Chart Mondays: Martin Jensen - Solo Dance


Solo Dance - Martin Jensen |

The global sensation has hit the UK, and I've been watching this rise on the charts for a few weeks now, and finally, it has cracked the top 10. With Ed Sheeran still at number one with "Shape of You", and every other song in the top 10 UK Singles Chart already been reviewed by me - or doesn't have a music video for me to review, this was my only option this week. The song is upbeat and catchy with a dance number of a music video. Watch a group of dancers act out a story narrative of attraction through amazing choreography for this exciting music video for Martin Jensen's "Solo Dance".

Martin Jensen is a Danish DJ who has been mixing for over ten years. He became virally known for using sounds from other viral videos and turning them into tropical house mixes. He started releasing singles in 2014, starting off with "Sí", which was a viral hit due to Martin Jensen incorporating Cristiano Ronaldo's celebration at the 2014 FIFA Ballon d'Or. As each single was released he became more and more popular, he's recent "All I Wanna Do" charted in a few countries; but now, this single has become a global sensation, and Martin Jensen has finally got the chart success he clearly deserves, he just needs to follow up and follow through with another awesome single. This was written by Martin Jensen, Lene Dissing, Mads Hjerl-Hansen, and Peter Bjørnskov.

Directed by Nicolas Tobias Følsgaard and choreographed by Tobias Ellehammer; the music video has intricate dance sequences throughout that are beyond perfection. Martin Jensen makes an appearance at the DJ decks, playing this song. The dancers in the visual are: Dylan Mayoral, Haeni Kim, Anders Deeno Nielsen, Sandra Brünnich, Remi Black, Enej Jurečič, Žiga Jurečič, Michel Patric Sian, Lianne Lee May, and Cilia Trappaud.

We open up watching two characters have an attraction as soon as their eyes meet, but when the guy gets ready to talk to her, another dancer sweeps in. Bad luck, or so we thought. As we go to the main floor, we see that it's all going off with amazing dance techniques.

Soon enough, our main character is centre stage, with all eyes on him. In perfect time with the music, he just stops. The silence feels like it lasts longer than it actually does as we wonder if he has done enough to impress the girl. It turns out that he has, and she appears behind him as they dance together, fully bringing it.

The choreography of this music video is completely incredible. This is what I would love to be involved in one day, but I'll just marvel at how impressive it is since my professional dancing career stopped years ago. The closest I come to getting that feeling back is on the dancefloors in clubs. Now, my career involves watching awesome music videos like this one that relates to the song perfectly and giving the best ratings out to the music videos that impress me the most, such as this one. Can't wait to see what Martin Jensen will release next!
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Christina Aguilera - Hurt


Hurt - Christina Aguilera |

Today, I have been catching up with Vocea României Junior (because Inna is a coach), and one contestant stood out completely; Voicu Dumitraș sang this song "Hurt" by Christina Aguilera and it took my breath away. Only a few people can sing and nail that song, and he's now one of them! The original is the best version, as per usual, but I think it's one of Christina Aguilera's more underrated songs, especially considering it's chart placement in some countries, like number 11 in the UK, like seriously? Watch Christina Aguilera's circus-themed music video to "Hurt" where she grieves over the death of her father, who she had seen just that day, yet fame took her away from talking to him.

Christina Aguilera is one of the biggest female singers in the world, but just like many others, she hasn't been hitting the chart numbers globally, like she used to. Although that doesn't mean she can't make a comeback, many others have done so and knocked it out for the park. This song is filled with such emotion and hits every note; it really is a hard song to cover, and I don't think anyone could do it any more justice than Christina Aguilera. Just a shame that it didn't chart so well globally, it only hit number 19 on the US Billboard Charts. The song was written by Christina Aguilera, Linda Perry, and Mark Ronson. It was inspired by Linda Perry's loss of her father.

Directed by Christina Aguilera and Floria Sigismondi. It is set in a circus, and is very different to Britney Spears' "Circus", so don't get them confused. This one is more of a period setting, with a black and white filter for the beginning to establish that. We also hear Linda Perry's voice at the start as the audience are introduced to the circus.

In colour, we see Christina Aguilera get given a telegram; on it, it says "We respect to inform you of the death of your father on the day of 02/09/1947", we then watch a flashback of the time she spent at the circus with her dad as a child, and we see where she got the inspiration to become a circus performer.

Throughout, we watch how her day went, where she saw her father in the audience and even touched his hand at the end of the show where she was being interviewed. We see a few memories, and we see her fall to the ground in front of the circus tent, fully grieving.

