Now, this was one of my top favourite songs from the Eurovision Song Contest 2017. It's so different and so catchy and on paper, it shouldn't work, yet in life it does and it's so nice to see yodelling coming into mainstream with a hip-hop merge going on. Unfortunately, Romania only scored 282 points, placing them seventh; they got 58 points from the jury vote and scored 224 points from the televote. The staging wasn't anything special, and there were cannons on stage, but they didn't do anything in particular. As for the music video, it's epically brilliant. Watch Ilinca rise up into the sky to match Alex Florea, making this rising pillar the in thing to do as they bring yodel and hip-hop to Eurovision 2017 with the song "Yodel It!".
Ilinca, real name Maria Ilinca Băcilă, is well known in Romania for her unique yodel ability. She appeared on the second season of Românii au talent in 2012, then she appeared on the third season of The X Factor (Romania), and then she appeared on the fourth season of Vocea României where she got as far as the semi-finals. It's clear that she's determined to make a name for herself, and I'm glad she has proven that if you persevere, you'll get what you want, and that is what she's done by representing Romania at Eurovision 2017, I truly believe she's a star in the making, and she's so young. As for Alex Florea, real name Alexandru Florea, his career has only just started. He previously entered season four of The X Factor (Romania), as well as season five of Vocea României. This song was a favourite of mine from the start and I had hoped it would do better, but it was quite the competition this year. It was written by Mihai Alexandru and Alexandra Niculae. The song was originally written for Timebelle for the Switzerland Entry, but they chose "Apollo" instead, so Ilinca competed in the Romanian national selection, with Alex Florea, titled Selecţia Naţională.
Directed by Dan Petcan, the music video was filmed in the beautiful city of Cluj-Napoca, Romania. It's a pure performance piece, that has an incredible feature throughout that makes me wish this would happen to me in my everyday life; just imagine the views from atop the pillar.
In the visual, Alex Florea introduces the track, on top of a pillar in the middle of Cluj-Napoca. Ilinca sees him and decides she wants her own pillar, and so she rises into the sky with her own pillar as they sing their song opposite one another.
After some amazing performance vibes and scenes, Romanian people realises Ilinca and Alex Florea is on top of tall pillars in the middle of the city and they rush outside to watch. This reminds me of Inna, one of the biggest Romanian female artists, as she released a series of Rock The Roof videos where she's sung her songs on top of rooftops in various cities, she has also performed her songs on the side of streets.
Outside, the viewers also rise into the sky on their own pillars. This is the bit that truly messes up the video as a green screen is clearly used and it is completely obvious. Apart from the bad editing techniques, which totally lets this video down, everything else makes this video one of the best. The concept is perfect and totally relatable to the song. It's so good, it's just a shame I have to remove a star for the bad editing.
The announcement of Australia returning to the Eurovision Song Contest 2017 had me excited since they always send amazing acts. Once again, they managed to do just that, with Isaiah; I also fell for his amazing song that totally got me on first listen; what a voice he has! The music video is much better than the stage production of the song, I was totally expecting big things from Australia this year, and a turntable just wasn't good enough. Isaiah came ninth with 173 points, he scored just two points from the televote, but 171 from the jury vote. I am obsessed with his voice, but the whole staging just didn't do it justice, so it's not a surprise he scored so low on the televote. Watch Isaiah fully bring the emotion needed for his Eurovision 2017 performance-based music video for "Don't Come Easy".
Isaiah, full name Isaiah Firebrace, made his name known on the eighth series of The X Factor Australia, which he subsequently went on to win. His winner's single was released, titled "It's Gotta Be You", which managed to chart at number 26 in Australia; as well as number 21 in Denmark, 60 in the Netherlands, 59 in Czech Republic, 60 in Slovakia, 15 in Sweden, and 6 on the New Zealand Heatseekers chart. It was then followed up with a debut album which charted at number 12 in Australia and made it on to the New Zealand Heatseekers Albums chart. It was an obviously good choice to choose him as the Australian representative for Eurovision 2017, what with him already charting in other countries. I loved the song as soon as it was announced, but the staging just wasn't good enough. The song was written by Anthony Egizii, David Musumeci, and Michael Angelo.
Directed by Oscar Partridge and David Burrowes. It's a pure performance visual, which sees Isaiah bring emotion like never before, easily identifying with the song and showing what it means to him throughout the music video.
My main problem is that there isn't a lot going on in this visual. Performance piece music videos for Eurovision visuals always feel a bit of a waste; since, when they're on stage, they're performing the song in every way they can. Therefore, I much prefer a narrative music video.
Overall, this visual doesn't bring anything new to the table. The focus is of Isaiah singing the song, and even though he's done a good job of it, the song stands out so much more than the visual itself. This isn't that memorable, and fails to keep the audience interested throughout.
There has been so many amazing songs released this week, that I had quite a lot to choose from, but it soon came to light that many don't have music videos, which left me a couple to choose from for my New Release, this week. I decided on this one because it was the best music video, and because Troye Sivan is completely cute and sexy in this, as always. Watch Martin Garrix and Troye Sivan stay at a hotel, and perform at a concert, whilst they look sultry on hills and on a road in this music video for "There For You".
