I used to be a massive fan of Justin Timberlake, but my love of his music certainly fell as time went on, and I'm glad it did since I do not like this song, or it's accompanying music video. He's made quite the comeback this year, but it falls short. He is one of the top male singers in the whole world, and yet his latest music hasn't quite slammed the charts as his past tracks have done. Watch Justin Timberlake present to the world the first dancing robot that copies his moves on stage in this futuristic music video for "Filthy".
Justin Timberlake released this track as the first single from his new album, which is his first in five years. Usually, if an artist has waited so long to release an album, you would expect a brilliant collection of tracks. However, he doesn't meet our expectations when it comes to this album, and it really does make us miss his previous tracks. He came back with the awesome "Can't Stop This Feeling", last year which got us all excited about new music, yet this all just falls short, in my opinion. Since his latest singles haven't hit the charts hard, it just shows I'm not the only one who thinks this. However, there's bound to be a surge soon as he performed at the Super Bowl's LII halftime show. This song was written by Justin Timberlake, Larrance Dopson, James Fauntleroy, Floyd Nathaniel Hills, and Timothy Mosley.
Directed by Mark Romanek, the music video is set in 2028 at the Pan-Asian Deep Learning Conference at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. He takes inspiration from Steve Jobs and presents his new creation, this robot. He pulls off the geeky-look effortlessly whilst still remaining professional.
This is quite on the freaky side, it reminds me so much of iRobot and all the other robot films where it just doesn't turn out all that great. I keep expecting something to happen every single time I watch this music video, but all we are watching is a dancing robot.
There is a slight twist at the end, but rather than the robot deciding to think for itself and kill everyone, we have Justin Timberlake disappearing from existence. He really is a holographic image! It's an interesting concept of a music video, which becomes slightly relatable to the song as the dancing continues; however, they should've done more with it, there's nothing to keep the audience entertained unless your a robot fanatic and cannot wait to see what this robot does next. Nope, that's not me.
I could've sworn this became a UK number one single, but it turns out that it only hit number 13 in the UK. I'm not sure why I thought it became number one, mainly because the song and music video was literally everywhere back in 2011. It's time for my catch-up blog's Thursday revisit, and I am more than a month behind on my blog, and I totally hate myself for it, so much so that I'm determined to focus in the next few weeks and totally catch up! This music video was totally everywhere back in the day and was filmed in real time, so this tennis match actually happened! Which explains the clarity of the visual. Watch Martin Solveig compete against Bob Sinclar in a tennis match at Court Philippe Chatrier in this music video for "Hello" in collaboration with Dragonette.
Martin Solveig, real name Martin Picandet, is one DJ who continues to bring out hit after hit after hit. This track was certainly the start of his success. In recent years, his music has grown on me a lot, and I was completely honoured to have been given the chance to exclusively interview him for CelebMix. He's been bringing out brilliant songs to date, and I'm still obsessed with "Places". There's no sign of a new album on the horizon, and he even admitted, in my interview with him, that he doesn't plan to release an album, just yet, unless he feels it is right. This song is a collaboration with Dragonette, who currently consists of Martina Sorbara, Dan Kurtz, and Joel Stouffler. They've had a number of hits in their time as a group, although in recent years they haven't had the success that their early years gave them; however, they have an established name and when it comes to this sort of music, it comes in waves and I'm sure Dragonette will return with an absolute banger. The song was written by Martin Solveig and Martina Sorbara.
This music video takes place at the French Open at Court Philippe Chatrier and stars Martin Solveig, Bob Sinclar, DJ Grégory Darsa, Flo Lafaye, Olivia Sanchez, Mathilde Johansson, Novak Djokovic, and Gaël Monfils. Unfortunately, Dragonette does not appear in this visual. There are two versions of this music video, a long version which is part of the series of music videos titled "Smash", and then this shorter video. I may review the longer video at some point in the future.