This is a passionate song and a brilliant coinciding music video. Christina Aguilera really shows that she's not just an amazing singer, but she's a great actress too. She fully proves herself in this, and she deserves a lot more credit for what she does. I hope that new music is on the way and I hope she releases a global hit that gets everyone talking about her again.
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Dead Lavender - Seasons Change


Seasons Change - Dead Lavender |

I recently reviewed this for Outlet Magazine, and I found it so catchy, I just had to review it for my blog, not only that but I'm definitely a fan of Dead Lavender now, and I'm excited to see what the future will bring for this duo. Shot in Los Angeles, V & Oliver of Dead Lavender bring a 90's colour grading and VCR filters for this amazing visual of a music video for debut single "Seasons Change".

Dead Lavender are a London-based production and vocalist duo consisting of V & Oliver. Deciding to focus solely on the music, they choose to remain anonymous. The electronic-chill sound of this debut single easily showcases what the duo are all about, whilst switching it up around trap, house, dance, and synth-wave. This duo is set for big things, I can feel it in their sound, and I'm so excited to see what the future will bring for Dead Lavender. The single was written by V & Oliver.

Produced by V & Oliver, the music video uses 90's colour grading and VCR filters. This gives the video quite the retro look, whilst adding current themes throughout. Although V & Oliver shy away from the camera, keeping their anonymity, they are visible (well, we presume it's them in the visual).

The male vocalist has a performance scene in this music video. He brings it with full-out energy, we know he's passionate about the song, and although we can't see his face, thanks to the tilted cap; we can see that he is quite the performer and manages to invite the audience into this emotional and honest song. If this duo were to team up with Sia, then our world would be complete, as that would be beyond perfection.

As for the woman, we see her walking through pillars, hiding from the camera and shying away. Once again, we don't see her face, but she gives a great acting performance. We presume these two main characters are V & Oliver that make up the duo Dead Lavender.

Overall, this is an exciting debut music video and single. It's effortlessly catchy, and one that I have definitely added to my iTunes. It's an interesting music video and one that goes so well with the song. It adds a bit of mysteriousness to the song, even if there isn't much going on. The audience feels included throughout. I like how the artist, possibly, included themselves in the music video whilst keeping anonymous throughout. I'm excited for their next single and music video (which will be out soon apparently).
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New Release: Kat Graham - Sometimes


Sometimes - Kat Graham |

Here she is; we all know her as Bonnie Bennett from The Vampire Diaries, now she's ready to leave the witch in her past as she now has the ability to focus on her music career; especially now that The Vampire Diaries has completely finished. Looking stylishly sexy throughout, Kat Graham brings it when it comes to dancing in this killer music video for "Sometimes"; proving that Bonnie Bennett is just a character in her past.

Kat Graham is an American actress, dancer, and singer. She has got it all and is definitely a triple threat. Following in the footsteps of many amazing stars who also have established careers in both acting and singing, we're sure Kat Graham will become the next Jennifer Lopez or Hilary Duff. Having already been in music for many years (she was an uncredited vocalist for a few will.i.am songs, including the hit "I Got It From My Mama"), she hasn't really managed to promote her music that much, although she is building upon it with a collection of singles and an album, the latter of which was released in 2015. This song was written by Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds, Jean-Yves "Jeeve" Ducornet, and Katerina Graham.

There are certain parts of the song that reminds me of "Grease (Is The Word)", specifically the version Jessie J sang for Grease Live. Regardless, Kat Graham's vocals are on point throughout, and even though she isn't the greatest singer in the world, the song compliments her vocal range whilst allowing for a choreographed music video.

It was directed and choreographed by Marc Cleary and Oskar Rodriguez. Shot through two takes, the music video is split mid-way through, as we watch her enter the performing room. This slightly loses the audience as we adjust to the complete change of scene. This style of music video really includes the audience allowing them to feel they are on set, just like with Sabrina Carpenter's "Thumbs", but having it split up into two parts without reason is quite off-putting.

As for the performance side of things, Kat Graham shows her dance ability, which we were already aware of from the popular film 'Honey 2', where she starred as the main character, Maria Ramirez. She nails every dance sequence, with her backing dancers, bringing energetic flair that has been waiting to be released. She also looks stunning throughout this visual.

Overall, it's a solid music video, that really includes the audience - well, right up until the split. Kat Graham is fierce throughout, making sure the spotlight is on her. Girl, you've definitely got this. She's totally an up-and-coming all-rounder of a star, and although we don't see this song charting that well, it'll remain a song we won't be able to get out of our heads for the rest of the day.
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Hunter Hayes - Wanted


Wanted - Hunter Hayes |

I'm actually so surprised that I have not reviewed this music video before today; what a perfect excuse to review it for my Thursday Revisit. This song came to my attention on a compilation album; on first listen, I fell in love with this song and quickly became a Hunter Hayes fan; and the rest is history. Hunter Hayes has this amazing ability to flood a song with emotion, so much so that you can tell he means every single lyric he is singing. This song literally makes me cry everytime I hear it because all I want is someone who wants to make me feel wanted. Watch Hunter Hayes perform this song passionately at a piano whilst the song lyrics are displayed all around him, intercut with visuals of the girl he's singing about in the "Wanted" music video.