Martin Garrix, real name Martijn Garritsen, has had his ups and downs during his career; now he's back full scale with some major collaborations, which we are hoping will all be a part of a new album. It's great to see him collaborating with some of the best stars around at the moment, and the songs are charting well globally. I have no doubt that this song will follow suit, managing to chart just as well, what with it being Troye Sivan, real name Troye Sivan Mellet, singing the lyrics of the song. His voice is always full of emotion, and I feel like he gets me with ever song he sings. I love everything he stands for and Troye Sivan is seriously standing up for gay rights more than any other male artist around at the moment. This seemed a very unlikely pairing, and Martin Garrix has definitely pulled back on his sound to accomodate Troye Sivan's vocals, yet the song still doesn't exactly work the way you want it to. It was written by Brett McLaughlin, Martijn Garritsen, Ben Burgess, William Lobban Bean, Troye Sivan Mellet, and Jessie Thomas.
Directed by Jordan Taylor Wright, the music video has a subtle narrative whilst there's a major prominance to the performance side of things, which sees Martin Garrix perform a DJ set with this song, whilst Troye Sivan joins him on stage to sing the song to the crowd.
To me, I feel like there isn't much for me to comment on. I like the performance side and seeing Martin Garrix perform at a concert of his, fully giving it his all with all the effects and everything.
As per usual, Troye Sivan brings it for the music video, totally using all his skills to feel the song and the music. It's great to see him getting into the song.
Overall, it's quite a weak music video considering what we've had from Martin Garrix previously; actually, it's pretty weak from Troye Sivan to considering his previous music videos as well. There's just not much that's memorable to this music video.
Now this started off as a song I hated with a passion, especially when it was first announced, but as time went on and on and on it became a song I couldn't stop playing, and on both nights of the Eurovision Song Contest 2017, NAVIBAND knocked it out the park with this song, right on the stage! It totally deserved a higher placing on the scoreboard; it managed to get to 17th with 83 points; 33 came from the televote, and 50 came from the jury vote. The song got a title change to make it easier for commentators to say, but the song remained completely in Belarusian. Watch NAVIBAND take us through the woods to a lake in this full-of-life music video for their Eurovision 2017 song "Story Of My Life", also known as "Historyja Majho žyccia".
NAVIBAND are a folk duo consisting of Arciom Lukjanienka and Ksienija Žuk. They have had a great career since they debuted in 2013, and have three albums behind them at the moment. I reckon another one will be released soon with this song being on the said album. If anything, they are setting the trend for folk music, just look how far Ed Sheeran has got with "Galway Girl", and now we have this epic Belarusian song that is totally fun-filled and has an incredible spirit and meaning behind it. I cannot wait to explore more of their music, and I just know their future music is what we need to hear! The song was written by Arciom Lukjanienka.
The music video was directed by Aliaksandr Taboĺski, and sees the duo walk and run through a forest, down towards the lake. Both Arciom Lukjanienka and Ksienija Žuk lights up the visual, creating a warmth and energetic vibe.
There's not a lot to the music video, although Arciom Lukjanienka loses his hat as he starts to jump and twirl, but he continues to give even more to the music video. As for Ksienija Žuk, her voice is beyond perfection and pairs up well with Arciom Lukjanienka, but on it's own, it's magnificent. This is one duo to keep your eye out for.
Overall the music video works really well. There's so much to like about the visual, whilst it's still basic and simple. NAVIBAND's voices are perfection and they displayed the exact same energy here as they did on the Eurovision 2017 stage. The song is definitely one of my favourites, it's completely jolly. I can't wait to see what new music they have in store for us, and I hope one day they come up on Ed Sheeran's radar and a duet happens at some point.
It's Thursday Revisit time, and I really thought I wouldn't be able to choose one of my Eurovision 2017 favourites from this week, but Tijana Bogićević pulled through with this awesome song that was released in 2010. This is so good, even though I don't know what she's singing about. It just shows how much of a great singer she really is. Watch Tijana Bogićević do her own thing in her music video for her song "Tražim".
Tijana Bogićević has had a lengthy career to date, with many singles released; however, she has yet to release an album; although, we could possibly hope one is on the way since she did represent Serbia at the Eurovision Song Contest 2017, even though she didn't qualify for the Grand Final. This song was her second official single and is one of her earliest singles with a high amount of views. The song is interesting and definitely one I could listen to over and over, although it's not so memorable. In English "Tražim" means "Wanted". The song and video are in memory of Tijana Jurić, who was a Serbian girl that was kidnapped and murdered on 26 July 2014.
The music video is interesting and has a Jessica Simpson "With You" feel to it, but much more of a lower budget. Regardless, it works well and it's so nice to see Tijana Bogićević acting as this sweet and innocent woman.
Mainly a performance piece, with various defining scenes. My favourite is definitely the beach scene, which definitely shows off Tijana Bogićević as a brilliant performer.
The other scenes are more profile shots of Tijana Bogićević. She doesn't do herself justice in this visual, being much more relaxed and calm, rather than using the camera to her advantage.