I'm not sure what tennis has to do with this song overall, but it's comical and great to watch. Who knew that Martin Solveig and Bob Sinclar could play tennis, let alone this exceptionally? I love the fact that Bob Sinclar pretty much thrashes Martin Solveig until the final match point, to which Martin Solveig's love interest, played by Flo Lafaye comes in, and this is where he finds energy and motivation to impress his girl.
During the match point, Novak Djokovic refutes the referee, telling him to check it again. It turns out that Martin Solveig's return is actually in, rather than out. The game continues and Martin Solveig racks up the points to level with Bob Sinclar for the match point.
This is where it becomes interesting, because on comes Gaël Monfils, who will apparently be playing the winner of this match, and therefore is there to scope out the competition; although let's be honest, if that was the case, he would've been there from the beginning rather than appearing at the very end. Martin Solveig watches him walk up to Flo Lafaye, kissing her right in front of him. This is where Martin Solveig gives up and essentially throws in the towel by literally throwing in a towel, and the music video ends.
Overall, the song is about going over to someone and just saying 'hello' and not meaning anything in it and just enjoying the party. Instead, we have a music video all about tennis and competition; there is a love interest, but she isn't saying hello, instead she goes off to someone else. It does have a slight connection as Martin Solveig tries to impress her; however, she's not there to be impressed as she's already in a relationship. It's a very slight connection to the song, but I applaud it for not showing a typical party music video.
Anyone who saw my last blog post certainly expected me to follow it up with this one, since I had just realised that I haven't reviewed any of CeCe's music videos, until now. "Broke AF" was totally one of my favourite music videos from 2017; yet, her debut single "Dead 2 Me" still manages to resonate with me, and I'll never forget the day she dropped this music video. There's just something so incredibly special about this. CeCe really brings it for this visual, maybe because it is officially her debut. Watch CeCe get revenge on her guy who cheated on her in this music video for her debut single titled "Dead 2 Me".
CeCe, full name CeCelia Frey, made her name known by coming eighth in the second series of The X Factor (US). Her vocals are phenomenal, and this track really doesn't do her justice, although it is catchy. If you take a listen to her follow-up song "Broke AF", you'll see how amazing her talent really is. This song and its music video feels like the CeCe that we met during The X Factor, who was almost on the side of arrogant; however, she's grown up a lot since then. The series also made stars out of Tate Stevens, Fifth Harmony, Emblem3, Diamond White, Bea Miller, and Sister C. This song was written by Lydia Vaughan, CeCelia Frey, and Andrew Kremer.
Directed by Patrick Lawrence, this music video has three sections or parts as the video calls them. It's a great narrative from start to finish; although, it's something we've seen time and time again with just a different take on the storyline every time. However, this isn't that much different to others we have seen.
"Act I: The Set Up" starts off with a phone call between CeCe and the guy who has cheated on her. She announces that she totally understands and that "friends kiss all the time" in quite a sarcastic way without giving it away that it's a set up. She invites him to a party, proclaiming that they'll kiss and make up. At the end of the phone call, she tells her girls that "he bought it", before laughing and the track kicks in. They drive to the venue as the first part of the song is sung, with CeCe bringing fire to the track in her performance visuals, which we totally expected.
"Act II: The Trap" sees CeCe's on-screen lover walk on to the set of the party. The venue is deserted as he tries to find out where about the party is being held. He arrives at a garage as the second part of the song kicks in. The girls surround him, as CeCe sings and throws punches at him, which he attempts to avoid until the last one knocks him to the ground.
"Act III: The Party" is the final part, where they drag him to a chair and tie him up. CeCe has on her leopard-print face paint which we're used to seeing from her days on The X Factor (US), as all the girls dance away at the party. She sings the song right in the face of her love interest before they all walk away, leaving him strapped to the chair.
Overall, it's a brilliant music video that completely relates to the song in every way. The storyline has been thought out and is cleverly split into three parts. On the other hand, it's not something new, and this narrative has appeared time and again in music videos.
