New Release: Klingande Featuring Broken Back - RIVA (Restart The Game)



Definitely one of the most disturbing music videos I have watched recently. Klingande follows up "Jubel" with this powerful song, yet the video concerns me and definitely wasn't what I was expecting, since house music usually isn't in depth as this.

Klingande, real name Cédric Steinmyller, is from France. The name means chimes in Swedish. Originally Klingande was a duo, consisting of Edgar Catry as well, and although they remain best friends, it wasn't working. Their debut single was "Punga" but it was the second single "Jubel" that became a hit, after Cédric went solo. I am excited to see where Klingande will go next, this single doesn't look like it's going to chart well, here in the UK, but there's always time. Written by Cédric Steinmyller, the song is powerful, something I would listen again and again, it has already charted well in other countries. The featured guest is Broken Back, real name Jérôme Fagnet (which took me ages to find his last name). He is a singer songwriter, also from France. He has released a few songs, but this is what will give him his spark of fame, what he does with it, time will tell.

Two directors for this video: Johan Rosell and Michael Johansson. Strictly narrative, the actors display a cult, one that includes a death sentence, how everyone is still alive I do not know.

They love making wine and drinking it, clearly. They throw parties, and people pay the ultimate price if they have not collected enough berries.

The little girl, at the very start, prepares to run away, but then she has a change of heart and wants to take someone with her, who we can presume is her mother. Only she is betrayed, and we see clips of her final moments as they get ready to burn her alive.

In depth and kind of shocking, something I really wasn't expecting. Considering all the releases this week, I struggled to find a music video to review. This seemed to have been the only one, and yet I'm grateful this had a video at least, even if it did surprise me.
Buy on iTunes

Taylor Swift - Tim McGraw



Taylor Swift's debut music video and single becomes my revisit this week. As a true swiftie, I do miss her country music, however I still love how far she has come and her most recent albums are my favourites. I have not seen this video before today, and it's a typical country debut video, nothing I didn't expect and no surprises, Taylor Swift has definitely upped her game since this,

Taylor Swift is an international superstar, and if you haven't heard of her, please curl back under your rock. This song is crisp, clear and engaging, just Taylor Swift and her guitar, and compared to "Blank Space" really proves how her musical journey has evolved. Written by Taylor Swift and Liz Rose, it was never officially released in the UK, much like her most recent singles as well as many other US country artist's singles. The song is about Drew Dunlap, who was her boyfriend at the time and he was leaving for college and she wanted to capture the emotion of losing him into a song. It's catchy just like all the other songs she has sung, and filled with such emotion!

Directed by Trey Fanjoy, the video narrates a relationship between Taylor Swift and this guy, Johnny, played by Clayton Collins. They do things together, but mainly spend time together, and you can tell they really really like each other, definitely the point what Carly Rae Jepsen is singing about in "I Really Like You".

I like the starry night sky watching. That is something I'd really like to do, but the UK is just too cold on a night out. I also don't hold a boyfriend long enough to arrange such a thing.

There is a slight performance side, which as usual shows Taylor Swift's emotional side, yet it looks so effortless here that the song has totally taken over.
Buy on iTunes

Taylor Swift - Blank Space



Grab your passport and my hand, I can make the straight guys gay for a weekend. This is the sentence I have to nail every time I hear this song. The video resembles a mix of Avril Lavigne's "Let It Go" and P!nk's "Please Don't Leave Me". Quirky and narratively fun, something I don't mind watching again and again, and Taylor Swift is looking damn sexy, even when she's crying.

Taylor Swift, country singer turned international pop star, was lining the way for country here in the UK, yet she's dropped all ties to her first few albums, no more "Love Story" or "Mean" or "Teardrops On My Guitar", yet she still manages to make powerful emotional songs that you can't help but love. Written by Taylor Swift, Max Martin and Shellback, it's no surprise that this is a hit, just look at those songwriters' backgrounds. Taylor Swift takes a dig at the media with the song... Pretty sure Britney Spears have done that a few times "Piece of Me" and "I Wanna Go" amongst others. Blank Space only charted at number four in the UK, as no official single was released. This is what annoys me the most as a swiftie (Taylor Swift Fan), at least give us a UK single release too, could've scored a number one with this song.

Linking in well with the song, the video, directed by Joseph Kahn, contains both narrative and performance. In her performance side she's sexy, entertaining, emotional and full of passion. She really proves her acting skills in both parts of the video and you can't help but be drawn in.

