I swear this is a music video I have already reviewed, yet it's not on my blog at all, so I'm guessing it's just one of those where it was so popular that I thought I had reviewed it, but clearly I haven't... So here goes... Time to go Glamorous with Fergie and Ludacris, a perfect hook and a catchy song, the music video is the embodiment of a glamour, sexy, stylish, money, power, stardom. What more do we want?
Fergie, real name Stacy Ferguson, dropped this amazing song in 2007, hence why I'm reviewing it as my Thursday Revisit, after her new release "M.I.L.F. $". The song charted well globally, but missed out on the top five in the UK by peaking at number six. This is the song that got me into Fergie in the first place, I already was obsessed with her as I was obsessed with the Black Eyed Peas, in which they were on hiatus at the time, but it was this single, this song that made me buy her songs, and I haven't looked back since. Ludacris, real name Christopher Bridges, features on this track. He hasn't exactly done well in the UK, two top 20 singles and a few songs in the top 100, yet featured wise, he's had a range of hits and two number ones. On this song, his rap is a bit before it's time, and is on point for the song. It was written by Stacy Ferguson, Jamal Jones, Will Adams, Elvis Williams and Christopher Bridges. Highly personal, and really hits home, she's made it big but she's real.
This jam-packed music video was directed by Dave Meyers and launches into a life in the world of Fergie, fictional and yet oh so real.
The video starts off at a party with Fergie and Polow da Don back in 1994, who produced the track as well as new single "M.I.L.F. $". We are then launched into the present where we see her life now as a high profiled celebrity and singer.
Various scenes follow: She's in a jet with a flight attendant played by Freddy Rodriguez, where she is seen watching the Black Eyed Peas music video for "Pump It"; then in a limo with some friends going through a drive-thru of Taco Bell (we presume from the lyrics), which she also did back in the 1990's only with a mustang instead; then a movie scene, reminiscent of Bonnie and Clyde, only it's called Glamorous, Ludacris appears in this scene and does his rap; Fergie goes behind the scenes of the movie shoot and thanks her fans in her lyrics for making her famous as the stylists get to work; one more scene of her as a young girl and her daddy telling her what the showbiz industry is like; before ending at the 1994 party, which has scenes that include Alfonso Ribeiro, Polow da Don, apl.de.ap and Cypress Hill.
The entire music video is a flawless example of how to get five stars from me. Perfect in every way. A performance piece turned into a complete narrative, linking in certain lyrics with certain scenes and some great translations from song to video. What is there not to like?
Emblem3 and Fifth Harmony were always the two groups who battled it out, they both started out on The X Factor US, and then later they were competing for chart numbers. Emblem3, at one point, were doing better than Fifth Harmony, but that soon changed, leaving this group broken, especially when a member left, but he returned and they have come back stronger than ever with this catchy new tune! Emblem3 bring the summer with this skater anthem that is bound to get stuck in your head by the end of the summer.
Emblem3 consist of Keaton Stromberg, Wesley Stromberg and Drew Chadwick. They hit it big in 2013, just out of The X Factor US, they managed to get on the billboard hot 100 at 93 with "Chloe (You're The One That I Want)". However it wasn't meant to be and with Drew Chadwick leaving, the group went on an indefinite hiatus, but guess things worked out for the better in the end, because they are back stronger than ever. This song is from their third EP titled Waking Up.
This music video is a typical summer video that you expect from a boy band, only proving they can skateboard and drive cars while they are singing.
It's fun, hot and relaxing, it's so nice to see them all get along well, and it's interesting to see how far they will go this time around.
The guys are looking hot and sexy, although their style needs to be drawn in some more. The skating appeals to young teenagers who are into that thing, and yet they aren't looking like a group that guys look up to, and girls scream at, not just yet anyway.
Summery and catchy this is a song that you need to have playing over the summer, and yet there's nothing that interesting in the accompanying music video. Apparently former member Kyle Miner appears in the video, adding a bit of nostalgia before Emblem3's audition on The X Factor US. It's just the average summer music video though, with nothing interesting, although the love interests are way out of their league, just saying.
Eric Saade is back with this amazingly emotional video which features Gustaf Norén, this Swedish superstar has already done well in his career so far, but now he needs to make it big internationally, having already had a few hits in his home country, he hasn't been getting the chart hits he clearly deserves over there. Eric Saade stuns in this emotional narrative of this song, highly personal, he can't stop thinking about this girl that is keeping him Wide Awake, so he wrecks the caravan, featuring Gustaf Norén.
Eric Saade has recently dropped his EP with this song and his other recently released songs, in promotion of the new album that is expected to be released this week. He originally was in a band called What's Up!, he later went solo and has had two number ones in Sweden, these are "Manboy" and "Popular", now he has gone down a more mature route releasing songs that are highly emotional and much more personal. He attempted to represent Sweden in Eurovision 2010 with "Manboy" but came third overall in Melodifestivalen 2010. The following year he won and "Popular" became Sweden's entry to Eurovison 2011, where he came third overall. He attempted to represent Sweden again in 2015 with "Sting", but he came fifth in the final of Melodifestivalen. The featured star is Gustaf Norén, who is just kick-starting his solo career after being a founding member of rock band Mando Diao, he left the group last year after being with the band since 1999, he was one of two frontmen. He adds flavour to this highly emotional song which was written by Eric Saade, Gustaf Norén, Vikor Norén and Joakim Andrén.