Hunter Hayes pretty much made his career off the back of this song, which was his second single, the follow-up to "Storm Warning". It hit number one on the US Billboard Hot Country Songs Chart and number 16 on the Billboard Hot 100. It's sad to think it never became a hit in the UK. He has since released many other singles and a couple of albums as well. He is gearing up to release brand new music sometime this year. He recently released the music video to "Yesterday's Song", the single of which was dropped in September 2016. This song was written by Hunter Hayes and Troy Verges.

Directed by BIRDmachineBIRD, who consists of Patrick Hubik and Traci Goudie; the music video is mainly a performance piece, showcasing Hunter Hayes emotion for this song.

It's clear that Hunter Hayes can fully perform this song perfectly, easily showing how much the song means to him in the visual as well as on the track itself. Not many people can perform well sitting at a piano, but Hunter Hayes is here to show us all how it is done; even if we are slightly distracted by the lyrics that are displayed all around him.

There are snippets of a potential narrative, it shows Hunter Hayes with a love interest, who he is singing this song about. The main scene we see is them riding a bike together. It's lovely, but I feel there isn't enough of these clips shown throughout the video, but then again I wouldn't want to take away any of Hunter Hayes amazing performance piece. It's a great relatable music video that works with the song perfectly.
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Hunter Hayes - Yesterday's Song


Yesterday's Song - Hunter Hayes |

Talk about a look-back music video... Hunter Hayes has delivered his best music video yet, and did I mention how handsome he looks in this? Hunter Hayes is fully maturing into a gorgeously sexy man that we can't stop watching. This song and it's accompanying visual is a great throwback to his previous songs and music videos, whilst heading in a new direction for his new music. I'm totally excited to find out what his new music is like. I'm sure we all are. Watch Hunter Hayes glance at his past as he finds his a whole new direction. "Yesterday's song" is a reflection on his life and career so far, and works well as a music video.

Hunter Hayes is an American country music artist who has been very busy with new music this year, that we bet he can't wait to unleash on to his fans. He's one of many country stars who have attempted to hit the UK market, but Hunter Hayes went above and beyond by changing some of his most-known songs into pop versions, so much so he released a whole new album with the intention to crack the UK music industry, and although the album did chart - at 85 - it still shows that country music doesn't do so well over here in the UK. But other artists have managed to do it, and if Hunter Hayes continues to focus on doing so then I'm sure he'll make it over here as well. All it can take is one hit song. This song is one of his latest singles. It was released in September 2016, but the music video just dropped this week at the end of March 2017. I'm ready for new music, you are all ready for new music, so Hunter Hayes get to it and release something fresh! This song was written by Hunter Hayes, Barry Dean, and Martin Johnson.

This awesome music video was directed by Ryan Hamblin. I wasn't sure what to expect when it started, especially when Hunter Hayes picks up the broken mirror ball. To be fair, I've always wanted to know what a broken mirror ball was like, so at least I know now.

After placing the mirror ball back down, he finds a much bigger one that has crashed down on the building he's in. He heads over to it in a flippant way and enters inside. We follow him and see mirrors everywhere reflecting his previous music videos from "Wanted" to "Storm Warning" to "Invisible". It's great to see how far he's come.

Inside the mirror ball, there is a woman walking in the background with a mirror ball as a head, probably a reference to the girl he's singing about in his songs, therefore suggesting that he's moved on from her now and from writing songs about that person. This is how I interpret the song's meaning. We also see a guy in a business suit, who also has a mirror ball as a head. He displays a case full of cash, Now all the gay guys are suddenly interested (jokes); personally I think it's a business deal, suggesting that he's done things he's not proud of, probably sang songs he didn't really like, in the chance to have money; maybe he's been offered deals to go down a different route but he's sticking to his direction/ He finally finds a way out of the mirror ball and follows down the path he wants to take.

The ending scene sees him running towards a mirror, to which he jumps through, ready to start his next career path. And we're totally jumping through that mirror with him as all his fans continue to support him.

