Critic Jonni

Songs I Can't Listen To - Neon Trees |

Back to YouTube recommendations and the thumbnail made me pick this one, obviously. Neon Trees has always been a band we are all aware of, but they haven't quite had a hit. This song is full of emotion and it really does make you think. It's so sad it didn't become the hit we all needed. The music video is cute and just as emotional, although it doesn't come off real instead it's quite awkward. Watch Neon Trees perform, as frontman, Tyler Glenn, takes on one of the lead roles in the narrative storyline about a gay relationship that falls apart, in the music video for "Songs I Can't Listen To".

Neon Trees are a four-piece American rock band consisting of Tyler Glenn, Chris Allen, Branden Campbell, and Elaine Bradley. The band dropped their debut single "Animal" back in 2010 and it has been one of their biggest singles to date, as well as "Everybody Talks". This song is their most recently released single, which was a non-album single, way back in mid-2015, so I guess it's good to presume that they have plans to release a new single and album soon, if not this year then surely next year. This song was written by Tyler Glenn.

Directed by Rebecca Thomas and co-starring actor and model Dustin Lance Black as the love interest, the music video has both a narrative and a performance piece shown throughout. We watch Tyler Glenn sing this song, thinking about the past memories, the ones shared with Dustin Lance Black and the ones where he's single and alone.

The narrative shows Dustin Lance Black and Tyler Glenn listening to a song together, then shots of their loving relationship unfolds between our eyes, then the fights and the arguments follow towards the end of the video, and we can see that Tyler Glenn is singing this song because he's thinking of Dustin Lance Black, knowing that he can't listen to the songs they listened to together as it reminds him of their time as a couple.

Luckily, I haven't been able to hold a boyfriend long enough for this to happen to me, and I'm dreading the day that it does. Occasionally Tove Lo's "Talking Body" makes me think of boyfriend number one, and any song of Tulisa's, mainly "Sight of You", makes me think of boyfriend number two, but it's not to the extent where I'll stop listening to them because of it. It's just a slight reminder, but I don't feel loss at all, I am better off without them, and they only lasted a week and a half each so it wasn't a big impact on me. I shall continue to listen to those songs, and I do.

My problem with this narrative is that we don't see them kiss, it's not even properly implied, with it being cut here and there. It's always awkward when they draw in close, and I feel like it comes across as bad acting because it doesn't feel real whatsoever. Many people believe the reason is because Dustin Lance Black is the fiancé to Tom Daley. Yet, I feel the music video lacks integrity because of it.

Then there's the performance piece, which Neon Trees totally smash. Tyler Glenn is quite the performer and anyone is lucky to see them live in concert. The rest of the band is just as energetic, channelling the vibes coming from Tyler Glenn and releasing them on the instruments. This is one of the best performance pieces in a rock music video, for sure.

Overall, the video on paper should be amazing, it relates to the song perfectly and keeps the viewers entertained from start to finish. In visual, this is not entirely the case due to the plenty of awkward scenes between Tyler Glenn and Dustin Lance Black. This should've been a perfectly polished music video, but it just falls short. I also don't get the moment when they lose gravity and are suspended in air, did the soundwaves from the record really fling them into the air? That's a confusing scene for sure.

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My Blues - Greta Salome |

She's back with a brand new music video that features The Mountain. This is exactly what we needed and it's completely catchy. Although, I was kind of expecting The Mountain to break out in song throughout. Regardless, Greta Salóme totally makes up for it with her fired-up vocals. Watch Greta Salóme work out with The Mountain, showing that her vocals aren't the only fierce thing about her in this music video for "My Blues".

Greta Salóme, full name Greta Salóme Stefánsdóttir, first came to my attention at Eurovision 2016, when she, unfortunately, didn't make it into the Grand Final with "Hear Them Calling" whilst she represented Iceland. I'm not sure what went wrong as that song is a killer. Regardless, she has continued to release music and she is constantly proving that her vocals are intricately amazing. She also, previously, represented Iceland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2012 alongside Jónsi with the song "Never Forget", she did much better back then, placing 20th in the Grand Final. This song is her most recent release and is probably my favourite song from her ever; it's infinitely catchy and seriously tests her vocals, which she nails throughout.

Directed by Ásgeir Helgi Magnússon with Nazar Davidoff acting as director of photography. The video features The Mountain from Game of Thrones, who is played by Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson. It is set in a gym, as we watch The Mountain and Greta Salóme train together.

We see them work out on a few things, including chin-ups or pull-ups, weight lifting, sledgehammer training, and tyre flipping. The best is the push-ups where Greta Salóme can be seen doing push-ups on The Mountain's back as he does push-ups at the same time - you can see his strength as she attempts to stay on his back. The ending is hilarious.

There's not a lot else I can comment on with this video, although it's intense throughout and gripping as a viewer. It's interesting to watch them work out together and watch their relationship unfold in the video, they get on so well.

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Ed Sheeran is still obliterating the UK chart, two weeks on the trot. It's all because he released his new album almost three weeks ago, yet it's still dominating the UK Singles Chart, with nine songs in the top 10.

As I explained last week, the inclusion of streams into the UK charts has become the most annoying this about the chart, since the top 10 rarely changes week on week, with some prolific stars not getting a look in at all. This has ruined the chart recently, and they really need to decide what they are going to do about it, as they can't keep going on as it is.

Ed Sheeran's Facebook Cover Picture

I reviewed the album for Outlet Magazine, adding my own streams to this chart, but my one stream of each track clearly combined with everyone else's which made this impressive album get an equally impressive chart record.