The male lead is Sean O'Pry, who is a model. I really believe Taylor Swift could've found someone better. He looks good, not going to lie, but he fails to be as captivating as Taylor Swift is, and it brings the video down, just slightly.

I like how they go from being a couple, to Taylor Swift becoming a maniac and an obsessive freak, it suggests that that is what the media is portraying her as, only she's heightened it a lot more and put her own spin on it. A perfect video, one that everyone is watiching again and again, hence the YouTube views.
Buy on iTunes

Carly Rae Jepsen - I Really Like You



I had to review this music video, especially since I saw Carly Rae Jepsen live at an acoustic gig along with a meet and greet, read all about it here. With an extreme comedic effect this video got everyone talking, and they're still talking about it now.

Carly Rae Jepsen came third on the fifth season of Canadian Idol. It's taken her some time, but now she has definitely reach international fame. She hit charts all over the world with "Call Me Maybe" and this song was set to do exactly the same, with it catchy chorus, yet failed to become as big of a hit, only reaching number three in the UK. Written by Carly Rae Jepsen, Jacob Kasher Hindlin and Peter Svensson, it's an emotional song announcing that you really like someone, but it's still too soon to say I Love You.

Peter Glanz directed this video, and he has done a good job, however I do have to mention that Tom Hanks lip-syncing isn't exactly perfect.

Tom Hanks looks like a father figure to Carly Rae Jepsen in the video, and it all came about because he is friendly with Scooter Braun, Carly Rae Jepsen's manager, this also explains why Justin Bieber appears at the end of the video too, although I give him kudos for not taking centre stage of the video. Also making appearances are Vine stars Rudy Mancuso and King Bach.

Tom Hanks attempts to be down with the kids, being able to text using emotions, taking selfies, being on tinder, and clearly being able to follow choreography, although his jacket does not help to prove he can dance, he should've lost that jacket for the dance scene.

Overall amazing video, one that has got everyone talking, which has a fantastic song to go with it. Definitely as catchy as "Call Me Maybe" if not more, and was so good to hear live too, blog post about that can be read here.
Buy on iTunes

Chart Mondays: Pia Mia Featuring Chris Brown & Tyga - Do It Again



Since Justin Bieber is still at number one with the amazing "What Do You Mean?", I can review any song in the UK's top 10. It's Pia Mia everybody! Currently at number nine on the UK chart. This song is such a hit and is definitely a tune when I'm out clubbing. The accompanying video is so annoying, it's supposed to be sexy and engaging, yet it's easily forgettable and just falls to the bottom of the music video heap. It's all the cameraman's fault during the choreographed scenes and the final scene too, no one could have salvaged this.

Pia Mia, real name Pia Mia Perez, was born in Guam, and will probably have a long-lasting career. Her problem in the UK is that she has come out at the same time as Natalie La Rose, who is on top of her game, and her most recent video "Around The World" puts this video to shame. The song was written by Pia Mia, Jerry Afemata, George Veikoso, Nic Nac, Marc Griffin, Tyga and Chris Brown, it came from when J Boog performed in Guam and Pia Mia went to see him live and loved his song so much she remade it into this hit. The collaborators heard the song and asked to be featured on it, which is definitely an honour. Pia Mia has everything going for her, but her next few singles are going to have to be crucial, or she could end up being a one-hit-wonder, which we definitely don't want to see.

Directed by Colin Tilley, who has a vast amount of experience when it comes to directing videos, he has some amazing ones, such as Rita Ora's "Body on Me" as well as JLS's "She Makes Me Wanna", this video seems a mess and not only is it unmemorable, it fails to engage too.

It makes sense why the editor used most of the scenes of her performing on the beach singing the song, Pia Mia can definitely sing and give an emotional performance.

She can clearly dance too, yet the camera is shaking a lot and constantly moving. This is the why Natalie La Rose looks amazing and on point in "Around The World" and why Pia Mia looks sloppy, out-of-sync and unsure of herself. Yet we can tell this has nothing to do with her but more to do with the cameraman.

Chris Brown and Tyga, the latter's real name is Michael Nguyen-Stevenson, both feature in the song and video, although their dress sense isn't really the most fashionable thing around, I wouldn't be seen dead in that, and I would probably laugh inside at such a dreadful clothing outfit if they had walked past me. However, they attract attention straight to Pia Mia, which is probably the idea.

An extremely catchy song that definitely gets me on the dance floor in any club. Yet the video fails to stay in my memory, and what should have been an amazing dance choreographed sequence not only falls short but isn't even good. This should've been a lot better.
Buy on iTunes