Have I really not reviewed this yet? OMG! I haven't even reviewed her first music video "Dead 2 Me". What is wrong with me? You know what's coming after this music video review, right? I did write up an article about CeCe's "Broke AF" music video for CelebMix, so that's probably why I missed it. Still, I'm ashamed of myself, because this is one epic music video that should be on my blog! This song is such a raw, emotional, and honest pop-ballad, one that no one can deny suits CeCe perfectly. The music video completely relates in every way. Watch CeCe and Ronen Rubinstein show how in love they are with one another whilst being completely out of money in this loving music video for "Broke AF".
CeCe, full name CeCe Frey, made a name for herself on the second season of US version of The X Factor. She came sixth overall and was a part of Demi Lovato's team. It was that series that made established names out of Tate Stevens, Fifth Harmony, Emblem3, Diamond White, Bea Miller, and Sister C. This song, alone, really shows how far CeCe has come from her first audition. "Broke AF" is a powerful track that is totally stripped back and full of real emotion in every single way. It was written by Jonathan Castelli, Zachary Scott Poor, Hayley Warner, Adam Scott Friedberg, and CeCelia Marie Frey.
Directed by Patrick Lawrence, this music video is a full narrative music video that has a performance piece thrown in throughout as CeCe sings along to the lyrics. She easily portrays the main character and gives it all the emotion it totally deserves. Ronen Rubinstein brings it too, for the narrative, and these two worked perfectly together.
Interpreting some of the lyrics literally, such as the mattress on the floor, this music video easily shows two people completely in love whilst being "Broke AF". The video starts out with our adorable couple robbing a store with water guns, as they clearly can't afford to pay for their items - let alone pay for a real gun to rob the store with. Then we watch their home life, which sees CeCe as an artist, painting a jacket and then painting her name on Ronen Rubinstein's body.
They easily convey two people in love, and it melts my heart to watch. They steal a car and then later returns it, leaving a note; they drove to the top of a hill to look at the beautiful cityscape. She finds a waitress job but feels so down after her shift, only to come home to see the cutest surprise ever from her boyfriend.
Overall, this music video is beyond amazing. It's well thought out and completely relates to the song in every way. CeCe and Ronen Rubinstein bring it, easily displaying the narrative and really getting involved with the characters they are playing. Such a brilliant music video, one I could watch again and again.
I've been avoiding reviewing this for weeks during Chart Mondays, purely because I knew it would be in the Top 10 for some time, and there was bound to be a week where I don't have much choice left. This was the week where Christmas songs dominated the charts, as they do every year. Unfortunately, I had already reviewed all the Christmas song music videos in the Top Ten, so it leaves this one and Rita Ora's "Anywhere" for me to review, but since this is a backdated review, I know for a fact that this one drops out before Rita Ora's song does, so I might as well do this one now. After my first watch, I'm wishing I was reviewing Rita Ora, not going to lie. Watch Big Shaq in Miami performing to the camera and including comedic scenes that relate to his viral track and biggest hit to date "Man's Not Hot".
Big Shaq is a comedic character who is played by English comedian rapper Michael Dapaah. He went viral with this song due to a meme after he appeared on BBC Radio 1Xtra's Charlie Sloth "Fire In The Booth" section where he played both his characters MC Quakez and Roadman Shaq. The previous character released a debut single titled "Balance". It was a freestyle on the instrumental of 67 and Giggs' 2016 track "Let's Lurk" which was first used on 86's "Lurk". It became a complete sensation, and he soon changed the character's name to Big Shaq and then released the song as a single. I very much doubt he'll manage to keep his success and continue having hits, but considering how Michael Dapaah maximised on this popularity, I have no doubt he can do it again. This song was written by Michael Dapaah.
Directed by Marv Brown, this music video starts off with a skit where Big Shaq receives a phone call from Asznee who turns out to be comedian and YouTuber Chunkz. As the video goes on we see various stars appear, including Waka Flocka Flame, Lil Yachty, Jim Jones, Broederliefde, and DJ Khaled, the latter of which calls Big Shaq a "legend".
Throughout, there are some relatable scenes, mainly with Big Shaq not taking his coat off, even when a girl asks him to take off his jacket, or even when he's in a sauna. We sure get that he really isn't hot.
