Anyone who keeps an eye on my articles on CelebMix will know how obsessed I am with Alex & Sierra, this song is just perfect as well as the rest of their album which they released this week. I feel I have exhausted every word I can possibly use for Alex & Sierra because they are that good! I'm just glad they chose this song as the first promotional single because this is their audition song for The X Factor (US). Alex & Sierra are "Toxic" to each other in this music video as they hauntingly twist the song and it's meaning into something sexy, sultry and hypnotising.
Alex & Sierra consist of Alex Kinsey and Sierra Deaton. They won the final season of The X Factor (US), which wasn't at all surprising, even though it was a stiff competition that year, they were clearly a favourite. They went on to release an album and a few singles in America but didn't release internationally, and so this album 'As Seen On TV', without the influence of Simon Cowell, is their first release in the UK, and we are loving it! Soulful throughout, flipping songs we all know on their head and making them sound amazing, totally making them their own and fitting them nicely with original songs, it's an album you need in your life. This song is a cover of Britney Spears' "Toxic" and was written by Cathy Dennis, Christian Karlsson, Pontus Winnberg and Henrik Jonback. Alex Kinsey and Sierra Deaton has additional writers Mikal Blue and Johan Lindbrandt in their version. They have totally transformed this song and made it their own.
This music video was originally released on Yahoo Music but later appeared on YouTube. Even without the music, you can literally tell that they've switched the song because of the slow dance and the whole visual. There's a deeper meaning to this Alex & Sierra version and it's so intricate.
The main performance piece is sweet, it's clear these two know how to perform. They would definitely be amazing to see live, they work the song to their advantage and there's such a beautiful chemistry flitting across the air between them as they sing.
There's a slight narrative as they are dancing. Alex & Sierra start off in white clothes, but as they start to dance they leave black handprints on each other's clothes, which soon intensifies like some sort of poison or toxin.
By the end of the video, they are wearing black clothes, signifying that they have transformed into something else and still love each other. This reminds me of a typical relationship where people fight but become stronger because of it. Even though they may be considered bad for one another, they fight through it and become something so much more and better.
What's not to like about this music video? It shocks and outstands us and we can't help but love it. It is toxic in its own right, it infects me and I just end up loving this new version of this song! There are a few times the song lyrics don't match up in time with Alex & Sierra singing, but it's hardly noticeable. There could've been more of a narrative too, but it's still on point throughout.
I do not support James Arthur whatsoever. But it's Chart Mondays, which means I have to review the music video to the number one single in the UK, It just so happens to be James Arthur at the top spot, and he actually has a music video! This makes a change since for the past few weeks the top spot on the UK singles chart hasn't had a music video. Anyhow, here we are and here James Arthur is, so let's get this done. James Arthur sings "Say You Won't Let Go" in a relaxed performance piece whilst we watch relationships and friendships during the narrative side of the video.
James Arthur, winner of The X Factor series nine, he went on to have a few hits before his attitude ruined everything. Twitter was James Arthur's downfall; after a homophobic comment went viral online he made an official apology on The X Factor stage, but it didn't stop there. There were more Twitter spats which soon had Simon Cowell dropping James Arthur from the Syco label, but in a controversial twist, he has once again been picked up by Syco and this song is at the top of the UK charts now. The song was written by James Arthur, Steven Solomon and Neil Ormandy.
Directed by Felix Urbauer, the music video has a narrative and a performance piece. It is completely in black and white.
The narrative is botched in places making it difficult to follow and difficult to understand, there are so many so-called memories throughout, but the overall picture is showing love and friendship. It's definitely sweet and lovely, very relatable to the song which is also upbeat and cute.
The performance side is lacking. James Arthur puts so much emotion into the song, that he doesn't quite show that emotion in the visual aspect of this music video. The song means a lot to him, you can really tell that in his amazing vocals, and yet he isn't giving the audience anything in the music video.
There's nothing else to really comment on. This just doesn't quite accompany the song the way we had hoped. The narrative is all over the place and totally difficult to follow and understand. The performance aspect isn't entertaining enough whatsoever.
One of the world's much-loved Swedish artists about at the moment is Zara Larsson. Now she's going for a global career and "Ain't My Fault" should be the start of that, she just needs to be careful, because she's at the point in her career where everything can just disappear in a few seconds. It's happened to many artists before her, hit songs are all okay as long as you continue to release one after the other after the other. This song faired well but it's a rocky ledge to be sitting on right now. Zara Larsson entertains in this sexed-up music video for "Ain't My Fault" that is completely polished it hurts. Choreography on point as well as her performance vibes. She's ready for global stardom!
Zara Larsson came to fame globally thanks to MNEK collaborating with her on track "Never Forget You". This launched her around the world, where her previous song "Lush Life" started to gain traction. Next, Tinie Tempah snapped her up for song: "Girls Like" and that was it, she was famous. David Guetta then grabbed a collab on song: "This One's For You", but it didn't do as well as her other songs globally, and now this one isn't proving the success they were hoping for. The reason being is her diversity. Zara Larsson is doing something no one else is doing in the music industry at the moment. Her songs are completely unique, and that is a risky business but one that will surely pay off. Let's be honest, her international album, which she is working on, will be perfection personified. With "Lush Life" and "Ain't My Fault" as lead singles; her album is what we need in our lives right now! This song was written by Uzoechi Emenike (MNEK), Zara Larsson and Markus Sepehrmanesh.
Directed by Emil Nava, the video is a pure performance piece with Zara Larsson really getting into this sexy role. It's definitely a side to her that we've never quite seen before. In her previous videos, it's been natural beauty, this one seems like she's trying too hard; however, she gives as good as she gets and really owns this style in some scenes.