This music video is beyond brilliant and easily relates to the song. It reflects on Hunter Hayes past and he takes his fans through his memories too. It's incredibly engaging and something I could watch over and over again, and that isn't because of how hot he looks in the music video; well maybe a little bit. This music video deserves awards, and it's getting a high rating from me.
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Prince Royce & Shakira - Deja Vu


Deja vu - Prince Royce & Shakira |

This is currently YouTube Trending at the moment, and I just felt like it's about time Prince Royce graced my blog. Something new and something different for today's review. A bit of a latin flair, although I'm not so convinced that this was a good collaboration, especially with Shakira constantly looking at the camera in this music video. Watch Shakira dance with various guys whilst Prince Royce performs on stage before coming down and dancing with his collaborator in this music video for "Deja Vu".

Prince Royce, real name Geoffrey Royce Rojas, is one of the biggest latin pop male artists in America. He has sung with a multitude of different artists including Jennifer Lopez and Daddy Yankee. I don't think he'll ever manage to appeal to the UK market, if you all thought country is hard to sell to the UK, you should see how latin pop does, because that rarely touches the UK charts, if at all. However, Shakira has charted in the UK plenty of times, and so have some majorly influential latin pop songs. If Prince Royce were to attempt to crack the UK market, I'm sure he would be able to do so. Collaborating on this track with Shakira, full name Shakira Ripoll; their voices work well together. She's definitely one of the top female artists in the music industry, although her latin pop songs don't fare well in the UK either. To be honest, I'm not so sure of what to make of this song as a collaboration. It was written by Geoffrey Royce Rojas, Daniel Santacruz, Manny Cruz, Kevin Mauricio Jiménez Londoño, and Bryan Snaider Lezcano Chaverra.

The music video is mainly a performance piece with a subtle narrative. We see Shakira dancing with various partners before inviting the singer on stage to come down and dance with her, the singer of which is Prince Royce.

The performance pieces are very separate, with Shakira's taking place in a different room, she looks as sexy as ever and pretty much doesn't look like she ages at all. She's looking fierce throughout and giving direct eye contact with the camera. This is usually good in her own music videos, but Prince Royce comes off much better.

He gets involved in the visual, continuing to include the audience within. He looks much more professional and makes Shakira seem less so as she is constantly looking at the camera.

The ending scene should've been sexy and interesting, but as Prince Royce continues to look at Shakira giving her his full attention, her eyes are looking at us, and it just doesn't come off all that great.

Overall, the video isn't all that bad, and it kind of works, I suppose. Yet, Shakira kind of lets the video down throughout, grabbing the spotlight and keeping it on her throughout. It feels like she's trying to create a battle between them, yet Prince Royce isn't interested in fighting for the spotlight.
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Chart Mondays: Anne-Marie - Ciao Adios


Ciao Adios - Anne-Marie |

Finally, the chart has sorted itself out, slightly; and I can finally get back to my Chart Mondays reviews, now that Ed Sheeran isn't dominating quite so much, he's still at number one with "Shape of You", though. I'm so glad Anne-Marie has got into the top 10 with this awesome song, she's been fighting for her career, and finally, it's paying off and people are noticing her like they should. She's been on my radar for over a year now and I have supported her ever since. I'm excited to see her progress and become someone everyone is talking about. Watch Anne-Marie perform with her girls in this music video for "Ciao Adios" that has got us all copying her dance moves.

Anne-Marie, full name Anne-Marie Nicholson, has really come into her own, and that was definitely with the help of Rudimental and Clean Bandit, especially the latter where she featured on "Rockabye" which became a UK number one hit for weeks on end. She's an inspiration to us all as she really has developed her own sound and kept true to herself whilst building a career for herself. She's managed to become someone everyone's talking about, and I'm so proud to see that she's finally at that stage. She just needs to hold on to her fame, but her genuine personality and her real songs are what will allow her to continue to succeed. This song is at number 10 on the UK Singles Chart, hence why I'm reviewing the music video. "Ciao Adios" was written by Anne-Marie Nicholson, Tom Meredith, Jennifer Decilveo, and Mason Levy.

The music video is a pure performance visual with Anne-Marie totally releasing performance vibes, and she definitely gets kudos for the dancing, although it's a shame it's cut up so much by the editing team; I want to learn the chorus dance moves.

Following a perfect theme from "Alarm", it's clear her debut album is going to be complete fire! We see her giving this music video her all, whilst being relaxed and trendy at the same time.

The choreography is easy for people to copy and I can so see youngsters doing the "Ciao Adios" dance; I'll be there at her concert doing it myself! As per usual, she's a trendsetter, making her mark in the music industry with iconic but different songs. She is one to watch for sure, and she performed amazingly at Birmingham Pride 2016 - I hope she returns to that stage this year.
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Dev - In The Dark


In the Dark - Dev |

I woke up with this song in my head... Whatever happened to Dev? That was the question I was wondering as I was singing this song during my morning routine. This song charted all right globally, but it was the start of her music career slowing down. This song is catchy for reasons we don't know, probably because of the beat behind it. Watch Dev be all sexy and suggestive of dancing "In The Dark" during this music video, although there's not a lot of dancing going on, just a lot of freaky hands.

