This is later than anticipated, and I'm sorry about that. Yesterday, I was in A&E at the hospital, getting checked over. I believed I was close to having an asthma attack; instead, I was told that I have a chest infection. I am now on tablets for the next week or so. I have changed the date of this blog post to New Year's Day, even though, technically, it's the 2 January today. But, shush, I won't tell anyone if you don't.
Guess what? Last year, I decided that my New Year's Resolution would be to blog every single day of 2016. I DID JUST THAT! And when I was ill or away from home, I did some catch-up blogs so that I was back on track. I actually can't believe I managed to review a music video once a day for the whole year. This is the first time I've ever accomplished that!
Now, it's time to reveal some of my plans for this year.
Obviously, the main thing is to write a music video review a day, much like I did during 2016. However, there are plenty of other plans I have in store.
1) Start up Artist Of The Month once again. This is an important part of my blog, I just wish it was as easy as it sounds.
2) Easier navigation to your favourite artists. This will allow you to see all the blog posts about your favourite artists' music videos. At the moment, I haven't got much navigation apart from New Releases and Chart Mondays, but I am planning to change that.
3) Exciting new pages will entice you to explore my website a bit more; as well as, links to the other websites that I post articles on, as I don't advertise them enough on here.
I hope you all had a good Christmas and New Year. If there's a music video you want me to review, feel free to suggest it to me on my Suggestions Page (I had no suggestions this year); or, alternatively, get in touch on Twitter or Facebook; I love to chat with you guys.
If there's one song on the radio that keeps capturing my attention, it's this one. It's full of so much positive energy, enough to make me love the song, that I'm glad to hear something so loving and positive being played often. Robbie Williams has always been someone I haven't been keen on, and then being a student in Stoke-on-Trent - his hometown - had me disliking him more as they blasted out his songs in clubs. I just can't dance to any of his songs, no thank you! Anyhow, this one is a grower of a song, and I'm not the only one turning to liking the song. As for the video, it's another one that throws shade to paparazzi. Robbie Williams walks on the beach and on the road surrounded by girls with cameras shooting his every look, mood, and move, in this video for "Love My Life".
Robbie Williams is one of the biggest UK male artists in the country. He has several number ones under his belt and is constantly popping up on TV. He was originally a part of boy band Take That, before pursuing a solo career. He has made his name with so many songs, that it's a surprise he never made it big in the US. He is totally a household name, and his success is unbelievable, but considering how catchy most of his hits are, it isn't all that surprising. This is his new song, it was previously sung on The X Factor a few weeks ago, but it didn't chart so well. However, with extended radio play and the catchiness of the song, it has been climbing. The song was written by Robert Williams, Fiona Davies, and Johnny McDaid.
There isn't a lot going on in the music video, and there certainly isn't much to it. People have suggested that the budget was blown on his previous music video, "Party Like A Russian", and so it's not a surprise that this one has a low budget.
It was filmed at Leysdown Beach on the Isle of Sheppey. It's quite dreary and wet which exactly explains the British weather.
There's various girls surrounding him as he walks along the beach and the road. The camera switches from one girl to another. At times the footage is blocked by another girl, filming. At other times, Robbie Williams isn't singing whatsoever, which suggests they haven't got good footage of that particular lyric.
As a whole, it feels like a total low-budget music video, one that college students would make. I have actually seen better college student music videos. This is slow and boring, and Robbie Williams doesn't look like he is loving his own life, especially at that moment. He's slightly rigid performing this song, maybe he's freezing on Leysdown Beach; it does look cold. Either way, he should still look like he's having a great time.
As for the girls, they imply what his life is like. Everyone has a camera nowadays. He can't go anywhere without being snapped. It's been his life since he was young, yet he is loving it nonetheless. It may have tainted him in the past, but, now as a much older man, he has learned from his mistakes and he loves where he is now. Such a positive song that I'm glad it's getting the recognition it deserves. I just wish there was a much better music video.
Why is it that every time this Friday comes around, usually the last Friday of the year, there is no new releases? How am I supposed to write a music video review on a new release, when no songs are released. It has taken me all day to find this one, and the song has been out as part of an EP for months, but the music video is new, so it counts in my world. This group first came to my attention due to Disney's Descendents Christmas Holiday EP, where they contributed a Christmas song. Since then I've been aware of their music. I think I kind or remember them on The X Factor (US) but I'm not so sure. They have released an EP and various singles. In this music video for "Compass", Forever In You Mind perform in a forest. Looking cute and sexy with their amazing vocals, they prove that they deserve to be in the music industry.
Forever In Your Mind are a three-piece boy band consisting of Emery Kelly, Ricky Garcia, and Liam Attridge. They were formed on The X Factor (US), back then Jon Klassen was a part of the group, but he left the band and was replaced by Liam Attridge. They made a name for themselves by mixing up songs in a medley; most famously they mixed up Disney Channel songs, which was later included on a Disney Channel album. They recently released their debut EP, and it looks like they are gaining quite a popular fan base. I cannot wait for what the future will bring for them. This song, "Compass", may seem quite simplistic, but the guys manage to fill it with passion and add perfect power and gorgeous harmonies. Forever In Your Mind will be part of a new Disney Channel TV series for 2017, titled "Forever Boys". Could they be the next Jonas Brothers?