In certain scenes she's relaxed and it works but in others, there's a complete disconnect. This is what loses the audience. On the other hand, her choreography is pulled off perfectly, although simple she's in time with her backing dancers and she's having fun.
There is a potential chance of a narrative as we see an ex-lover tied up and dangling from the ceiling. He soon disappears off-screen and is all but forgotten. Again, Zara Larsson hints at a narrative but doesn't give us one; this happened in "Lush Life".
There's not a lot to say about this, Zara Larsson struggles to adapt to this sexy version of herself. She seems awkward as if she doesn't really know how stunningly beautiful she really is. This video would've worked if she had more confidence; in parts she has it, but in others she's lost. It's a great song but there's just a distance in the music video that fails to keep the attention of the viewers.
When this was released last week, I knew it I'd have to review it at some point. Thing was, when I was able to review it, I was writing up an album review for Outlet Magazine. I was pretty much done reviewing Shawn Mendes by that point and I needed a break, regardless of his amazing vocals and songs, I just couldn't put myself through that. However, now I'm ready and this is definitely one of my favourite songs from his new album! In a split music video between narrative and performance, Shawn Mendes starts to drown inside a car as he struggles to get out. With a great performance piece proving his instrumentality, we're definitely giving him some "Mercy".
Shawn Mendes has really become this magnificent male artist over night. "Stitches" climbed up the chart slowly but surely in one of the most phenomenal climbs in the UK chart history, where he finally reached the top spot. It has been a similar case with a few of his songs, but then again it shows how catchy they really are. This song has "Stitches" elements to it, yet it's much more slower and more of a pop-ballad, yet totally strong. The song was written by Shawn Mendes, Teddy Geiger, Ilsey Juber and Danny Parker.
This music video was directed by Jay Martin, and as I said before, it consists of both a narrative and a performance piece, which usually adds up to an amazing music video, and this is sure as hell what this is.
Although basic and simple, what with Shawn Mendes slowly descending into a sea of water. Obviously, every girl and gay guy are commemorating whoever came up with this idea because a wet Shawn Mendes is an extremely hot Shawn Mendes!
The car symbolises the girl he's singing about, it suggests that he's drowning and she's not giving him mercy and so he can't get out, but finally it gives way and he swims to the surface. Totally relatable to the song, yet so simplistic. It's perfect.
The performance side shows that Shawn Mendes is a one-man band, he can literally play an assortment of instruments whilst singing. But, boy, he's not just singing, he's putting so much emotion into this song and the performance of this song, that as an audience we feel him right in our hearts. He means every single word he is singing, and we can see that. Even in the narrative piece of the video, he sings the song like his life depends on it like his heart is calling out for mercy. He's such an emotional performer and singer it's a gift we're glad to receive both visually and aurally.
This is a faultless video, it may be simple, but who needs chaos in something so authentically good? The song has so much emotion, and Shawn Mendes transcends that right into the music video. There's not a lot else for me to say. I just hope his next music video is just as good because he never fails to knock it out of the park.
Totally cheating using this as my New Release this week since it was released on Tuesday, but still it counts and I am totally in love with this amazing song! I previously reviewed this for CelebMix. This is the first Antonia song I've liked a lot, but I haven't heard many of her others yet. Label mates to my favourite singers in the world, Inna and Alexandra Stan, Antonia is set for big things. Antonia dances through this music video with Achi, she wants everyone to "Get Up And Dance" in this catchy song.
Antonia, full name Antonia Iacobescu, is a Romanian singer, she previously lived in the US and has had a successful modelling career. This is clear in this video because she is looking gorgeous throughout. She made a name for herself on the Tom Boxer hit "Morena" and then later had a solo hit with "Marabou". She hasn't quite made it as big as her label mates, but she's always been there, people know who she is... She just needs a worldwide hit, and the path she's on now with a good solid song like this one could possibly turn her into the worldwide success she deserves. She looks like a star and her voice is magnificent! Here comes Antonia, keep your eyes on her! Featured on the track is Achi, real name Octavian Petre, has previously worked with Marius Moga and is definitely an up-and-coming Romanian singer. This song was written by Lucan Vlad Octavian, Petre Ioachim Octavian, Chiosea Marian Florian and Paul Maracine.
Directed by Spike, this music video is a performance piece with an editing twist that prevents it from being boring. Instead, it makes it much more entertaining and visually amazing.
Antonia is stunning in her three different costume changes, she could literally wear anything and pull it off like it's nothing. She shows her dancing ability and her on-stage presence, imagine seeing Antonia live, now that'll be one heck of a show! She's relaxed in this video; she clearly loves this song.
Achi fares well in the video too, performance vibes bounce off him like this song is his tune. He's also relaxed; also clearly loving this song.
The editing team did an amazing job on this. It's stylish, current and it's entertaining. This is flawless in a performance-piece styled video. This is how they should all turn out!
What more can I say or comment on? This is a great complete package, it's simple but amazing to watch. This song is a banger of a tune that will totally be played at any parties I hold. Although I don't approve of the Lipton advertising, totally out of place!
Can you believe it's been five years since Ariana Grande released her first ever song and music video? This means she can appear on my blog again this week for my Thursday Revisit. This is the song a video Ariana Grande hates, she calls it the worst moment of her life, and you can definitely see why. Ariana Grande asks you to "Put Your Hearts Up" in the air, whilst doing heart hands and turning the street into a musical. Totally over the top and way too cheesy.
Ariana Grande became well known for playing Cat Valentine on Victorious, which then lead to a spin-off show called Sam & Cat. This was her debut single, back in 2011, and many fans have said that this reminds them of Cat Valentine and that she was just acting in this entire music video. It is extremely cheesy. Ariana Grande has described it as 'bubblegum pop' and that that genre is not her. Personally, it's more 'cheesy pop' than anything else since 'bubblegum pop' has come a long way compared to what it was, just check out Alexandra Stan's "Cherry Pop". This 'cheesy pop' song has been taken off Ariana Grande's Vevo account as she hates it so much! This was supposed to be the lead single from her debut album, but "The Way" replaced it and this song is all but forgotten about now. This song samples 4 Non Blondes' "What's Up?". It was written by Linda Perry, Martin Johnson and Matt Squire.