Overall, there's not a lot that I want to comment on for this video. It's comedic to an extent, managing to relate some of the lyrics to the song itself. It's a quality music video with Big Shaq bringing some great energy to the visual, especially when it cuts to one of his gigs. I look forward to seeing if Michael Dapaah can bring another hit to charts around the world; I really believe he can.
Again, I'm letting my iTunes randomizer choose the music videos I should review. This song came up while I was playing my music on random, I have it as part of a compilation album, and I just had to see if there was a music video because this song is addicting in every way. So, that is how I came across this and it is full of fun and totally relates to the song. Watch Martin Solveig, The Cataracs, and Kyle perform as they set up lights and a paddling pool in this fun and cool music video for "Hey Now".
Martin Solveig, real name Martin Picandet, is one of the biggest DJs in the world, and one I am obsessed with after having the amazing opportunity to interview him for CelebMix. He continues to prove himself in the music industry, his music chart positions come in waves, most of the time it takes time for his songs to go viral and become popular, but as soon as they do, they become chart successes. This one had mild success. It features The Cataracs, who was down to one member at this time who was Niles Hollowell-Dhar, he is now known as KSHMR. As a duo, they scored many successes and song-writing hits; and now, as a soloist, he continues to make splashes in the music industry, which is great to see. The same goes for Kyle, full name Kyle Harvey, who totally went viral a few years later with "iSpy"; it truly shows if you work hard and never give up, you get there in the end! This song charted well in some countries, with it becoming a hit in Ireland at number eight. "Hey Now" was written by Kyle Harvey, Martin Solveig, and Niles Dhar.
This music video is pure fun in every single way, which is totally expected considering the overall joviality of the track. To my surprise, Martin Solveig sings this song. I'm so used to him using a vocalist to sing these songs that I so didn't expect to see him singing - that certainly shocked me from the very start.
The whole theme has a Bob Dylan's "Subterranean Homesick Blues" feel to it, only updated to the max - since that old music video was done way back in 1965. It's all about fun in the summer sunshine as they continue to spread the cheer and create words out of the set they have.
Once again, Martin Solveig proves that he's a DJ and not really a performer whatsoever since there's no energy behind his singing. However, he does try his best and he's much better at being himself and having fun. As for Kyle, on the other hand, he brings it with the energy and really gives the camera what is missing.
This totally works with the song, how this didn't become a hit in the UK or the US, I'll never know. We need more fun songs like this dominating charts all around the world. I also think "Kings Of The Playground" would've been a much better title for the song.
I was just listening to "Only You", and realised I haven't reviewed this music video yet; although to be fair, I'm not so keen on this song "Don't Let Me Be Yours". Why did she not release a music video for "Only You"? - Now, that one is a tune. This song was released before "Only You", it wasn't a success at all, compared to her previous songs. The music video is all right, but the scenes with Zara Larsson has all sorts of lighting problems. Watch Zara Larsson perform to the camera while scenes of a woman racing driver are intercut throughout in this music video for "Don't Let Me Be Yours".
Zara Larsson is the Swedish sensation that went international thanks to a collaboration with MNEK that really sent her global with her solo work. She launched well, especially in the UK where her follow-up singles all did well, and we finally got a debut solo album, although she did previously release a debut album which was restricted to certain countries. We haven't heard anything new from her for a bit of a while, so I'm presuming she's working on new music and is prepared to blow us all away once again. This song was written by Zara Larsson, Steve McCutcheon, Johnny McDaid, and Edward Christopher Sheeran (Ed Sheeran).
Directed by Daniel Kaufman, this music video deserved to have been better. It may have the essentials for a great music video with a performance piece and a narrative piece, but it just doesn't work overall. It does have a sense of girl power throughout though.
The narration starts the video off, as we watch a woman head towards a smashed up car in the junkyard. She finds what she needs and takes it back to her racing car so she can compete. At the end, she wins a trophy, which makes the whole thing worthwhile and proves that anything is possible if you fight for it.