Dev, real name Devin Tailes, apparently has a second studio album set to be released soon, although the lead single of which "#1" was released a whole year ago. Has promotion of this said album just ceased? Where is the comeback of Dev? Her sexually induced vocals are what makes this track lit, along with all her other songs, from the features to her solos. What's surprising is that she hasn't held on to her fame, she was all the range back in 2011/2012, with the possibility to become one of the leading female artists, but she didn't keep her momentum and soon fell. Yet, all it takes is one new hit song, and she'll be back once again. This song was written by Devin Tailes, Niles Hollowell-Dhar, and David Singer-Vine.

Directed by Ethan Lader, the music video incorporates a sexy vibe with a dark and mysterious feel to it all. It's a pure performance piece with Dev looking as hot as she can be.

It comes off really weird, in my opinion. It has a club energetic feel to it, and there are scenes where she's on the dancefloor clubbing away. They are dancing in the dark, but I'm expecting a full-out choreographed scene and that is nowhere in sight,

On the other hand, or should that be on the scary hand? Dev brings it during the performance, being sultry throughout and relating to the sexy tone of her voice. Yet there's something majorly missing and the video doesn't come off the way we all think it should.

There's just too much light and shade with it not directly linking in with the song all that much. Dev isn't really doing mush during the visual and that fails to keep the audience interested. It would be stunning if it were a photoshoot, but it's a music video, and it doesn't quite work.
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Amy Lee - Speak To Me


Speak to Me - Amy Lee |

This is beyond beautiful; this is beyond stunning; this is beyond anything we've ever seen from her yet. The frontwoman of Evanescence has this amazing music video for her new single "Speak To Me" and Amy Lee totally brings it like you wouldn't believe. This came up in my YouTube recommendations, and I have actually been waiting for this, so I clicked on this straight away and just had to review it for my blog. I almost cried, almost. Watch Amy Lee, the frontwoman of Evanescence, deliver a gorgeous visual for her song "Speak To Me" that is a soundtrack theme song for the film "Voice From The Stone".

Amy Lee is best known for being the frontwoman of the band Evanescence, who are supposed to be returning to music soon. For the time being, she has been focusing on her solo career as well as looking after her son. This song proves that Amy Lee can really truly sing. You may know her for her rock songs, and undeniably she can sing rock really well. Evanescence would not have gained a number one single with "Bring Me To Life" if it wasn't for her amazing vocals, but this song right here shows her vocal range, shows her versatility, and also shows her ability to flood a song with raw emotion. Amy Lee deserves so much more credit than what she has, and if there's one singer that is underrated and underestimated, it's her. This song is intricately stunning, it's perfection. This should be a global hit. It was written by Amy Lee and Michael Wandmacher.

The music video was directed by Eric D. Howell, It shows Amy Lee in a stunning dress, that she designed herself along with Anna Lombardi, whilst playing the piano. There are short narrative scenes that show her watching over a child.

The child looks a lot like her son Jack Lion Hartzler (it's not, though; instead, it's the director's son), and he goes around the grounds of a castle, throwing stones in the water, playing with toy trucks, running about. Throughout, Amy Lee is following, as if she's a ghost.

The narrative continues as we see short clips of Amy Lee and the child spending time together, she is wearing something different and it has a feeling that it's part of their past. Throughout, there's a hidden meaning, suggesting that Amy Lee has passed away, hence why she is looking over the boy as if she is a ghost. Then we watch the rest of the performance piece.

Emotions run wild in the performance piece, enough to break all our hearts. This song means a lot to her and she's put that in the song and the music video. There's a lot of yearning for her child in this music video, and Amy Lee easily displays that emotion to us. She makes us want to cry.

Many fans have noticed some scenes are similar to previous Evanescence videos, perhaps an ode to her previous visuals; such as the black and white visual where she is floating in the water, is very reminiscent of "My Immortal", although she has been in the water since "Going Under". Then there's the angel scene, which we can all presume has a very tiny link to the album artwork of Evanescence's first self-titled EP, from way back in 1998.