Directed by Meiert Avis and Jeremy Alter, the music video feels like it's straight out of 'Hairspray'. It's over the top cheese, with extra on top, just to make sure. No wonder Ariana Grande hates this.
There's a full choreography part, that Ariana Grande pulls off like we totally expect her to, although the ending clips show that she did actually mess it up a little bit. Totally in sync with the dancers, who totally bat out this dance sequence like it was made for them.
It's quite cute as a complete package, but there's not a lot to comment on, and Ariana Grande does not suit this pink dress whatsoever. This is not great to watch compared to how far she's come and how polished her music videos are right now.
One of my favourites from the Eurovision Song Contest 2014, but that is mainly because I've supported Ruth Lorenzo since she appeared on The X Factor in 2008. She scored 74 points for Spain in Eurovision 2014, where she placed 10th. I have and will continue to support Ruth Lorenzo, and I hope that new music will be on the way soon. In this video, Ruth Lorenzo gives a great performance piece as well as showing off her skills in "Dancing In The Rain" with Giuseppe Di Bella.
Ruth Lorenzo was a part of the fifth series of The X Factor, where she placed fifth overall. She competed in Mira quién va a Eurovisión, Spain's national selection process. She came joint first with Brequette who sung "Más (Run)", but Ruth Lorenzo won overall because of the public vote, which prevails over the jury vote if there is a tie. She went on to release her album Planeta Azul, which was then re-released as a special edition with additional tracks. She later took part in Tu Cara Me Suena (the Spanish version of Your Face Sounds Familiar) which she won. Hopefully, new music is being created and a new album will be out soon, well that's what I'm hoping for. This song was written by Ruth Lorenzo, Jim Irvin and Julian Emery.
Directed by Paloma Zapata, the video is a pure performance piece, showing how amazing Ruth Lorenzo is live; if only I got the chance to see her again on stage. I last saw her at The X Factor tour, but I was very far away from the stage.
This song shows off her powerful voice, yet the music video doesn't quite portray the amazingness of her vocal cords. On the other hand, it does show off her dancing ability.
Giuseppe Di Bella and Ruth Lorenzo shine in the dance scene. They pull off the choreography flawlessly, which definitely isn't easy when they are dancing in water with spray coming down on them. Ruth Lorenzo is clearly having a ball of a time, getting soaked with Giuseppe Di Bella.
As a complete package, this video is stunning in its own way. However, it lacks engagement from the viewers, with nothing to keep us interested, as such. It's not something we'd particularly repeatedly watch. Therefore it comes off average, yet the song is amazing and deserved better than 10th place, although the 2014 Eurovision Contest was extremely competitive.
First off, Justin Timberlake is the thumbnail for no reason whatsoever, this needs to be corrected, although I suppose it's giving this already popular song more hits than usual, but still it's misleading. THIS IS NOT A JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE MUSIC VIDEO! Just wanted to clarify that. This is a James Morrison and Nelly Furtado song and is still being played on the radio today. James Morrison sings in a room whilst Nelly Furtado watches through a one-way mirror before their amazing electric voices blow objects up in the room; breaking guitar strings and heart strings.
James Morrison, real name James Morrison Catchpole, was one of the biggest British male singers back in the mid-00's, having a hit with "You Give Me Something" before this one became his bestselling hit. He has a Brit award and he has sung with the likes of Jessie J and Jason Mraz. He's still releasing music, but he's fairing much better in the Netherlands than in the UK. Featured on this track is the stunningly beautiful Nelly Furtado, who was also at the height of her career in the mid-00's. This song was the Olly Murs & Demi Lovato's "Up" of the mid-00's... Nelly Furtado is also still releasing music to this day but has yet to have another global hit after the amazing "Maneater". Yet with those vocals and her gorgeous style, I bet she could easily make a comeback. This song hit number two in the UK, beaten to the top spot by Lady Gaga's "Just Dance". Itwas written by James Morrison, Fraser T Smith and Nina Woodford.
This music video was directed by Micah Meisner. Fully relatable to the song, the video is mainly a performance piece with a narrative built within. It reminds me of a cross between Nickelback's "How You Remind Me" and every video that has a wall to separate artists (there's been a lot of them so I won't type them all down).
James Morrison starts the song off in his room with his guitar. He's singing to himself in the mirror, as if he can imagine Nelly Furtado on the other side, maybe she is actually there or it's just his imagination.
Nelly Furtado jumps in with her amazing vocals, and their hands are touching on the one-way mirror. FUN COMPETITION: Nelly Furtado swaps hands for one short snapshot before switching to the original hand. Find it and either Tweet, Facebook, Instagram me or comment below the time or a photo.
This inconsistency is surprisingly annoying. Like seriously? How do you miss that? It's not okay, it really isn't.
Luckily we're distracted by the amazing song. Objects blow up in James Morrison's room as they are connecting hands on the one-way mirror. Towards the end, they fix themselves and the room is just normal again. Nelly Furtado is gone for good. It's the same as heart strings when they are broken, they learn to fix themselves and the heart heals; it becomes stronger.
This song is completely powerful, yet the video is just as powerful. Back then this was a strong music video, and it completely relates to the song. Usually, that inconsistency would knock a star off my rating, but I can't bring myself to do it because this video is amazing!