I have a total problem with lighting in the music video during Zara Larsson's performance piece. It's clear the person behind the camera didn't take in the sun and the background lighting, causing some really bright shots that swallow Zara Larsson up in light - at times we can't see her at all. Regardless she still brings energy, which we expect. It's clear this song means a lot to her, yet it doesn't work out the way we had hoped.
Overall, this music video isn't memorable at all. It barely relates to the song, apart from the fact that our main character isn't bothered about looking her best, and instead focused on making her dream come true - which isn't really what the song is about, since Zara Larsson sings about a guy who may not like her in the morning when she doesn't look perfect and he has sobered up. Her performance piece would be good if the sunlight didn't get in the way. She makes up for it at night with the burning car, though.
I was trying my best to find a music video to review for this backdated date, but all that was coming up was this specific music video. Annoyingly, it is claimed to have been released on 29 December 2017; however, the video itself states that it was released on 4 January 2018. According to reports, it was first made available on Tidal before making its way onto YouTube. Either way, I'm not spending any more time trying to find another music video to review, as I don't think any others were released. The song isn't to my liking, yet Beyoncé's riffs are certainly perfection - nothing new there. Watch events unfold from 2444 before going into the past, through generations, to present day where Jay-Z, Beyoncé, and Blue Ivy spend time in a church together in this music video for "Family Feud".
Jay-Z, real name Shawn Carter, is an internationally known rapper. Everyone practically knows who he is and the ones who don't, certainly knows his wife, Beyoncé; she is also the featured singer on this specific song. He is one of the best-selling musicians of all time and has been following a career in music for decades. This song is taken from his 13th studio album titled 4:44. The album was released on 30 June 2017, so technically this isn't a new song; however, the music video is new, hence why I'm using it as my new release blog review. "Family Feud" was written by Shawn Carter, Dion Wilson, Beyoncé Knowles, and Elbernita Clark.
Directed by Ava DuVernay, the music video starts off in the future and then goes back in time to present day. It's quite a unique idea, although I bet others have thought of it before him. It has an all-star cast consisting of Trevante Rhodes, Janet Mock, Rashida Jones, Michael B. Jordan, Mindy Kaling, Omari Hardwick, Jessica Chastain, Thandie Newton, Emayatzy Corinealdi, David Oyelowo, America Ferrera, Storm Reid, Brie Larson, Rosario Dawson, Constance Wu, Niecy Nash, Susan Kelechi Watson, Henry Sanders, and Irene Bedard.
It spans almost eight minutes long and starts off with a quote from James Baldwin before starting a narrative in 2444. The score is by Flying Lotus. We watch a man, played by Michael B. Jordan, walk up a flight of stairs, storming into a woman's bedroom, played by Thandie Newton. We presume she is his sister; she's the face of the family and she's still in bed. Micheal B. Jordan's character thinks he should be the face of the family. She's lying in bed with a guy, played by Trevante Rhodes, who gets out and strangles her brother before she stabs him in the side with a knife.
The next scene sees two co-presidents, played by Irene Bedard and Omari Hardwick, being confronted formally about a murder in the family that led to his ascent that refutes his claim for peace. The two co-presidents push back, saying that everyone is family and throughout generations, they've worked together. Omari Hardwick goes on to narrate the rest of the story as we go back in time.
The next scene is almost 300 years ago, in 2148, where we see two protectors keeping watch over a disturbance that hasn't happened in centuries; which they then solve themselves. Back again we go to 2096 where the narrator states: "My family has fought for the law." The clip suggests that in 78 years time a fight will take place that is reminiscent of the cavemen days. America Ferrera appears in this scene. This is followed up by a scene in 2050 which sees a diverse group of women debating. Susan Kelechi Watson plays the adult Blue Ivy Carter, claiming she's one of America's founding mothers. They debate the second amendment - and Susan Kelechi Watson links it to the 13th amendment, which is what the director's Oscar-nominated documentary "13th" is about.