Overall, this music video is completely stunning along with the song. She has proven herself as an artist, as a singer, and as a songwriter. This song deserves a lot more recognition. As for the music video, it relates to the song perfectly, and will probably work amazingly with the film "Voice From The Stone" that will be released soon. I've been battling with the rating all day, but due to the fact that the whole narrative isn't fully displayed, with the viewers having to gather what is going on, I have dropped a star. But this is a video I can't stop watching! Bring on more stunning visuals Amy Lee!
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New Release: Iggy Azalea - Mo Bounce


Mo Bounce - Iggy Azalea |

She's back! The follow-up to "Team" is finally here and it has an interesting title. I must warn you not to confuse this with her previous single "Bounce", she must really like that word, or maybe this is her sequel to that previous song? Whatever the reason, this song is here and it is full-on catchy. There isn't a lot of lyrics to this song, but who cares, it's less to learn as you sing along to it. Watch Iggy Azalea twerk and dance with a bunch of women in her music video for "Mo Bounce".

Iggy Azalea, real name Amethyst Kelly, has been working hard in the studio on a new range of songs for her second studio album, this is her second song to be released from the said album which will be titled "Digital Distortion". This song is different to "Team" that was released last year, and so it's intriguing to see the direction she has taken for her new album. This song is catchy, but with Ed Sheeran dominating the charts at the moment, I doubt she'll get a look-in with this song. It was written by Amethyst Kelly, Jonathan Yip, Jeremy Reeves, Ray Romulus, Ray McCullough, Maurice Simmonds, Kevin Nishimura, James Roh, and Virman Coquia.

Directed by Lil Internet the music video was filmed in Hong Kong. It was teased by Iggy Azalea by a series of gifs that she has been posting over the past few days.

She has always claimed that she isn't a dancer, but she could've fooled us all because that girl can twerk! She follows some sort of choreography with various other women, totally bringing it with confidence; she's fierce throughout.

There's not much else for me to talk about, the music video isn't appealing to me personally but would probably appeal to men who are interested in Iggy Azalea. I feel like she channelled Nicki Minaj for this music video. It's not something I would watch on repeat, but I guess it relates to the song.
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Rascal Flatts - Here Comes Goodbye


Here Comes Goodbye - Rascal Flatts |

I thought I'd stick with the country theme this week, and choose Rascal Flatts as my Thursday Revisit after I reviewed their latest music video "Yours If You Want It". This was one of their most-watched music videos, after "What Hurts The Most", obviously. This one is highly emotional and follows the same style as their other videos. Watch Rascal Flatts perform in the music video to "Here Comes Goodbye" whilst we watch a narrative about a woman grieving over the loss of her son, who is buried next to her father.

The Rascal Flatts are a country music trio consisting of Gary LeVox, Jay DeMarcus, and Joe Don Rooney. They are big in the United States of America, hitting the country charts hard constantly; but, as per usual, they don't even make a mark here in the UK. Country music just doesn't do well over here, and it's disappointing to see since there are some amazing acts in that genre, and the Rascal Flatts are one of them. This charted well in the states and deserved to have been a worldwide hit, maybe they'll have one in the future, we can only hope. This song was written by Clint Lagerberg and Chris Sligh.

Directed by Shaun Silva, this wintry music video is full of emotion from start to finish, with frontman vocalist Gary LeVox shining throughout the performance visual, whilst the actors in the music video portray a heart-wrenching narrative.

The storyline isn't clear from the start, as we see a little boy playing with toy trucks whilst an old man talks about the time he was that age. The narrative continues as we watch two women grieving, they then walk out through the snow to two graves. We watch on, intrigued to work it all out, and then discovering that the woman is grieving for her son, who has sadly passed away, and his grandfather has come to take him up to heaven.

The performance piece is typical Rascal Flatts, adding all the right emotion, whilst adding energetic vibes making us all want to see them live. At least they guarantee that regardless of the song they will be singing, the Rascal Flatts will give you a show to remember.

Overall, it's another solid music video from these guys. The narrative could've been a bit more explanatory; however, it's relatable to the song as it is time to say goodbye to the lost loved ones. I hope the Rascal Flatts return with a killer album that we are all going to love, bring on their future releases.
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Neon Trees - Songs I Can't Listen To


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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Greta Salóme - My Blues


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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Chart Mondays: Ed Sheeran Continues To Dominate The UK's Top 10 Singles Chart 17th March 2017 - 23rd March 2016

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:

2) Ed Sheeran - Galway Girl
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

Canaan Smith - Love You Like That


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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Rascal Flatts - Yours If You Want It


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.
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New Release: Clean Bandit Featuring Zara Larsson - Symphony


Symphony (feat. Zara Larsson) - Clean Bandit |

Well, I wasn't expecting this when I chose my New Release music video review; to be fair, I wasn't expecting there to be one for this song. You have no idea how happy I am that Zara Larsson actually appears in this featured music video, especially after the disastrous "Girls Like" by Tinie Tempah. Yet, here she is, with Clean Bandit, as it should always be when there is a featured star. This song isn't really my sort of song, although it is highly emotional, I just don't think it's either of the artists' best song, and I think they could've created something much better; regardless, this is what we've got. Watch Clean Bandit perform as part of an orchestra, whilst Zara Larsson fronts it with the vocals, all the while a heart-breaking gay narrative plays out in the LGBT+ pro "Symphony" music video.