Overall, the music video is subtle and extremely simple. This would probably work better if it had been a high budgeted music video; instead, it comes off lazy and bland. This is quite disappointing, but there are some great shots throughout.
Definitely one of the better concept music videos of Eurovision 2017; Hovig brings a great visual that easily relates to the song he is singing. He represented Cyprus at the Eurovision Song Contest 2017, and easily impressed with his song, music video, and performance; but, on the night of the Grand Final, he seemed to have been overshadowed due to the running order, especially comparing the points from the Semi-Final to that of the Grand Final. He placed 21st overall with 68 points, 32 came from the televote, and 36 from the jury vote. The stage performance integrated some of the dance moves featured in this music video, continuing with the theme. Watch Hovig perform his Eurovision 2017 song "Gravity" whilst a woman mirrors his movements and helps create this forceful gravitational music video.
Hovig, full name Hovig Demirjian, is mostly known for competing in the second series of The X Factor Greece in 2009, where he came seventh overall. This helped him launch his musical career, which saw him release a number of singles. He also took part in the Cyprus national selection for Eurovision 2010, titled Epilogi tis Kipriakis Simmetohis, with the song "Goodbye", where he came third. Zip forward a handful of years and he tries to represent Cyprus again, this time for the Eurovision Song Contest 2015, in the national selection show called Eurovision Song Project, with "Stone In A River", where he came fourth. For this year, he was chosen through internal selection. The song was written by Thomas G:son.
The music video really brings out the title of the song, relating to it literally. It's a great visual representation of Gravity itself whilst also crossing into the meaning of the song.
There's both a performance piece and a narrative-performance piece. Hovig stuns us, adding passion and power in his performance visual, which he totally brought to the staging of his song.
As for the choreography dance visual, I felt it was quite restricting and wasn't too complex, but even then they don't nail it exactly right. It seems quite messy if you look at it properly. On the other hand, it adds to the distortion more, it's technically great and amazing to watch.
Overall, the music video is well-thought-out, it works, and it looks great. It engages with the audience and it's fully relatable to the song. There are a few problems with it, as I have discussed, but this is still one of my favourites from this year.
This is a very sad day indeed, and I'm struggling to focus just thinking about the awful news that happened in Manchester at Ariana Grande's concert last night. Discovering that friends and acquaintances, I knew, were there and as the events unfolded it became more and more shocking. Regardless, we can't live in fear, hence why I'm continuing my Eurovision Song Contest 2017 Special. Kasia Moś didn't make an impression on me when she was announced for Poland as their representative, but she totally nailed it on the night and was awarded the much-needed points, during the Semi-Final to go through. She once again nailed it during the Grand Final. The music video is not as great as her live performance. She came 22nd in the Grand Final with 64 points, 41 from the televote and 23 from the jury vote. Watch Kasia Moś naked and looking beautiful as visuals are shown on her body for the music video to her Eurovision 2017 song "Flashlight".
Kasia Moś has been focusing on a music career for quite a few years now; she has one album out, which was released in 2015, and has released two singles prior to this Eurovision song. She was previously a member of The Pussycat Dolls Burlesque Revue, which explains her confidence for this music video. In 2006 she attempted to represent Poland at Eurovision, coming tenth on their national selection show Piosenka dla Europy. She then took part in the third series of the Polish version of Must Be The Music in 2012, coming third. She then attempted to represent Poland in 2016 with her new single, from her debut album. She came sixth in the national selection show titled Krajowe Eliminacje. She came back in 2017 to give it another shot and won with "Flashlight", finally representing Poland at Eurovision. It's a shame she didn't get more points, although the viewers at home liked it more than the juries did. The song was written by Kasia Moś, Pete Barringer, and Rickard Bonde Truumeel.
The music video seems very exposing as we see Kasia Moś's naked back, as certain visuals are displayed on her skin.
There really isn't a lot to go on with this music video. She's just singing her song, but it's not a performance; it's nowhere near on par to what she did on the Eurovision stage, both in the Semi-Final and the Grand Final.
The visuals don't exactly relate all that well to the song, so I don't really get this as an overall piece. Honestly, I'm not sure what they were trying to do here, and I just feel that compared to her staging, this is not that great. I was hoping for something much better than this; however, the song is still completely amazing.
He opened the Eurovision Song Contest 2017 with this song and unfortunately didn't do so well in the voting, possibly because he went first. It was so sad to hear the Isreal spokesperson announce that this might be the last time Israel performs at Eurovision. The Israel representative managed to give a brilliant performance on the night, but going first has it's drawbacks and was possibly forgotten about as time went on. He placed 23rd with 39 points, 34 points came from the juries whilst the five points came from the televote. The music video itself represents Tel Aviv and shows how beautiful it looks; we all want to go there now, don't we? Especially if IMRI is there to keep us entertained. Watch IMRI meet up with mates and start a party in this celebratory Eurovision 2017 music video for "I Feel Alive" that shows off Tel Aviv in all its Israel summer glory.