Here's the current UK Top 10 Singles Chart:

1) Ed Sheeran - Shape Of You

2) Ed Sheeran - Galway Girl

3) Ed Sheeran - Castle On The Hill

4) The Chainsmokers & Coldplay - Something Just Like This

5) Ed Sheeran - Perfect

6) Ed Sheeran - New Man

7) Ed Sheeran - Happier

8) Ed Sheeran - Supermarket Flowers

9) Ed Sheeran - What Do I Know

10) Ed Sheeran - Dive

Love You Like That - Canaan Smith |

I've had quite the country music listening weekend this week, and my iTunes decided to play this song randomly from one of my many owned country compilation albums, and I'm so glad it did because it's one of those effortlessly catchy country songs that we'll never forget. On first watch of the music video it made me cry, I want someone to love me like that, someone who will make me pack up and leave for good without a care in the world; I think we all want a guy like that, right? Watch super hot country music artist Canaan Smith serenade a city girl in this music video for "Love You Like That", that inspires her to actually stick around.

Canaan Smith is a Nashville, Tennessee male country music artist, who has only recently came into prominence. This song is his biggest hit to date. In 2009, before he became a country singer, he took part in the 15th season of The Amazing Race, where he and his 'newly dating' girlfriend - Mika, came seventh. He broke up with Mika at the Elimnation Station and went on to marry Christy Hardesty. He went on to release a debut album in 2015. Canaan Smith is currently on his Back For More tour in the UK, but his already performed in my home city and I didn't even know. I'll have to try and catch him the next time he visits, because I need to hear this song live. I hope he is planning on releasing new music soon, and I'm sure a bigger hit than this one is prepared to be released in the future. This one was written by Canaan Smith, Brett Beavers, and Jim Beavers.

Directed by Marc Klasfeld, this music video shows Canaan Smith's loving marriage between him and Christy Hardesty. That's right, his real life wife plays the love interest in this music video; no wonder their passion for each other is astronomical - enough to make us all jealous.

A performance piece and a narrative combined together, this music video has it all. Canaan Smith is proving that a country boy can be so much more romantic than any pretty city boy.

It's clear that Cristy Hardesty is visiting him, and he shows her around, whilst spending intimate moments with each other. At the end, tears did fall from my eyes due to the overall sweetness of the cute ending; as if, she decides to put her car up for sale and stay with Canaan Smith. Although, we totally don't blame her, we would be doing the exact same.

As for the performance scene, Canaan Smith shows why he is worthy of being on a stage. He gives off perfect country energetic vibes, and it's clear this song is close to his heart. I'm excited for any new music he might release, but for the time being I shall explore his other songs and start to listen to him more.

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Yours If You Want It - Rascal Flatts |

Taking me back to the days when I used to work for a well-known fast food restaurant, the Rascal Flatts' new music video for their most-recently released single is a very loved-up cute visual. This is exactly what we needed to see to restore humanity's ideology on love. It's quite the flip to the song I've had stuck in my head all day, which was Cassadee Pope's "Piano", but since she never released a music video for it, I came across this other country song instead, and I honestly like the Rascal Flatts' a lot, so this was the next best thing. Watch the Rascal Flatts' perform in an American diner, while we watch a loving relationship visual play out in the "Yours If You Want It" music video.

The Rascal Flatts are a country trio consisting of Gary LeVox, Jay DeMarcus, and Joe Don Rooney. They are one of the biggest country music acts in America, who has had occasional success internationally, notably with "Bless The Broken Road", "What Hurts The Most" (a cover of Jo O'Meara's "What Hurts The Most", later covered by Cascada, also titled "What Hurts The Most"), and "Backwards". They need a massive international hit, but it's hard to send country music outside of America and Canada, it's not impossible, but it's just completely rare. If others can do it, then the Rascal Flatts can too, it's only a matter of a time. This song is completely lovely, but it's just that. It's the first cut from their new album titled "Back To Us", which sounds like the album we all cannot wait to hear. The song was written by Andrew Dorff and Jonathan Singleton.

This song and music video is in honour of country music songwriter Andrew Dorff, the co-writer of this song, who passed away last year. The song is full-on country, just the way we like it, allowing Andrew Dorff's legacy live on, as Jay DeMarcus stated in a Rolling Stone interview.

The video was directed by Billy Zabka and has two parts, a full-out narrative and an energetic performance piece. The narrative stars are actor Kevin Farley and actress Kristy Swanson. Kevin Farley plays a customer at an American diner, whereas Kristy Swanson plays a waitress in the said American diner. Both stars are well known from various films and TV shows, hence why you may recognise them.

The narrative unfolds seeing Kevin Farley asking Kristy Swanson out on a date after her shift. The story continues with some incredibly cute loved-up moments, some we'd love to have ourselves one day. We even see him propose to her. All before returning to the American diner, finding out that it was all a daydream.

Luckily, that isn't how the narrative completely ends. Kevin Farley's current girlfriend tells him to hurry up, and Kristy Swanson gives him her number, letting him know that she is actually interested in him. Could that so-called daydream have been a premonition of what is to come?

As for the Rascal Flatts' performance, it links in perfectly with the narrative, as the trio are acting as the part of the restaurant's staff. Gary LeVox, the vocalist and frontman, can be seen flipping burgers and singing the song under his breath. Jay DeMarcus and Joe Don Rooney also take part in the narrative as well, with individual slight scenes.

Their performance of the song, is completely energetic, as usual, with their constant positive vibes. Imagine seeing this trio live on stage - that would definitely be one night we would never forget. However, there is too much focus on the narrative and not enough showcasing the performance piece. There is much more that could've been done with this music video, and it's just missing that oomph, that special something that can be seen within most music videos.