I've been waiting for this one, seeing it rise on the UK Chart, and just hoping it would appear in the top ten. There were only two choices for me this week... James Arthur's "Say You Won't Let Go" was the other option. It was beaten to the top spot by The Chainsmokers & Halsey with their song "Closer", which doesn't have a music video. As much as I don't want to review a James Arthur video, I may have to in the next coming weeks if it stays in the top ten, or climbs up to number one. For now, I shall avoid it as much as possible as I am not a fan at all of James Arthur. Luckily, this is my Chart Mondays review. Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj work "Side To Side" in the sauna of a gym, amongst hot static guys. Ariana Grande even works out in sync on some bikes in this sexed-up music video.
Ariana Grande is the person on everybody's lips, the singer everyone is watching because she's batting out hit after hit after hit. She first appeared as Cat Valentine in Victorious. She has fully left acting behind as she has quickly made her name in the pop world. Now there's no stopping her, the future is bright for Ariana Grande. This song features Nicki Minaj, another solid singer in the music industry. Her real name is Onika Maraj, and practically everyone knows who she is. She labels herself as the 'Queen of Rap' in this song and she pretty much is, let's be honest. These two singers have worked together before, with Jessie J on the song "Bang Bang". This song was written by Max Martin, Savan Kotecha, Alexander Kronlund, Ilya Salmanzadeh, Ariana Grande and Onika Maraj.
Directed by Hannah Lux Davies, it's no surprise that this is a high-quality music video. It's so thought out and extremely suggestive, especially since the song is about soreness after sex, according to Ariana Grande.
We start off with Ariana Grande and her dance troupe on bikes after a slight scene of her staring into the camera. The girls perform on the bikes, pulling off the dance routine in-sync; the choreography is well thought out and is performed to perfection. They have put a lot of effort in preparing to pull this off and it works perfectly.
The other big scene is the sauna room, where Nicki Minaj has her rap. Her and Ariana Grande are stylish and are clearly having fun and a bit of a mess around, these two clearly get along easily. The male dancers are extremely static, and although that pushes all the attention to the two singers, more movement would've been much more interesting.
There's not a lot else to say, the shower room scene is extremely steamy, and Nicki Minaj knows how to capture the attention, but that's nothing new. As a whole, it's solid and relatable and definitely full fire. The song is a massive catchy song, that will no doubt continue to rise on the charts globally.
Still reeling from the party last night, this song was stuck in my head when I woke up this morning, and I had to review the music video. This is another dancefloor filler, that you can't help but sing-a-long to. It's undeniably catchy. I never knew who it was by until I looked it up, and I'm surprised this is another song that hasn't made an impact on the charts worldwide and is yet the song we hope to hear in a club. Beenie Man and Fambo are living it up in a club, clearly drinking rum and Redbull amongst other drinks in the video, and they're totally okay.
Beenie Man, real name Anthony Davis, is a Grammy-award winning Jamaican reggae singer. He is mostly known for his 2004 hit "Dude" that features Ms. Thing and Shawnna, which hit number seven in the UK. Yet, it's this song we want to hear on the dancefloor. At just ten years old, he released his first studio album back in 1983; he has gone on to release 19 more albums and has totally proven himself as a recording artist. This song is the first in a string of singles that aren't part of an album; it was released in 2010. Featured on the track is Fambo, real name Warren Williams, who is mostly known for this hit. He has been in and out of the music industry for a while but has definitely built his career for himself.
Directed by Janelle Dyer, the video is low quality and quite old-fashioned, and yet it's viewable.
The speech bubbles are a total distraction, they don't last long enough on the screen, so it's difficult to read them in time. They don't blend enough with the visual and are totally out of place. Although it may have seemed good on paper, it doesn't work at all and cheapens the whole video.
There's not much else to comment on. There's an amazing dance scene where dancers show off their skills in a circle of bystanders. More focus on this would've been great; instead, the video flits between the club and Beenie Man's performance piece.
The performance piece is filled with energetic vibes, but there's just not enough substance to his performance. He's very relaxed, he's totally made a name for himself and he knows he has. Arrogance comes from him easily but he works it well as he sings the song.
Overall, the video is nowhere near as great as the song is. It's not on the same level at all. It's dodgy, low quality and totally uninteresting. Beenie Man and Fambo do their best to draw the attention back to the video, but their performance pieces aren't enough to keep us engaged.
I've been at a 21st house party today, and this song came on and I knew I was going to review the music video for it. This song is a jam whenever it comes on in a club; clearly, they didn't think it would blow up as big as it did because the budget was definitely low in this music video. Pushing that aside, it has a great storyline and the performance side isn't so bad. Serani tells his girl that he is playing "No Games" as he stands by her after she finds out she's pregnant.
Serani, real name Craig Marsh, has released a bunch of singles and albums, but this song is the one that has really blown up around the world. This song is the dancefloor filler in any club, with everyone singing along to the lyrics, even if they don't actually know them properly. Surprisingly, he hasn't hit the UK chart with this song, regardless of its popularity, and hasn't hit the Billboard chart in America either, instead settling on other charts in America, such as Billboard's Heatseekers chart, where he got to number 46. It's disappointing to see a very popular song not hit the big time on the charts, but all it takes is someone to cover it on a TV show to boost it up the chart, that's going to happen sometime. This song was written by Dave Antony Kelly and Craig Marsh.
The music video is definitely low budget, but it has a strong narrative with a pretty solid performance piece. If only it were more of a higher quality.
The narrative is completely relatable to the song, and although it is extremely basic, it's easy to get caught up in the storyline. I love how she panics when she finds out she's pregnant, and she runs away, but he doesn't mind. It doesn't bother him because he truly loves her. How he found out where she was staying, though, I have no idea.
The performance side is energetic. It's clear he means every word he is singing; the song is catchy and I can't help but sing-a-long; after all, it is the dancefloor filler we all know and love.