IMRI, full name Imri Ziv, has graced the Eurovision stage a number of times, as this music video likes to suggest and confirm. However, he never made centre stage; instead, he acted as a backing singer during those two times in 2015 and 2016. In 2017, he took part in HaKokhav HaBa, which is the original version of Rising Star; he subsequently won the show and went on to represent Israel at Eurovision 2017. He has got a brilliant voice and I can't wait to see what other music he releases in the future. This song is one of my top favourites and has an unforgettable twist amongst the backing track in an East-Europe-meets-West-Europe pop. It was written by Dolev Ram and Penn Hazut.
Directed by Elad Weissman & Yoasv Tsafir, this music video encompasses Tel Aviv purely showing off its beauty. I never really thought about what it was like over there, but it really looks stunning in this visual; we all want to go there now, but only if IMRI shows us around.
There is a slight narrative to this as he hops into a Jeep with his mates and goes to pick up some girls from the beach who have been lying on giant-sized deck chairs with the words "I ♡ Tel Aviv" before they head up the stairs to the Jeep.
They go off to an outdoor party which includes a crowd of people and some dancing, which makes IMRI look even sexier if that was even possible. Controlled throughout, the choreography is nailed to perfection, perfectly in sync at all the right times, and it totally works.
The ending scene sees the party turning into a foam party. Can Tel Aviv look any more exciting? It's definitely one place I hope to visit one day, for sure - just because of this music video. It's a great performance piece, much like he did on stage. It tells a subtle narrative between him and a girl. It works but there is more of a representation of Tel Aviv, rather than the song or of IMRI.
It's a Monday, and with "Despicato" at number one by Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee featuring Justin Bieber, the UK top ten is once again open to my Chart Mondays review. This hit song from Ed Sheeran looks like it's about to drop out on Friday, especially with it currently being at number ten, so I thought I'd choose this song, plus I've never seen the music video before today - don't ask me how I've managed not to see it as I don't even know myself. Watch Saoirse Ronan act as the "Galway Girl" in this Irish-themed music video for Ed Sheeran's much-loved track.
Ed Sheeran has hit the world by storm with his latest album. This song, in particular, charted the highest from his latest album out of all the album tracks, so it's understandable that it was chosen as the next single and the next music video since it was so popular. Records have been broken with this album, and Ed Sheeran continues to dominate the charts globally. He's one of the biggest male artists in the world at the moment, and he will keep on succeeding. This song charted at number two in the UK before dropping down to its current position of number ten. It was written by Ed Sheeran, Amy Wadge, Damian McKee, Eamon Murray, Johnny McDaid, Liam Bradley, Niamh Dunne, Sean Graham, and Foy Vance.
Directed by Jason Koenig with Ed Sheeran shooting the video himself, this music video truly puts the viewers in Ed Sheeran's shoes and show an Irish Galway Girl, played by Saoirse Ronan, taking Ed Sheeran around Galway.
The opening scene sees Ed Sheeran finish his concert in Galway, Ireland. We watch Ed Sheeran walk off stage and the camera follows him, then goes right through his head and it's as if we're looking out his eyes. We follow a guy into a car who takes us to a bar named O'Connell's.
At the bar, we bump into Saoirse Ronan, who takes us up to the dancefloor to dance. She takes us out to the street, but then a clip sees us playing darts in exact relation to the lyrics. We (or should we say Ed Sheeran) throws a dart at the dartboard without looking (keeping his/our eyes on Saoirse Ronan), and accidentally stabs a guy with the dart - luckily he's wearing a big coat, so it's okay. We run away, out into the streets.
We see some Irish dancers in the street who ask Ed Sheeran to sign a magazine, before showing him their dancing - with the help of Saoirse Ronan. We then watch a busker who we give some money to. Then Ed Sheeran (us) goes on a bike ride in the middle of the night with this Galway Girl. Where we end up at a tattoo shop and Ed Sheeran gets "Galway Grill" inked on his arm.
Next, towards the end, we enter an underground bar. It's refreshing to see Saoirse Ronan so full of life, and we're enjoying being there, being Ed Sheeran. We get two pints from the bar - we can only presume it's Guinness right? - and as we head back to the Galway Girl, we spill our drinks over a guy; that guy, just so happens to be the guy we threw a dart at. Trust Ed Sheeran to have this much bad luck. We get punched in the face by the guy and wake up at Saoirse Ronan's place. Now that's how you get with Saoirse Ronan!
The ending sees them go out onto a roof window balcony and the camera flies away. We are no longer Ed Sheeran. I love how they include the problems with being famous - which Ed Sheeran has talked about recently, wishing he could go back to a normal life without all the paparazzi and the fame. This video is unique, different and completely relates to the song. Once again, Ed Sheeran has brought another amazing music video to our screens.
We're now on to the Grand Final with my Eurovision Song Contest 2017 Special. Spain, unfortunately came last in the competition with just five points; poor Manel Navarro, he did not deserve so little points especially with this Spenish summer song "Do It For Your Lover"; however he did hit a bum note during his stage performance, but if you forget all about that he gave a brilliant performance. He scored zero points from the juries - a nul points - and the five points all came from the Portuguese televote. The song is very summery and very catchy, I also got the chance to interview him for CelebMix. Watch Manel Navarro take off to Tenerife, Canary Islands with some friends to go surfing and to check out the hot surfer girl in this summer induced music video for his Eurovision 2017 song "Do It For Your Lover".