Clean Bandit are a trio consisting of Grace Chatto, Jack Patterson, and Luke Patterson. They are one of the most defining British electronic music groups around at the moment, with a tonne of hits behind them. They made their name known, when they collaborated with Jess Glynne on the song "Rather Be", the rest is pure history. The group will continue to dominate charts around the world. This new collaboration is with Zara Larsson, the Swedish female sensation who has released her international debut album this week. She gained fame when she won the second season of Talang, the Swedish version of Got Talent, in 2008. She gained success in collaboration with MNEK on the song "Never Forget You", which then launched "Lush Life" into international success. This song will, no doubt, storm the charts globally again. It was written by Jack Patterson, Ina Wroldsen, Steve McCutcheon, and Ammar Malik.

Directed by Grace Chatto & Jack Patterson, this music video is engaging from start to finish, much like Clean Bandit's other music videos. They are including in every video that they create, and considerably consider everything and how to properly represent their song in a visual aspect. It's admiring how much thought they put into it. The conductor is played by actor Michael Akinsulire, whilst the love-interest and cyclist are played by actor Josias Bertrand.

There are two parts of this music video, a narrative and a performance. The performance shows Clean Bandit and Zara Larsson at the front of an orchestra with Michael Akinsulire acting as the conductor. He takes up a lead role in the story, therefore linking the performance and the narrative together.

The performance piece isn't all that impressive. There's only so much an orchestra can give, along with a conductor. You would think Zara Larsson would channel her amazing performance vibes, but they're just not there. Clean Bandit brings their usual energetic vibe, but they're definitely lacking something. Maybe performing with an orchestra overwhelmed the performance aspect as a whole.

Regardless, the pro-LGBT+ narrative definitely makes up for whatever is not there in the performance scenes. We watch a cyclist, played by Josias Bertrand, have a traffic accident, that clearly leads to him passing away. We then watch a very upset Michael Akinsulire, grieving for his boyfriend. We watch scenes of them two together as if Michael Akinsulire is reminiscing over the lovely moments the gay couple shared.

These scenes are lovely to watch and we see how Michael Akinsulire goes on to become a conductor, channelling the upsetting energy into his passion. The ending scene sees Josias Bertrand sitting in the audience, watching the orchestra.

What a lovely music video. Once again, Clean Bandit has smashed it out of the arena; another great music video and a perfect one to follow on from "Rockabye" which featured Sean Paul & Anne-Marie; yet didn't quite top it. This is completely emotional and heart-breaking and inspiring, but it's all down to the narrative. Just wish the performance was to my liking to give this a full rating, but I can't justify it so it'll have to settle just short. Great video nonetheless, though.
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Sharon Doorson - Fail In Love


Fail In Love - Sharon Doorson |

Again, I have a lot of music video reviews to catch up on, so bare with me for the next few days. This was my Thursday Revisit, and I was interested in Sharon Doorson's earlier releases and it just shows how far she has come in the last few years, from her debut single to her most-recent newly released song "Golden Trophy". Watch Sharon Doorson be all sexy in this typical music video for a club song "Fail In Love". Her performance is still complete fire throughout, she brings it!

Sharon Doorson first came into prominence in The Voice of Holland, where she was eliminated during the semi-finals. She was also a part of girl group Raffish, alongside Eva Simons. She recently released "Golden Trophy" which steps away from the dance upbeat tracks that she released earlier in her career. She's charted internationally here and there, and I'm sure she's on the verge of her big breakthrough, all she needs is a popular hit song.

This music video is a pure performance visual that has Sharon Doorson acting completely sexy throughout.

The problem with these sorts of videos is that they've been done a thousand times over; not just that but Sharon Doorson doesn't exactly look comfortable in the scenes, apart from the last one. She brings total fire in the last scene where she's wearing a futuristic metallic costume. She struts down the walkway and completely brings it.

Overall the video is just your average club-song music video, we've seen it so many times. It's unoriginal. However, Sharon Doorson has this performing quality to her which is only found in some of the biggest stars, she can work a music video, and she definitely brought it when she needed to.
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White Lynx Featuring Radu & Ivana - Feel My Love


Feel My Love (feat. Radu & Ivana) - White Lynx |

Since I've reviewed Global Records' project G Girls with "Milk & Honey", I thought I'd review another one of their artists, and this one has been waiting for me to review for a little while, so why not? This music video is one that resonates deeply and really pulls at the emotional heart strings. I was so caught up in the narrative that I actually forgot to listen to the song, so it was a good excuse to watch it a second time. Watch this cute love story unfold between two people who speak sign language, their love for each other is dream-like in this "Feel My Love" music video by White Lynx feat. Radu & Ivana.