Directed by the artist himself, Eric Saade manages to make this entire video personal, both on screen and off screen. With that emotional link to the song, it's no wonder he managed to create such a great video.
Who doesn't want to wreck a caravan in pain? Eric Saade clearly brought up all the feelings about this song and unleashed it on the caravan perfectly. Wrecking the place with anything he could get his hands on before burning it to the ground.
There are various performance scenes, some of which are in black and white making this even more emotional. Eric Saade performs with his usual style, but Gustaf Norén really outshines, he stares at the camera sultrily, working the camera as he sings.
Overall a faultless music video, that engages and works perfectly, however there's no sign of a love interest and so the audience wonders who they are singing about, but great work, and I can't wait to see what Eric Saade brings in the future, especially with his new album about to drop soon.
The amazing dance duo is back, this is exactly the sort of songs that I love to hear from Rihanna as dance music suits her voice perfectly and it's clear she loves singing these sort of songs. With Drake still at number one with "One Dance" which marks it's twelfth consecutive week at number one, my Chart Mondays review is open for the top ten again, although a music video for "One Dance" is on it's way, it has yet to be released. This one is currently sitting at number four on the UK chart. Rihanna performs perfectly in rag-like clothes that she easily pulls off, loving her life in a visual cube box as well as out of it. Calvin Harris' This Is What You Came For shows the Rihanna we all know and love.
Calvin Harris, real name Adam Wiles, is an inspiration to us all. He's one of those rare acts that have built his name from scratch. This Scottish DJ has worked and worked and worked to become this international star, and it has definitely paid off. Calvin Harris will always be setting the charts alight. He collaborates, once again, with Rihanna, real name Robyn Fenty, who has also worked hard to get to where she is now, yeah she may have had a few hit singles when she started, but she made a name for herself by working hard, she wouldn't be here if she didn't. This song was written by Calvin Harris and Nils Sjöberg.
Directed by Emil Nava, the music video is exciting after seeing the cube box and hoping for an extremely visual music video much like Sergey Lazarev's "You Are The Only One"; yet it doesn't work as perfectly and what could have been amazing, falls flat.
Some perfect projected images and video used works really well, and at times it is visually amazing, but the cube fails to work the way we all had hoped, so they switch it up, focusing on Rihanna alone.
Rihanna shines throughout, she clearly loves EDM, house and dance music. She's having so much fun recording the music video, this is the sort of music she enjoys. It's enlightening to see her so happy performing.
Her style is somewhat disappointing, yet she seems relaxed in this rag-like costume, like it's something she wears around her house and pulls out of her wardrobe often. She pulls it off as if it was meant for her, it probably was to be honest.
Overall, the cube fails to work out the way we had hoped, and Sergey Lazarev's "You Are The Only One" really puts this music video to shame in comparison. However, Rihanna's performance is infectious and some visual scenes are on point. They made it work, but it is somewhat lacking.
The video and song everyone is talking about, this is the lead song from the Star Trek Beyond soundtrack. Rihanna has been working on it for at least two years as far as we know, and this is the outcome. She claims to have been a fan of the Star Trek franchise since she was a child and it's a part of her childhood, so it's no wonder that she would want to become involved in the new film in one way or another. Rihanna becomes an alien or extraterrestrial up in her own planet, creating small magic that has us wishing we had her powers. This hypnotic music video for Sledgehammer puts us all in a trance-like state.
The film hasn't even been released yet and this music video is out, but Rihanna, real name Robyn Fenty, as ever, surprises us all. The film is expected to be released at the end of this month, which is when I expect this song will rise quickly in the charts, much like P!nk's soundtrack single "Just Like Fire" did when Alice Through The Looking Glass got released. Rihanna's new single doesn't interest me all that much, she has stepped away from the style of music I loved from her, "Don't Stop The Music", "Umbrella" and "Shut Up And Drive" seem like light-years away, especially in comparison to this which definitely has a Beyoncé 2016 feel to it. It was written by Robyn Fenty, Sia Furler and Jesse Shatkin.
Directed by Floria Sigismondi, the video really captures the loneliness of a person on a planet all by themselves. It was shot through IMAX cameras, the first music video to entirely be shot using these cameras, it probably looked amazing at IMAX cinemas and theatres.
Rihanna transforms herself into some sort of alien, some out of this world being that has magical powers that I'm pretty sure we would all die for. However, she isn't looking all that appealing, but I guess we're used to that with anything from Star Trek, it's more geeky than sexy, and Rihanna pulls it off perfectly.
There isn't much else to add to my review of this music video, there are some magnificent visual concepts and scenes, but none defining or developed enough for us to fully embrace it. This is one of those videos that you will either love or hate, and it totally relates to Star Trek, something I've never managed to get my head around.