Manel Navarro first came to my attention when I had a press release come through for his first single on Sony Music Spain, "Candle", which I wrote up for Outlet Magazine, and then followed through with writing about the music video for the song. Little did I know that a few months later he'd be a part of Spain's national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest 2017, titled Objetivo Eurovisión. He has previously won other talent show Catalunya Teen Star second series. He may not have done well, or his best, on the night of Eurovision, but he made an impression on people and he promised that an album will be on it's way, in the interview I did with him for CelebMix. The song was written by Manel Navarro and Antonio "Rayito" Rayo.
Directed by Mauri D. Gallano, the video easily replicates the song bringing the summer sunshine to Eurovision 2017, even if it didn't exactly go to plan, especially in the voting part of the show.
It's a very upbeat song and Manel Navarro easily displays this in the visual. He's very relaxed throughout and the car scene is much more inclusive than the surfing scene. Although, it's great to see Manel Navarro showing us Tenerife and how enjoyable surfing can be; it's clear he really had a great time.
There are performance scenes throughout which has Manel Navarro's usually flare. It's summery, relaxed, and freeing. It's great to watch even though there is nothing special to make this video stand out. It's relatable to the song itself but not really to the lyrics. I cannot wait for this promised album.
This one was one of my early favourites in the Eurovision Song Contest 2017. It's a shame it didn't make the Grand Final; although, with the amount of ballads that were in the competition this year, it wasn't really a surprise that some didn't quite make it. This one was very strong on the night, with Tamara Gachechiladze looking completely stunning in the first Semi-Final. However, representing Georgia, she only managed to get 99 points, placing her 11th - a whole 16 points away from 10th place Greece who was represented by Demy with "This Is Love"; Tamara Gachechiladze gained 37 points from the televote and 62 points from the jury. I love the message behind this song. Watch Tamara Gachechiladze perform her Eurovision 2017 song "Keep The Faith", whilst a diverse group of people sing along to the lyrics of the song in this incredibly powerful music video.
Tamara Gachechiladze, formerly known as Tako Gachechiladze, was originally a part of the quartet Stephane & 3G, who originally attempted to represent Georgia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009 where they won the national final; however the song was flagged for political reasons and refusal to change the lyrics led to them withdrawing from the contest. In other years, Tamara Gachechiladze took part in Georgia's national selection shows for Eurovision 2008 (where she came tenth), and Eurovision 2009 (where she came fourth but also won as part of Stephane & 3G). Zip forward eight years, and she won Georgia's national show for Eurovision 2017. It's just such a shame she didn't go through to the Grand Final, but, much like the other acts who didn't make it, she's gained fans around the world who will support her, just like me. This song is strong and powerful, it hits my heart every time I hear it; it was written by Tamara Gachechiladze and Anri Jokhadze.
This music video is one of a few favourites of mine from the Eurovision Song Contest 2017. It's really simple and basic but has such an explosive and cultural impact. If anything, this has a lot of power, which is surprising from something so basic.
In the visual we watch Tamara Gachechiladze performing the song, in various stunning outfits, none quite as beautiful as her Semi-Final outfit - now that was beyond gorgeous. She gives it so much meaning in the video, she clearly loves this song and the message behind it, which she easily conveys.
Throughout the music video, we see other people singing along to the words of the song, they aren't performing it so it's okay that they're not giving it their all, but that's because who they are is what sends the message out to us. The song is about not letting people get you down, to not hide, to go out and become who you are meant to be. These people in the visual are certain stereotypes that may be verbally abused for their appearance and their choices, but you should never be someone that those mean people want you to be; be yourself.
The music video is completely powerful, the song has the perfect message and should definitely have made the final. I hope that Tamara Gachechiladze continues to "Keep The Faith" and releases more music and more stunning songs because I can't wait to hear what she releases next.
Another great song and artist that just missed out on the Grand Final; however, at least Tijana Bogićević is a part of my Eurovision Song Contest 2017 Special. I much prefer the music video over the staging production of this song during the second Semi-Final. "In Too Deep" is an amazing song that I could listen to again and again. She represented Serbia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2017, she gained 98 points during the second Semi-Final coming 11th, just three points short from Denmark's Anja with "Where I Am"; she got 53 points from the jury vote and 45 points from the televote. Watch two dancers perform as if they're submerged in water, "In Too Deep" of one another's love in this music video of Serbia's Eurovision 2017 song by Tijana Bogićević,
Tijana Bogićević has been singing for many years. She first came to prominence when she released "Cudo". She has released many singles, her first being in 2009, and previously entered the Serbia national selection in 2009, titled Beovizija, but only made it to the semi-finals. She next went on stage of Eurovision 2011 as a backing singer for Nina. Now, through internal selection, she got the Eurovision 2017 spotlight on stage but missed out on making the Grand Final by three points. Regardless, she's gained more fans from around the world, and I'm totally interested in what she brings next. Her song and performance reminded me of Ira Losco's "Walk On Water". This song was written by Borislav Milanov, Joacim Persson, Johan Alkenas, and Lisa Desmond.