White Lynx, real name Andrei Prodan, is a new producer on the scene and this is his debut single and it's total fire. If you're going to start on an incredible career, then a first single like this one is a great start. Radu, full name Radu Farclane, features on the track, and he is fairly new on Global Records too, having previously released two singles. Then there's Ivana, full name Ivana Farc, who has had mild success especially with her latest single "Wanna Be One". This collaboration for Global Records is brilliant and really showcases all three artists, even if they don't appear in the music video. This song was written by Claudiu Taut and White Lynx.

Directed by Sergiu Margaian and Tiberius Margaian, the music video stars two people who we presume are deaf due to the opening scene. These two lovers are played by actress Oana Carmaciu and actor Tudor Andronic.

The opening scene hits home even before this amazing song kicks in. The two lovers are talking to one another through sign language. She's a little down because she can't hear him say the words "I Love You", but he says that it doesn't matter because she can feel it. This scene just makes my heart melt, it's so cute and well thought-out; I want that love with someone, I want to feel that sort of love with someone.

The visual continues as we see the ups and downs of their relationship, from the extremely cute moments to the arguments, from the adventures they go on, to the passion and the emotions they feel for each other.

As the video comes to the end, we see him go down on one knee. Our instant reaction is that he's going to propose, but how wrong were we? It's way better than proposing... He's got her a hearing aid so she can hear him say "I Love You". This scene literally brought a small tear to my eye, talk about ticking every box she wants in a man.

Such an adorable visual, that deserves nothing less than the rating I'm giving it. Even though there isn't a performance side to this music video, the narrative just blasts other music videos out of the water, and this feels so real and is a great relatable story to the song. What more could we possibly have wanted? This is incredible.
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G Girls - Milk & Honey


Milk & Honey - G Girls |

The G Girls are back, with a slight change in the line-up yet still completely awesome nonetheless, this is their newly released single "Milk & Honey". It's a banging tune that should be an international hit, much like many of the other songs that are released on the Global Records label. This just proves how amazing the artists on the Global Records label are and you so need to discover all the songs from these girls. We do miss Alexandra Stan in this line-up, but G Girls is a project consisting of girls from Global Records, so line-up changes are allowed since they aren't a full-on girl group as they all have solo careers; if a third single comes along, who knows if the line-up will change again. Watch Inna, Antonia, Lori, and Lariss come together for G Girls' new single "Milk & Honey", as they all compete for the attention of a photographer.

G Girls is a project from Global Records that consists of female singers from the Global Records label. This is a slightly new line-up, with the G Girls consisting of Inna, Antonia, Lori, and Lariss (actual names: Elena Apostoleanu, Antonia Iacobescu, Loredana Ciobotaru, and Larisa Borza). The latter has replaced Alexandra Stan from the original line-up when they dropped their debut single "Call The Police". Lariss fuels Lori's RnB vibe, which adds a whole new flavour to this track. Imagine if G Girls ever released an album, that would just be pure versatile, yet still with the G Girls stamp. Maybe Global Records should just release a compilation album, now that is something we need. Anyhow, I previously wrote an article about this for CelebMix, and then later an article for Outlet Magazine, make sure you check them out by clicking the links. According to the composer notes attached to the iTunes digital download, the song was written by Sebastian Barac, Marcel Botezan, Isaac Breyan, Larisa Borza, David Ciente, and Elena Apostoleanu.

Directed by Ionut Trandafir, with Khaled Mokhtar acting as Director of Photography, this music video is more relaxed than their debut "Call The Police". This has a nice relatable setting and isn't as high-end as the other one was before.

There is one main love-interest, I don't know the actor's name, but he plays the photographer in the music video. In various settings, he plays different roles depending on which G Girl he is with. With Inna he's a fashion designer, measuring her up. With Antonia, he's a hair stylist. With Lariss, he's a beekeeper, giving her honey whenever she wants it. And with Lori, he's a teacher or a tutor. Throughout we see snapshots of the girls together posing for their pictures to be taken.

The video is completely fun from start to finish. The girls are teasing throughout, all the while having a great time on set - they clearly enjoyed the photo shoot, even if there is a lot of shadow at the forefront of the visual, obscuring our view.

The only problem is that there's no milk in this video, although Inna's costume is a milky white, and maybe the love-interest is a milkman when he's not taking photos, maybe there is an underlining message of what they want with their honey. Who knows? Regardless the song is fire and the girls are fierce throughout. It's a brilliant performance piece with a lot of happy energetic vibes and a spirit of fun.
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