who wouldn't when meeting up with old friends?
There isn't really a narrative, just her having fun with a load of other people, there's a prom and she's performing with her band, as well as wrecking the school, making sure the whole school can hear her sing the lyrics, as well as having fun in a pool. Just a normal day in Avril's world.
Overall a great song that I can't stop listening to, I have my fingers crossed that it hits the charts at number one here in the UK next week, but guess we won't know for sure until next Sunday, you can do it Avril! The music video is typical Avril Lavigne, not growing up, having fun and just letting loose, I have no problems with this video because it's exactly what I expected and more, and relates to the song perfectly. I am not being biased with my rating, this video deserves this!
While I wait for my exclusive Artist of the Month for this month, and it is such a big surprise! I am left with choosing other songs.
I decided on this one since the song got stuck in my head thanks to 90210's season five première here in the UK, where Carly Rae Jepsen performs this song. She is a Canadian artist most known for coming third in Canadian Idol. She has a big fan base all around the world. She has hit the UK a few times especially with the funny music video to number one single "Call Me Maybe". As well as hitting number five here in the UK with Owl City with the song "Good Time". This is one artist we will be hearing more and more of, I assure you.
"This Kiss" was written by Carly Rae Jepsen, Matthew Koma, Kelly Covell and Stefan Kendal Gordy (AKA Redfoo from LMFAO). The song was written all over text messaging, e-mails and phone calling. It's quite a unique way of writing a song, but I presume it gives the song writers the chance to help when they have time. It also shows that you don't need to be together to write together. The song didn't do well here in the UK, only managing number 166, but her more recent singles have done better, so why did this fail? Lack of radio promotion as well as no performances here in the UK. Once again here is another example why promotion is so important. If we don't hear the song how are we to know about it?
The music video has made me realised I really need a night out. It's been a total of a month and a half since I last went clubbing, and I'm missing it like crazy. But I also want to go to the place Carly Rae Jepsen is at in this music video, it looks totally fun.
Once again two aspects of this music video, a quirky narrative and a performance as well. Which always puts music videos up there in my eyes. The performance is energetic, involving, and you can just tell she's loving every minute of performing, and so is her fans.
The narrative is fun and different, with another key love interest, who isn't gay this time. However has she downgraded? What with going after someone up there in "Call Me Maybe" and finding out he was gay, it's no wonder she's having feelings for this guy. However they look like they make a good couple.
I like the different scenes how she's clubbing, how she becomes different people in the costume stages, as well as the ending where they jump into a pool, it's fun, it's different and it's crazy. A perfect moment as some would say.
A great song that didn't do as well as it should've done and an accompanying music video that fits well and I have no problems with, it may not be as funny as "Call Me Maybe" or lust-loving, but all her videos can't be the same. Guess it's going to be hard for her to have a better video than that, one that people will remember.