The music video is mainly a performance piece, that sees Tijana Bogićević on a metal hoop which is attached high above; almost like a swing. She looks serene and confident up there, high above.
The other side of this music video is a man and woman who are dancing to this song; interpreting it into this choreographed dance scene that has a lot of watery elements to it - just like the song.
It works well, but I feel there isn't a lot of substance to this music video. It's very basic, yet at the same time it's been edited well and filmed well. The water scene was a nice added surprise, and yet there isn't much going on in the water either.
Again, today saw lots of new music get released, but not many have music videos, so I struggled to find one that did. I stumbled across this one from Alan Walker, and he proves, yet again, how incredible his music is. The video matches this, giving us war images and shows that love truly can win out. The visual is pretty similar to his previous efforts, and the song follows the same sort of suit; regardless, this easily gets stuck in my head and I'm sure it'll get inside yours too. Watch this war explosion of a visual in this Alan Walker music video for "Tired" which features Gavin James.
Alan Walker is quickly becoming a DJ we all know and love. He hit it big in 2015 with "Faded" and ever since, he has released catchy singles one after another; although, they have not been raging chart successes, unlike his previous first hit. However, they've charted well in his home country of Norway, where he has topped the charts three times to date. He also became virally known when he collaborated with Sofia Carson on "Back To Beautiful", his remix of which was chosen as her official single release of the song. I truly believe he will continue on with his success, and I can't wait to see what the future brings for him. "Tired" is in collaboration with Gavin James, who is an Irish singer-songwriter; he had a global hit with "Nervous", and his debut album charted moderately well in certain countries. This song is expected to chart well, and Alan Walker has been teasing it a lot recently.
Directed by Alexander Halvorsen, the music video is a subtle narrative music video, which we have come to expect from Alan Walker.
There's not an awful lot going on in the visual, we see that war is going on and there's a group of people who need to connect something to the power supply.
We see that our two main characters are into one another as they keep looking and smiling across. It's quite powerful to know that even though they're hiding behind a hood and a cloth that is covering their mouths, you can tell by their eyes that they are smiling.
We see some sexual images of the two characters together. They are played by Sarah Gindel Jabang and Daniel Peralta. Eventually, they manage to connect to the network and we watch a timer count down the minutes until impact. When it reaches zero we see all the lights go out.
Overall, this music video isn't easy to understand and the reasons why is hidden behind the visuals; regardless, the video is interesting and engaging. It makes you want to know what's going on; that is definitely what makes this music video special. Yet, it's confusing and hard to understand, with many repetitive scenes.
Now, this was one of my favourites from this year's Eurovision Song Contest. This was totally one of my frontrunners to win the whole thing until I saw the rehearsals and their staging - that completely dropped any chance that they had; believe it or not, staging can change the whole outcome. Timebelle represented Switzerland with their song "Apollo" gaining 97 points, placing them 12th in the second semi-final; they got 49 points in televoting and 48 points in the jury vote. The music video is classy and shows the trio as a great professional group; on stage, it was a totally different story and just didn't connect well with both the viewers at home and the juries. Watch the trio Timebelle perform this song in a classy building, looking incredible as leaves cascade down them before they meet up with old people and get them to dance in the Eurovision 2017 "Apollo" music video.
Timebelle are a three-piece group consisting of Miruna Mănescu, Samuel Forster, and Emanuel Daniel Andriescu. They used to be a five-piece group and attempted to represent Switzerland at Eurovision previously in Die Entscheidungsshow in 2015, they placed second, just missing out. They returned as a three-piece, this year and won the contest. Unfortunately, they didn't make it through the second semi-final. The song was phenomenal, and is still one of my favourites; however, the staging totally ruined the whole thing and I am disappointed with Switzerland on the whole decision of the stage production. Regardless, I'll continue to support Timebelle, and I hope they continue making brilliant music. This song was written by Elias Näslin, Nicholas Günthardt, and Alessandra Günthardt.
The trio worked with Next Generation Media for this music video, which was filmed in Romania. It's set inside a very classy old building, and the trio looks completely classy and stunning throughout, especially Miruna Mănescu. I really wished they used this theme on the Eurovision stage, I'm sure that it would've given them the much-needed points to get through to the Grand Final.
There are a few scenes spotted throughout this music video, the main performance piece where the trio is seen dressed in black; then there's the scene with the old men and women, some of which are couples, clearly waiting for Timebelle to turn up and get the party started - which is exactly what they do towards the end of the music video; and, then, there's the falling leaves scene, which is just beautiful throughout.
If anything, this music video easily represents Timebelle in the most perfect way. I will forever keep on wishing they had brought this to the Eurovision stage, this is exactly what should've been shown. The song is about following your dreams, fighting for them, and getting them in the end because you never gave up. This is the sort of music we all need to encourage us to keep fighting, me more so than others because I've been very up and down lately.
Overall this music video is perfect in every way. It's relatable, it's different, it's stunning, and it's something I'm more than happy to watch again and again and again. Timebelle may not have made the Grand Final, they may not have won the competition, but they've definitely turned me into a fan, and I believe I'm not the only one. I can't wait to see what they release next.