The music video isn't anything massively entertaining. As much as we all wanted the guys to be in sailor outfits heading out to sea, much like the song suggests; the visual has chosen to be more performance-based, allowing Forever In Your Mind to show off their stage presence.
They obviously gel well as a group, and they certainly get on, but that could be due to Liam Attridge and Emery Kelly being cousins.
The group have fought to get to where they want to be, and it's probably been quite a fall not getting through to the live shows of The X Factor (US), but with the help of their fan base and Disney Channel, they will manage to prove their worth and the terrible mistake Simon Cowell made by letting this group go.
There's not a lot else to say about this. I would have preferred a more choreographed scene, just to pull them closer together in their shots, and definitely a narrative. Yet, they show their energy and their ability to show their emotion for this song, it clearly means something to them. The future is definitely bright for Forever In Your Mind, and I cannot wait to see what they release next. I also hope their Disney Channel show becomes a success.
This is my revisit this week, although I found it extremely difficult to choose one of George Michael's old songs, mainly because there has been so many. I chose this one because I actually think this song is amazing, even if it is a cover version. This was definitely an iconic duet at the time, and it works so well. It's such a shame that George Michael has passed away, but his many hits will live on. Watch George Michael and Mary J. Blige perform in a club surrounded by doppelgängers, which version of themselves is actually them? This "As" music video is brilliant.
George Michael, real name Georgios Panayiotou, unfortunately, passed away on 25 December 2016. I reviewed "December Song (I Dreamed Of Christmas)" as a tribute to him, but thought I might as well review another of his as I have the chance. He's recent releases have done all right, but haven't been as much as a success as his early career was. He didn't release quite as much or as often as he used to, which is why I never really got into his music, you could say he was before my time. The same goes for the person who he collaborates with on this track; Mary J. Blige has had a lengthy solid career and is another star who has proved herself within the music industry. Much like George Michael, her recent releases haven't faired so well, although she has released a lot of music recently, which is a contrast to George Michael. This song was originally a Stevie Wonder song and first appeared on his album "Songs In The Key Of Life". It only charted in the US. It was this collaboration that brought the song success worldwide. It was written by Stevie Wonder.
Directed by Big TV!, which consists of film directors Andy Delaney and Monty Whitebloom. The video is amazingly thought out and must've taken quite some time to edit and create.
It's a performance based music video with a running narrative throughout. The start sees George Michael walking into a club. When he finally gets there, we see many doppelgängers of himself. This is my kind of club, I'd so be chatting up myself throughout the night.
When Mary J. Blige comes in, there is also a lot of doubles of herself too. It's impossible to keep track of the original them as they all each take a part, even in the background.
It's a total clever music video, especially as the dancing kicks off and with them sitting down. It's one of those videos you're more than likely going to miss something, and so on second watch, you see something new. There's not enough going on, they could've made it a little more interesting and relatable to the song, yet, visually wise, this is amazing!
Well, anyone who has followed my Eurovision Special would have realised that this is from the wrong year. The thing is Måns Zelmerlöw hasn't released an official music video to "Heroes"; unfortunately, there is only a lyric video available. So that left me a little unsure of what to do. Then I remembered Jamala had released this video for her winning entry from Eurovision 2016, and I've been trying to find the time to review it. So today is as good of a day as any, but the today is the best day because it totally completes all my Eurovision blog posts. Watch Jamala perform "1944" amongst an intricate contemporary dance that raises goosebumps and gives chills. Absolutely amazing.
Jamala, full name Susana Jamaladinova, has released a lot of songs and albums. She has really embedded herself as a confident professional singer with amazing vocal ability. It's not much of a surprise that she did well in the contest, and she managed to win it even when the top was very competitive. She won the Ukrainian national final, after initially tying with second place. She represented Ukraine and won with 534 points. Due to a change of the points system, this marks the highest score of the Eurovision Song Contest, ever. There was controversy over the fact that she won because Australia won the jury vote, and Russia won the public vote; Ukraine came second in both and with a combined total, Jamala won overall. The song also gained a lot of controversy due to the potential political content of the song, however the Eurovision Broadcasting Union looked into this and claimed that the song didn't contain any political speech and therefore ruled that the song doesn't break any of the Eurovision rules. Jamala's song tells a story and it really packs a punch, definitely a worthy winner in my books. The song was written by Art Antonyan and Susana Jamaladinova. The song is in English and Crimean Tatar.
Directed by Anatoliy Sachivko, who was also the choreographer for this video; the music video interprets all the emotion Jamala expresses into the song, into an emotional contemporary dance that completely flows and presents the song in the most beautiful way.
Jamala proves that she can dance too, throwing in her ability to perform this song with full emotion. The video was set an abandoned military base: Pamir. Which is on top of Tomnatik mountain.
The weather plays an important part of this music video, I love the rain effect on the camera, as well as the tornadoes that affect the people dancing.
It's all shot under an undue expectation of emotion. There's dark depths to this video and the visual shows it off perfectly. The choreography is amazing and all the dancers manage to stand out and prove their worth.
There's not much else left for me to say. It's quite a battle, one they obviously can't beat and yet they show a strength in unity. It's completely intricate and easily displays the emotions found in the song.