This is where Susan Kelechi Watson takes on a bit of a narrative, introducing us to the present day's scene. She states: "It's like I remember my father saying when I was a little girl. Nobody wins when the family feuds." This is when the actual song finally arrives. Jay-Z can be seen confessing in the church to his wife Beyoncé. She gives some amazing riffs that are added to the backing track. They're both stylish and on-point, fully giving us power-couple vibes in every way.
Overall, this music video focuses more on the film side of this and the story rather than the short song and the clips that go with it. It's cleverly put together but certainly feels long-winded. A long intro before the actual song and the specific clips have been something we've seen many times before, and these sort of music videos come around every few years. It's interesting and engaging, yet there's not enough focusing and understanding going on. Music videos are too short to be turned into films unless done correctly. This just feels like they've tried to compact too much in.
There wasn't much choice for my Thursday Revisit, I had planned to do a donkeyboy music video review, but they're all meaningful which will mean I'd have to go into great detail; and, since I am on a catch-up spree for this blog, I need easy visuals to review. So, taking that on board, I chose "SOS" by Rihanna as it isn't really a memorable music video, and certainly one that allows me to keep detail to a minimum. Watch Rihanna dance through these visuals as she acts sexily in some of the scenes in this music video for her song "SOS".
Rihanna, real name Robyn Fenty, launched on the scene in 2005. This song was her first single from her second studio album in 2006. It charted well globally and continued her success. She's now one of the top female artists in the industry with a whole host of chart hits, notable singles, incredible albums, and amazing awards; she truly is unstoppable. This song is such a jam now, still to this day, which shows that she really can release some incredible tracks. The song contains a sample of "Tainted Love", which was written by Ed Cobb, and was made famous by Soft Cell. It was originally given to Christina Milian, who turned it down, so it was later given to Rihanna. "SOS" was written by J.R. Rotem, E. Kidd Bogart, and Ed Cobb.
Directed by Chris Applebaum, the music video is a pure performance visual, which showcases Rihanna in various scenes and locations. She certainly knows how to give fuel to the song in the visual, giving an infectious energy that was definitely needed for the song.
We start off with her in a low-cut green dress that matches the tropical plants behind her. This scene later becomes iconic from Rihanna's back-catalogue of music videos - everyone remembers what she wore. The other scenes get lost, there's the one where she's wearing a glittered skirt and a ripped white vest as she dances flirtatiously with a man.
Then there's the mirrored room, which was certainly all-the-range back then. In this scene, Rihanna gives legs for days. Mirrored rooms have been used so many times in the past, it's no surprise to see it in one of Rihanna's videos. There are also other dance scenes that show that she can really move and follow choreography perfectly, yet there isn't enough emphasis on those scenes since they're short and sweet. Clearly, they decided to show off her sexy shots more than her dance technical ability.
Overall, the music video isn't all that memorable apart from the green dress scene. It could have been so much better. I can't help but laugh at the Nokia 3250 that she uses - why did I not know about that phone? And, why did I not have one of those when I was younger? I thought I had seen it all, but I was not expecting Rihanna to twist the bottom - I so would've had this as a child if I had known about it. Still, it's an okay music video, but I expected something so much better.
When I'm struggling to choose a music video to review, I always resort to Fergie as she is the first reason I am so behind on my blog. She released a music video for each of her songs on the Double Duchessalbum, which I covered for CelebMix, every single one of them, including this one. If that wasn't bad enough, as I was catching up, INNA decided to drop a new single a day in promotion of her album Nirvana. I have been playing catch-up ever since - and I will catch up. This song has actually had two music videos, the first one was taken down due to, we believe, explicit content; so this version was released instead. Watch skateboarders have a wild time riding the streets; as the ending draws near, Joanne The Scammer helps out the female skater in this music video for Fergie's "Tension".
Fergie, real name Fergie Duhamel and previously Stacy Ferguson, recently came back with an iconic second studio album, titled Double Duchess. It's one of my favourite albums of 2017 and certainly underrated in a whole host of ways. It really shows Fergie off as a brilliant versatile artist. This is one of my favourites from the album; actually, I love all of the tracks on their own - they all are really that good. This one is rhythmically catchy and one I could see DJs picking up and remixing brilliantly. It was written by Fergie Duhamel, Justin Tranter, Diana Gordon (Wynter Gordon), and Alessandro Lindblad (Alesso).