It's a Thursday, and that means it's revisit time, and I'm so glad I get to look back on one of Triana Park's classic songs, because this is just as good as "Line", and proves that over time this band has stayed true to themselves. I truly believe that Triana Park is leading the way for electronic rock bands, and will continue to be a force within the music world. Watch Triana Park perform in this gritty music video that clearly displays life in all its ups and downs in this music video for "I Like".
Triana Park has had quite the longevity when it comes to music. They have released a number of singles, a debut album and an EP. The band was formed by Agnese Rakovska and her father Aivars Rakovskis. Back when this song was released, the line-up may have been different to what it is now, as far as we're aware. Regardless, Triana Park has tried, unsuccessfully, to compete in Eurovision for Latvia several times. It wasn't until 2017, after a five-year break, they gave it another shot and they won Supernova 2017 - a different national selection show, that had been brought in a few years ago. However, they failed to make it to the Grand Final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2017, with their song "Line", but still managed to gain plenty of fans all around Europe and the world. Personally, I'm excited to see what they release next.
This music video was directed by Ivars Burtnieks. It's more of a performance-based piece, with scenic shots of life and how hard and difficult it can be all the while showing the ups as well.
There are so many great scenes in this visual, that truly shows off the song and the location and the people in it. Triana Park looks spectacular throughout, and the gig scene is raw and intimate.
There isn't a lot to this music video though, it's clear there wasn't a lot put into it, and at times, it just looks like a random set of scenes all collaborated together. Regardless, the song is pure fire and it's definitely something I shall be downloading when I finally have iTunes credit.
If there was one amazing vocalist and song that deserved to have been in the Grand Final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2017, it was totally Albania's entrant Lindita, with her song "World". However, many Eurovision fans weren't impressed with the revamp of the song for the contest, I have to agree, I much preferred "Botë", on the other hand, "World" is just as powerful, if not more so because of the English lyrics. Unfortunately, Lindita placed 14th in the first semi-final with 76 points, 38 from the jury vote and an additional 38 from the televote. This deserved the Grand Final, but many people thought she oversung it on the night. Watch Lindita perform her Eurovision 2017 song "World" in a futuristic world destroyed by war, where there is a serene forest, many clocks and machinery space ships.
Lindita, full name Lindita Halimi, is mostly known for competing on the fifteenth series of American Idol. It wasn't the first Idol she took part in, she came tenth in Ethet (Albanian Idol) during the third series. She also took part in Top Fest, twice, and in 2009, she won it. Then, she decided to give Eurovision a go, by entering the 53rd edition of Festivali i Këngës where she came third; she later tried again in the 55th edition of Festivali i Këngës, winning it this time around and going on to represent Albania at the Eurovision Song Contest 2017. Unfortunately, she didn't get through to the Grand Final, but she gained many more fans, including myself, who will certainly help her on her way to success, because a voice this great should never be lost to the world. The song was written by Lindita, Big Basta, and Klodian Qafoku.
Directed by Kleidi Eski, this music video is a pure performance piece, only with a subtle narrative placed throughout. Lindita is in a futuristic world, that has been destroyed by war. Her acting throughout is superb all the while completely bringing it for the performance.
Within the visual, Lindita totally proves that she's a future star. It's such a shame she didn't have more of staging on the Eurovision 2017 stage, they could've easily put her in one of the spaceships. Regardless, they replicated some of the imagery onto the backing LED screen, which was a nice added touch.
Overall the video is cool and interesting. I love how different Lindita looks in each of the scenes, whilst easily getting the meaning of her song across and fitting in nicely within this war-destroyed future setting. It's big and engaging just like this song is.
Well, how this didn't make the Eurovision Song Contest 2017's grand final, I do not know; she may have been overshadowed, to be fair, but she gave a brilliant performance on the night; and just look at how high of a quality this music video is, just wow! Representing Macedonia, also known as the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (F.Y.R. Macedonia), was Jana Burčeska with her song "Dance Alone" gaining 65 points in the second semi-final, 29 from the juries and 40 from the televote. The music video is out-of-this-world, literally, good, like you need to watch it! Taking virtual reality headsets to the next level, watch Jana Burčeska as an old woman, fantasising about dancing with her man through a VR set in this Eurovision 2017 song "Dance Alone".
Jana Burčeska first came to prominence in the first series of Macedonian Idol, where she came fifth, back in 2011. Zoom forward five years and she was announced, through internal selection, as the Macedonian entrant to the Eurovision Song Contest 2017, with this song. She may have only come 15th in the second semi-final, but she'll always treasure this day, because, broadcast live for the world to see, her then-boyfriend pulled out a ring and proposed to her. This news made headlines all over the world, and I guess it's a small consolation prize for not winning the contest or even making the grand final. This song was written by Joacim Persson, Alex Omar, Florence A. and Borislav Milanov.
Now, this is what you call a music video, a narrative and performance piece combined together through a virtual reality headset. The narrative slightly reminds me of Chad Kroeger in the Avril Lavigne music video "Let Me Go" which features him as an old man before looking in a mirror and seeing his former self. In this one, an old woman puts on a headset and turns into her younger self, the person we now see as Jana Burčeska.