Overall, if this video was of a higher quality then this would look so much better. The narrative is simplistic but completely relatable to the song. Serani gives out great performance vibes that entertain the viewers. What more can we possibly ask for?
Another single off Aston Merrygold after many push-back dates from his album. This JLS singer isn't having the best solo career, but with this killer song he may have had the breakthrough he's been hoping for. This former JLS member shows us his dancing skills in his new music video for "I Ain't Missing You". Aston Merrygold is ready, are you?
Aston Merrygold, mostly known for his time in the boy band JLS from The X Factor, was the guy who always took the lead vocals in many of The X Factor performances, but it wasn't until the group started to release their own music that they really found their sound. JLS were the runner-up to Alexandra Burke in the fifth series of The X Factor. They went on to achieve five UK number one singles and their three studio albums were in the top three, their debut album hit number one. Ever since the split, Aston Merrygold's solo career has been hyped to the max, but soon dissipated as his singles didn't achieve the success that was anticipated. Now this song may out-do his previous attempts, especially with his album just around the corner, that's if it doesn't get pushed back again. The featured artist is LDN Noise, a producing and songwriting duo consisting of Greg Bonnick and Hayden Chapman, they are definitely making a name for themselves in the music industry and are definitely ones to watch.
This music video is a full performance piece with a slightly undeveloped narrative at the start, that sees Aston Merrygold step out of a car and strike a match before dropping it on a bag of things, presumedly things of the woman he's singing about. He's saying goodbye, because he ain't missing her.
The performance part then kicks in, and it is LIT! Seriously, I knew Aston Merrygold could move, but wow! He pulls off that choreography like it's nothing, along with his backing dancers. Fully in-sync and totally on-point, it's pretty magical.
The scene is filmed awkwardly as the camera pans in and out during the dance scene, making a less enjoyable viewing, however, it can be ignored as you see these amazing dancers perform.
Overall, it's good, but Aston Merrygold has always had a slight arrogance in the way he comes across, you can see this when he's dancing, ready to show the world what he's got and be slightly cocky with it. However, I can't blame him for that, because although the narrative is more suggestive than developed, and the performance is a bit on the cocky side; this dance sequence is perfection. I just need to learn the choreography now!
What have I just watched? Apparently, they're daggering, which is a Jamaican style of dance, but still, this is not what I expected when I clicked on this song. Chosen for my Thursday Revisit review, because I didn't have much choice, and I actually wanted to see what Major Lazer was like over five years ago. This is definitely far from their number one single "Cold Water". However, Beyoncé did sample this song, therefore making it famous, for her "Run The World (Girls)". The video is quite shocking. The dancers show a Jamaican dance form initiated in Jamaican dance halls which has recently been named daggering. "Pon De Floor" takes it to the extreme in this music video by Major Lazer.
Major Lazer were a duo back in 2009 consisting of American DJ Diplo and British DJ Switch. This single is the only song that charted when they were a duo, managing to get on the UK chart. Definitely different now as a trio, their more recent music is much more popular. This song features vocals from Vybz Kartel and producing credits from Afrojack. This song was written by Thomas Pentz, David Taylor and Nick van de Wall.
Directed by Eric Wareheim, this video is extremely surprising and I certainly wasn't expecting to see over-the-top daggering. People complain about seeing twerking, but once you have seen this, twerking will be a distant memory.
Performed in a cartoon suburbia, in amongst a cartoon house, it's quite cleverly done, but it's not something I would like to see again.
Even though this dance move isn't a Jamaican tradition, the concept came from Jamaica and the song has a daggering feel to it and therefore relating to the song somewhat.
However, this is totally over the top, it's too much at times, and can be considered tongue-in-cheek and yet it looks quite degrading.
All in all, the video has a narrative although it doesn't make sense at all... The dancing is relatable to the music video but it isn't that great to watch and not something I recommend watching on repeat.
Finland brought a bit of rock back to the Eurovision Song Contest again in 2014. Finland is renowned for their rock contributions to the Eurovision Song Contest, after all, Lordi did win with "Hard Rock Hallelujah" for Finland back in 2006. Softengine managed to get 72 points, placing Finland 11th in the Grand Final, just missing out on the top ten, but as I've said time and time again, 2014 was a competitive year. A pure performance based music video for "Something Better" from Softengine, showing the energy they have on stage.
Softengine were a five piece rock band at the time of this music video, consisting of Topi Latukka, Ossi Mäkelä, Henri Oskár, Tuomo Alarinta and Eero Keskinen. The band is currently a four-piece rock band, as Eero Keskinen left the group to follow his career as a lighting technician. As a four-piece, they have gone on to release an EP and some new singles; apparently, album number two is just around the corner. This song was well received at Eurovision 2014. It was written by Topi Latukka and Henri Oskár. The band competed in Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu 2014, the national selection for Finland's entrant into the Eurovision Song Contest 2014, and they easily won.
The music video is a pure performance piece. I don't usually have a problem with these sorts of videos, as long as they're good, but Softengine fails to excite the viewers. Considering they would perform on the Eurovision stage, a pure performance-based video isn't exactly great promotion for the song.
There's not an awful lot to say about this video. The band seem quite static as the camera spins around them. The low angles fail to capture the audience in, and doesn't make for a pleasant viewing.
There's nothing else I can comment on. This video doesn't draw the audience in and they performed so much better on the Grand Final and the Semi-Final than they did in this music video. It's just not engaging enough.
Ever since this song was announced as their next single, we've been waiting for a music video, and it's been such a long wait. But the Olympics have finished and here's the video, and it was definitely worth that long wait! A total relief after waiting so long for Major Lazer's "Cold Water" and being disappointed; but Fifth Harmony has made us completely forget about "Cold Water" and totally smashed this video! Fifth Harmony appear in a post-apocalyptic world and attempts to save everyone, whilst performing this strong and empowering track. "That's My Girl" is a true sign of girl power!