Directed by Fatima Robinson, this music video doesn't have a lot going for it. To be fair, I much prefer this one over the first music video. The first one was following three women as they attended a festival, and although the song is perfect for festival season, this one is more interesting to viewers.
We watch a female skater walk into a skate shop and buy a skateboard. She then launches out on to the road, rolling away. Soon enough, she starts doing foot dance moves while the board is moving; keeping us entertained throughout.
As the video continues, we jump over to a male skater, who is doing the same thing on his skateboard. They meet up and continue to do dance-like moves on the skateboards, together. They reach a hill, and he passes her a helmet, prepared to do some speed skating. She starts to go really fast but hits something and goes flying off - what she hits, we do not know, but if we slow down the video we can see a man dressed in black sitting on the road just slightly back from the skateboard. How did she not see him?
This is where Joanne The Scammer comes out and makes sure she is okay, proclaiming that if it wasn't for her lunch with Fergie she would show her how to 'bomb this hill'. She encourages the skater to get back on the skateboard and drive. The ending watches Joanne The Scammer walk up the hill.
Overall, it's a nice gentle music video, one I find much better than the first music video. However, it also has no substance to it and although I absolutely adore the song, I feel the music video just doesn't relate or work with the track itself. It is entertaining and Joanne The Scammer adds some great comedy towards the end, but it could've been a better visual.
This song came up on my iTunes which I always have on random, and I just had to review it; it was on one of my compilation albums that I own. To my surprise, Kiesza is an uncredited vocalist and even appears in the music video; I certainly was not expecting that. Even though I was aware that she had uncredited vocals on a track, I didn't identify which one it was exactly - and here she is. This was definitely a great collaboration, that deserves so much more attention, although I don't really get this music video. Watch Kiesza walk amongst the streets of London and strike dance poses at the frontman of donkeyboy, Cato Sundberg, in this music video for "Triggerfinger".
donkeyboy is a Norwegian synth-pop band consisting of Cato Sundberg, Karl Sundberg, Peter Michelsen, and Thomas Drabløs. Their debut album "Caught In A Life" charted well in their home country as well as in the Nordic countries. Their singles hit it big in Norway, from their debut "Ambitions", which hit number one, to "City Boy" in 2011 which also hit the top spot. Their following singles haven't done quite so well, but their recent album "Lost" which was released in 2016 managed Top 20 in Norway, so they're still a band who are on form and current, with the potential of huge success - it only takes one song, as we know. Uncredited as a vocalist is Canadian singer-songwriter Kiesza, real name Kiesa Ellestad. She hit it big around the world with debut single "Hideaway" a year later. Her follow-up singles did well in the UK and Belgium, with her debut album charting all around the world. She's recently collaborated with Pitbull, and is apparently working on a new album; I sure hope so as I'm desperate for new music from her. The song was written by Kiesa Rae Ellestad, Kent Sundberg, Carlo Sundberg, Espen Berg, and Simen Eriksrud.
Directed by Bjørn Opsahl, the music video was filmed in London, and it's definitely on the weird side. It is a performance piece set within a narrative. The song opens up with an infectious beat and Cato Sundberg's amazing vocals while he is sitting in a taxi cab.
That's when we spot Kiesza, sometimes she's behind draped curtains, but she's mainly spotted on the London streets. Everything's fine until she strikes a dance pose for no apparent reason. We also see the frontman of donkeyboy on the phone in a telephone box.
Overall, this music video doesn't go anywhere. At the end, we see both of them on the same street, in one shot they are both leaning on the same traffic-light post, but Kiesza soon disappears again, with a final shot on her balcony. Their performance side of things really prevents this visual from getting one star.