During the virtual reality scene, Jana Burčeska is dancing with a guy, flirting and teasing with a guy, who, unfortunately, isn't her new fiancé - although they do look similar.
Outside of the VR headset, the old woman can be seen doing household chores, such as washing up. She's clearly alone, and it's quite saddening to see. There's a clear connection between the song and the music video, and these scenes are edited well. It really does tell a brilliant story.
The best part of the video is the ending scene as it switches from young Jana Burčeska to the old woman; it's the exact same room, the exact same picture of the man, but there's a coloured distortion and just proves that they are the same person. This music video is amazing, and so much better than the stage production of the song; although, the song itself is brilliant as well.
How this didn't make the Grand Final, I do not know. Svala friken nailed this on the night, just like Måns Zelmerlöw said she would, it was a magical performance, but she didn't get through. Regardless, I now get to showcase it on my Eurovision Song Contest 2017 Special, so I'm glad I get to do that at least. For Iceland, Svala singing "Paper" gained 60 points overall; 29 from the juries and 31 from the televote. She deserved way more than that. The song is catchy, without a doubt, and her voice is powerful, for sure. Why did this not make it? Watch Svala perform this progressive song in this engaging performance-based music video for her Eurovision Song Contest 2017 song "Paper".
Svala, full name Svala Björgvinsdóttir, is already a pretty big name, having managed to chart on the US Billboard Chart with her song "The Real Me". She later released an album under the same name. She has been included in many projects, including three-piece electronic group Steed Lord who has had pretty big successes in the music industry. Later she formed a duo with her husband named Blissful, who's first single, "Elevate", has received lots of plays on Spotify as well as other streaming sites. She competed in Söngvakeppnin 2017, Iceland's national selection to Eurovision, and won with her song "Paper". It's such a shame she didn't make the Grand Final because she totally nailed it on the night. The song has charted at number one in Iceland. It was written by Svala Björgvinsdóttir, Einar Egilsson, Lester Mendez, and Lily Elise.
Directed by Einar Egils, the music video is another pure performance piece, which is what we usually expect from Eurovision music videos, although we all much prefer something different, since we are going to see them perform the song on the stage. Her semi-final performance can be found below.
This isn't as good as her stage performance, it's too laid-back for the song itself, never mind the whole production. She doesn't look like she's feeling the words or meaning any of them; however, that could all be down to the editing of the video.
Regardless, she looks stunning throughout, even in that wintry red puffed-up coat. She has style and totally rocks it. She looks quite sassy and confident in all the right ways, which is a great interpretation of the song since she's telling a guy how he makes her be. I also like the blue filtering which literally translates the lyrics onto the visual. Clever and cool, very cool; but, not engaging and not as good as Svala's performance on the night.
It's Chart Mondays again, and breaking up my Eurovision Song Contest 2017 Special is French Montana and Swae Lee with "Unforgettable". Once again the UK top 10 is open to my Chart Mondays review since Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee featuring Justin Bieber is number one with "Despacito (Remix)", which doesn't have a music video; annoyingly, the original does but that is illegible to chart since the remix is what propelled it to number one, even though in the iTunes chart both tracks are in the top 10. Regardless, it has allowed me to watch this incredible music video, which I probably wouldn't have seen otherwise. Watch French Montana and Swae Lee perform in Uganda with a bunch of kids who have the biggest smiles and can dance better than all of us in this music video for "Unforgettable".
French Monatana, real name Karim Kharbouch, has quickly become an established hip-hop artist. He first came to my attention when he collaborated with Miley Cyrus on her most-recent album, he later topped the UK charts as a featured singer on will.i.am's "Feelin' Myself". Now he's made it all by himself, getting into the top ten with this song, which is actually really catchy. It's a collaboration with Swae Lee, real name Khalif Brown, who is mostly known for being in Rae Sremmund, who had a worldwide hit with "Black Beatles". Now, he's gone solo and he's doing an amazing job so far, especially featuring on this track and totally grabbing the spotlight in this music video. The song is currently at number eight in the UK; it was written by Karim Kharbouch, Khalif Brown, Michael L. Williams II, Christopher Washington, McCulloch Reid Sutphin, and Aujla Jagvir Singh.
Directed by Spliff TV & French Montana, the music video is a full-on performance piece, filmed in Kampala, Uganda. It's so endearing to see these children with massive smiles on their faces, dancing like they have no problems in their world.
As I previously mentioned, Swae Lee totally takes the spotlight in this music video, he exudes a confidence and a swag, totally stylish throughout out, the viewers are just drawn to him from the get-go; so much so that he makes this song look like his own. Regardless, French Montana gives as much as he can and doesn't fair too badly in the visual.
What really stands out are the kids, they know how to dance. Throughout, they're in-sync, totally nailing the choreography and dance sequences where they need to. It's so great to see them filled with so much joy in the video, especially since it's a place we don't hear from often, but we know that many African countries aren't doing so well.
Overall, kudos for French Montana truly showing Africa in a positive and energetic light. This is truly a remarkable and unforgettable music video, which definitely deserves the highest of ratings. It's one that will be embedded in my mind for years to come, and I will most definitely watch again and again.