Fifth Harmony is one of the biggest girl groups in the entire world at the moment. Formed on The X Factor (US), and much like One Direction, they came third in their season; they have become world renowned. They consist of Normani Kordei, Lauren Jauregui, Dinah Jane Hansen, Camila Cabello and Ally Brooke. They're currently on their 7/27 world tour, promoting their second album. This single is their third single overall, and may be their last from the said album. Girl power and totally empowering, this song is beyond strong. It was written by Tinashe Kachingwe, Alexander Kronlund and Lukas Loules.
Now this music video is FIRE! The director is Hannah Lux Davies; so, of course, it was going to be FIRE! This is one of the best Fifth Harmony music videos I have seen.
Interpreting the lyrics into a whole difference imagination, this music video goes a lot further than we initially thought it would. The song itself is about independence and being strong, encouraging their fans to be determined and do what they want because they can do it and they certainly don't need a man beside them.
So how this song turned into a post-apocalyptic video, about strength and caring, I do not know, but let's be honest this is completely amazing, especially with everything going on in Syria at the moment.
The girls wave white flags in the air in a brilliant dance sequence that they nail, before saving the survivors and rescuing them. They then dance with red flags in amazing choreography, they're totally in-sync throughout.
The girls are perfect throughout. Their performance vibes are totally off the radar, if you've ben lucky enough to see them live like I have, then you'll know how amazing they are, just like they are in this video.
Overall this video has it all, a relatable strong narrative all infused amongst various performance pieces that contain amazing choreography which is performed flawlessly. These girls are already one of the biggest girl groups in the whole world, but this song and video just enforces that even more!
Finally, it's released and it's still in the top ten. Currently at number one is The Chainsmokers and Halsey with "Closer" which doesn't have a music video as of yet, so it's opened the top ten of the UK chart for my Chart Mondays review, and this time I've chosen this former number one. Four women dance in different serene locations along to "Cold Water", unfortunately, Major Lazer, Justin Bieber and MØ do not appear.
Major Lazer are an electronic trio consisting of Diplo, Jillionaire and Walshy Fire. Originally founded by Diplo and Switch, the latter left in 2011. Now Major Lazer is one of the biggest names in the electronic genre. Having worked with a number of prolific stars, there is no stopping this trio. Featured is the unstoppable Justin Bieber, who's new music got the world turning into fans. He dominated the UK chart, and he did it once again with his collaborations. As for MØ, real name Karen Marie Ørsted, she's been trying to make an impact on the world for a while, but with the help of Major Lazer, she's managed to come into her own. This song was Major Lazers' first and currently only number one, but I'm pretty sure it won't be their last. It was written by Ed Sheeran, Benjamin Levin, Karen Marie Ørsted, Thomas Pentz, Justin Bieber, Jamie Scott, Philip Meckseper and Henry Allen.
Directed by Matt Baron; the video features four dancers who are Helen Gedlu, Jaylene Mendoza, Sara Bivens and Andranita Smith-Shannon. This is a music video we have been waiting months for and this is the outcome? Like, really?
There is nothing to this video, I don't see how it's relatable in any way, the choreography is interesting, and yet doesn't interpret the song the way we hoped it would.
The dancers dance, but there's nothing special about the moves they are doing, the camera fails to draw in close enough to watch them properly, and occasionally the camera angle doesn't do the dancers justice.
Lighting effects are intricate and yet fails to engage the audience. This is not what we were expecting at all, especially when we've been waiting months for this, it totally doesn't make up for the wait.
This music video could be paired with any song and it wouldn't make much of a difference. The song is infectious, but the music video leaves a lot to be desired and although the setting is beautiful, there's nothing to this video.
According to the Official Charts Company, this song was released this week, and so I watched the music video on Friday, prepared to write up a review of the video. Later I find out it was actually released 9 September according to Amazon and iTunes. Instead, I reviewed the VAMPS feat. Chris Motionless "Inside Of Me", and thought I'd review this over the weekend. Ady Suleiman brings a reggae ballad to groove along to as you see his amazing relaxed performance in this "Wait For You" music video. He is definitely one to watch.
Ady Suleiman is a new guy on the scene, he is putting a whole new spin on reggae music, making it popular and interesting again. He's track "Running Away" was well received, and he's only becoming more and more popular. This song is his follow-up single, we hope a full album is within reach. This track is a perfect song to listen to in the car, gentle and honest, it's flooded with emotion.
Directed by Calmatic it is a pure performance piece showing Ady Suleiman's energetic performance vibes, which is so relaxed it makes me want to go to see him live.
This reggae ballad looks like it's reacted well amongst the extras. The audience are clearly loving the song and it's so groovy and catchy you can't help but like it.
The video itself has a filter over it to make it look quite old, definitely respecting the good times when reggae was extremely popular, yet transpiring it into today's era. Ady Suleiman is certainly making it popular all over again.
There's not a lot else to say about this, but it does make Ady Suleiman look genuine and caring, which he no doubt is in real life. The video shows what he is like live, and as a performance piece, it shows him in a good light.
This video was chosen thanks to YouTube suggestions, sometimes I use it for ideas when I can't think of a video. This time, I used it because I feel like I'm filling up my blog with female singers and I need some more variety. Now I've found Rayvon Owen, and he is my new gay male singer fix. Whilst Steve Grand is away, hopefully working on album number two; and Troye Sivan is doing his own thing, I needed someone new to fixate on... Well here's Rayvon Owen. This music video is known as Rayvon Owen's official coming out story telling the world that he's gay. He watches Shane Bitney Crone from afar before taking a risk and making a move. Confident people always get what they want and therefore it should always be rewarded in my book.
Rayvon Owen came to prominence in the 14th season of American Idol. He managed to get to the final and finished fourth overall. The music video acts as his official announcement that he's gay. He has had an all right career since American Idol, but clearly, this video has helped to promote him as an artist, and hopefully it's the start of some great things to come because that voice is beautiful.
Directed by Justin Clough, the video features actor Shane Bitney Crone as his love interest as well as actress Halle Huff as the best friend. It is both a narrative and performance music video and is definitely the complete package.
The narrative is interesting, a lot of shots of Shane Bitney Crone and Halle Huff, at times it's more focused on her than anyone else, which is slightly misleading. Yet, when watched again, she's obviously the best friend and they are clearly talking about Rayvon Owen.
I love the slight nod that Halle Huff does to Rayvon Owen towards the end, it's definitely something you would expect a best friend to do, and my friends have certainly done it for me a few times. However, Rayvon Owen has a lot of confidence. he goes after Shane Bitney Crone. This doesn't happen to me, my best friends try to usher someone over but I have to be the confident one.
The performance side is amazing, this guy has perfect energy. He would be amazing to see live, that is for sure.
As for whether he needed a coming out video, in a day and age where it shouldn't be a problem.... That is open to interpretation. Personally, I think people in the public eye have a duty to become gay icons, someone others can look up to. As Rayvon Owen said: "You’d be surprised at the amount of times I tried to pray the gay away from me or tried to tell God to take this away from me. No kid should have to do what I did and pray to not be who they are. That’s why I think it’s important even in 2016 to say this." The fact that kids can look up to him and have the confidence to come out and be proud of who they are is amazing. I didn't have anyone to look up to when I was younger, and every gay guy on TV, in music, or elsewhere were slated by my friends and family. Having someone to look up to and encourage people to be happy with who they are is genuinely a needed thing in society.
Overall, this video has everything, including a sensual gay kiss at the end which is so great to see. Such a happy ending in this gay music video, which is usually difficult to find. Rayvon Owen and Shane Bitney Crone are now officially a couple and they definitely look cute together.
Do not confuse this rock band with the popular British pop/rock group The Vamps, they are totally different! Something new and something different for my blog, as I have recently been filling it up with a lot of pop music, it's time for a bit of a rock review. This rock group come from Japan and are doing phenomenally great over there, In this video for "Inside Of Me", the VAMPS perform while motorcyclists run rings around them before everyone drops dead.
The VAMPS are a Japanese rock duo consisting of Hyde and K.A.Z. The former is the singer of the group and has even gone after a solo career, where he has released four solo albums so far. As for the latter, he is known for his work with bands Oblivion Dust and Speed Beaver as well as the VAMPS. They are a formidable talent in Japan, but international success is on the horizon for these two, especially with the collaboration of the frontman of Motionless In White. Featured star is Chris Motionless, as I've already stated, he is a part of the band Motionless In White, who are a gothic metalcore band from America. They have released three albums, with a fourth expected to drop in January 2017. The frontman was busy with the Warped Tour to appear in this music video, but just featuring on the track is promoting this duo. The VAMPS clearly have something going for them, especially as they are easily finding fans around the world, this song may not become the clear hit it deserves to be, but I expect a future hit may happen for this rock duo in the future.
This music video is a mainly a performance based music video with a subtle narrative throughout. Without the bikers, this would be good, but with them it's exceptional.
As a performance, the VAMPS smash it. Hyde's vocals are on form throughout and he takes the spotlight totally. He captures the audience in with his singing and his energy, but it isn't until we notice K.A.Z that something magical happens, as a duo they work amazingly together, and K.A.Z isn't just playing the guitar behind Hyde, he performs with it, and that is rare to find.
The bikers make this fast-paced song much more visual, It makes it more freaky and scarier, especially when they are circling the VAMPS, which is a scare tactic found in films and TV series. But I guess the VAMPS come out on top because these bikers messed with the wrong people.
A total high production and definitely relatable to the song. It's heart-racing in all the right ways, and the performance of the song is definitely exciting. This video works well with the song and has been produced and directed well. I think I've just found a new favourite rock duo.
It's Thursday Revisit day, so, of course, I wasn't going to miss out on my chance to review an old Melanie C song... As soon as I saw this title amongst her discography I just had to sing the song and therefore had to review it. It may not be the power club ballad that I remember, but nowadays the remix is played rather than this original song. Melanie C acts weirdly and scarily in this music video, her dancing is definitely not on point, but "I Turn To You" will continue to be a tune!
Melanie C, full name Melanie Chisholm, has come a long way from her Spice Girls days. Leaving Sporty Spice far back in the past, she has built up quite the career for herself, and her latest albums prove her vocal ability and range. This song may be her most recent number one, all the way back in 2000, but when you're an ex-Spice Girl, you don't need another number one behind you, all you need is to release music you love, and that is exactly what Melanie C is doing now. This isn't her only UK number one, she managed to get to the top of the UK Charts with her previous single "Never Be The Same Again" which was a collaboration with Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes. This song was written by Melanie Chisholm, Rick Nowels and Billy Steinberg.
This music video was directed by Cameron Casey and was set in Ibiza. She dances in a club as well as on top of a cliff face. That is really the whole video.
Not a lot to this performance-based video. Melanie C doesn't look all that comfortable dancing to her own song, with repetitive dance moves, it's clear she's unsure of what to do and how to perform this song.
Clearly, no dance choreography was given to her, so this is Melanie C freestyling. This is where the video fails as a whole because she isn't given any direction.
The club is quite freaky as if she's dancing above an alien spaceship. Some of the scenes are reminiscent of the Roswell TV series, so much so that the clips from the show could have easily appeared in this music video. But the song isn't a soundtrack song for Roswell; the song, in fact, appeared in the Bend It Like Beckham film.
Overall, there is a clear potential for a narrative that just doesn't follow through. Some clips look awkward and out of place, Melanie C doesn't look comfortable at all. It looks like a complete mess, however, it's edited well and the idea is thought out just not shown fully or followed through properly.
This is the second time these two have competed in the Eurovision Song Contest before, back in 2010. However, they did much better back then, than they did in 2014. Yet, as a collaborative effort, they work well together, and we can only hope that they continue to come together on some songs in the future. This act managed to score Romania 72 points, placing them 12th. In the video, Paula Seling and OVI play the piano in a flooded room, two dancers show their skills amongst the water, while Paula Seling hits that all important long note.
Paula Seling and OVI competed in the 2010 contest and came third with song "Playing With Fire", unfortunately this song didn't have quite the same reaction, but the 2014 contest was extremely competitive. Paula Seling is one of the biggest female Romanian singers, completely known in her own country, she has released a number of albums and singles. She has yet to crack the international market, although she is known among Eurovision fans, maybe she'll return again one year. OVI, real name Ovidiu Cernăuţeanu, is a Romanian-Norwegian singer-songwriter, producer and musician. He has had a successful career to date. His songs have been on-form and has managed to hit charts around the world. If he continues, he will definitely make a name for himself, if he hasn't done so already within his own country. To become the Romanian entrant in the Eurovision Song Contest 2014, they took part in Selecția Națională and won. This song was written by Ovi Jacobsen, Philip Halloun, Frida Amundsen and Beyond51. The song contains an extraordinary long note, which Paula Seling nails every time, not many singers could hold a note for that long.
Directed by Alex Ceauşu, the video doesn't have much to it. A complete performance piece with Paula Seling and OVI, both together and separately. As well as a dance sequence, performed in the same room which features dancers Judith State and Mircea Andrei Ghinea.
There is not much going on in the video, Paula Seling and OVI give out great performance vibes as they sing the song, but the dancers distract from their performance at times. However, when they're playing the piano, I lose interest and I focus on the dancers more.
The dance choreography is intricately amazing, although some sequences look slightly messy as if they didn't fully finish the sequence, or we're missing some choreography. It could be all in the way it was edited, because it's undeniable how great Judith State and Mircea Andrei Ghinea are.
As for the setting, I don't really get why it changes from a flooded room into a spring seasonal room. It's as if they were hoping it to be the big miracle reveal and it just fails to amaze us or interest us. It distracts the viewers more than anything.
Overall, there doesn't seem to be any link in with the song, and the choreography may be brilliant but doesn't reflect the meaning behind the song. Paula Seling and OVI performed this much better live on the stage than they did in the music video. Although as a whole, it's not too bad. This song was my favourite that year; I voted many times for them to win,
If someone had told me a year ago that Imagine Dragons would be teaming up with a bunch of rappers including Lil Wayne and fellow rock band X Ambassadors, I would've laughed in that person's face. This collaborative effort mixes indie and rock with extremely current rap and some old skool rap too, and it works so well! It was part of the Suicide Squad soundtrack, hence why there are clips of the film shown throughout. A big collaborative effort for this video set in Belle Reve. Lil Wayne, Wiz Khalifa and Imagine Dragons are in the DC prison with Logic, Ty Dollar $ign and X Ambassadors for "Sucker For Pain".
Lil Wayne, real name Dwayne Carter Jr., is one of the biggest prolific rappers in the world, having had many hits he has really made a name for himself. But I never thought he'll ever collaborate with an indie rock band! Imagine Dragons have come a long way since they hit the music scene back in 2012. They currently consist of Dan Reynolds, Daniel Wayne Sermon, Ben McKee, Daniel Platzman and Will Wells. The group have been doing well for themselves and will definitely continue to bat out hit after hit. Wiz Khalifa, real name Cameron Thomaz, needs no introduction since he is one of the biggest current rappers about at the moment and he will continue to impact the music industry in a big way. This song features Logic, real name Sir Robert Hall II, is fairly new on the scene, especially in the UK, with this song being the only one to chart over here, and yet his rap is so on point in this song that he definitely stands out. I'd keep my eye on Logic, he is bound to have a hit solo single in the future. Ty Dollar $ign is fairly new in the UK public eye, real name Tyrone Griffin Jr., he is mostly known for his collaboration with Fifth Harmony on "Work For Home", as well as featuring on Nick Jonas' "Bacon". He is definitely coming into his own as a rapper and people just want to work with him, and we can't blame them. X Ambassadors is another rock band and completes this collaboration. They consist of Sam Harris, Casey Harris, Noah Feldshuh and Adam Levin. They have had limited success so far and have collaborated with some prolific stars. This won't be the last we've heard from them. This isn't something we would expect, yet it works so well, especially as part of the soundtrack to Suicide Squad which also includes twenty one pilots' "Heathens". This song was written by Dwayne Michael Carter Jr., Cameron Tomaz, Sir Robert Hall II, Tyrone Griffin Jr., Ben McKee, Dan Platzman, Dan Reynolds, Wayne Sermon, Sam Harris and Alexander Grant.
Since the song is part of the Suicide Squad soundtrack, we totally expected to have scenes from the film intercut throughout and that is exactly what we got. Not only that, but it's set in Belle Reve, the DC prison. The concept can also be seen in twenty one pilots' "Heathens".
Linking in well, the artists are all performing in various contained cells. A full performance piece throughout that really showcases each of the singers, although the bands themselves aren't highlighted that well.
Logic completely dominates in the visual clip and in the song, his rap is on fire throughout as everything else fades away. As a complete package, the song works and it is catchy. The visual video is great and each act has something to give to the video.
On the other hand, there isn't a lot going on in the video, there's not enough to comment on, and at the same time, it's difficult to watch as there just is too many singers in this video. It's like they're all competing to have the most visual time, although as soon as Logic turns up, he completely wins us over.