Looking at the chart for this backdated date - which is 25 December 2017 Christmas Day - Ed Sheeran is still at number one with "Perfect". This opens the top ten of the UK Singles Chart to my Chart Mondays review. I was planning on doing Rak-Su's "Dimelo" featuring Wyclef Jean & Naughty Boy, but the song doesn't have an official music video, which leaves me with a couple of choices. I decided on this one, purely because it has the less amount of hits on YouTube; who knows what that means in coming weeks, but I look forward to seeing what happens to the UK Chart. Music videos rarely make me cry, but this one certainly did, following in the footsteps of P!nk's "What About Us"; I swear I'm becoming an emotional wreck when it comes to personal emotional music videos. Watch an old man watching his son, NF, drown and then burn in a fire, then look down on him in a coffin, feeling sad he was never proud of him, with a mighty twist at the end in the music video for hit single "Let You Down".
NF, real name Nathan Feuerstein, is an American Christian hip-hop artist who has a total of four album releases to date. All of his singles have charted on the US Billboard Christan Songs chart, but this is the one that has truly given NF a massive international hit. It's true, it really does take just one song, and this is the one. I'm pretty sure this is the start of NF releasing chart hit after chart hit as more and more people discover his music. This song peaked at number two in Sweden and Norway, number four in Ireland, and number six in Finland and the UK. "Let You Down" was written by Nathan Feuerstein.
Directed by Nathan Feuerstein and Patrick Tohill, this music video hits every viewer in the heart; if the song wasn't emotional enough, paired with this music video it truly gives us all, all sorts of feels. It has one twist of an ending too.
The opening scene sees an old man walk down to a dock on a lake. As soon as the chorus finishes and NF's rap launches in, a young man is seen flailing around in the water, fully-clothed, drowning. The old man does nothing, as he watches his son, played by NF, die in the water. As the chorus returns, the older guy lip-syncs to the song, as if the chorus is words from himself.
The second verse kicks in and we're transported to a field where a car is surrounded by flames. Inside is NF, once again, as his father watches on - once again. The chorus comes back as the car lights up and burns completely. The final verse comes in as we see a coffin in an open grave, the old man opens the lid and reveals his son lying there; he's in shock and dismayed at himself.
We return to the drowning scene as we near the end of the video. This is where the full-on twist comes in. We see a close-up of the father's face, then a close-up of his arm, which displays a tattoo of a word starting with R-E-A - which we can presume is the same tattoo NF has which actually says "Real Music"; and, the shocker of them all, the old man's wife, we presume, comes out and says "Nathan?" as if that's his name. Meaning the whole video is an old man looking back on his younger self, proclaiming that he let himself down. It's such a shocking but interesting twist.
Most people are running with the father-son idea though, and let's just presume they had the same name and matching tattoos. This made me cry because this is something very real in my life, as well as many other people's lives. All I want to do is make my parents proud, and all that I have achieved to date is something I am proud of, myself; and I know I'm going to achieve so much more, but my father is always putting me down and it does make me want to give up sometimes. This music video is beyond personal, and so is the song. NF has created a masterpiece, one we all need to watch and listen to! He's certainly has become my new favourite rapper, singing about real things and real life.
I recently heard this song in a movie trailer, the film in question is titled "Breaking In" (which just goes to show that this blog is backdated, since the trailer, which can be viewed here, was released on 11 January 2018, and this blog is backdated to 24 December 2017). It has been stuck in my head ever since, and to be fair, so has the visuals from the movie - since that film does look epic! In comparison to this music video, this visual certainly falls short. What I wasn't expecting was the military couture, Rihanna's style is on point throughout and she certainly knows how to work these outfits! Watch Rihanna commanding her troops as she brings high-fashion to the military and the desert while Jeezy raps a segment in this music video for "Hard".
Rihanna, real name Robyn Fenty, has definitely established herself as one of the top female artists in the music industry. She has had a number of hits although my favourite era was certainly the Good Girl Gone Bad era and I still consider "Don't Stop The Music" a total jam. Her recent releases haven't quite hit their mark single wise, and it'll be interesting to see where she goes from there. She is currently working on her ninth studio album, so expect new music from her pretty soon. The song features Jeezy, real name Jay Jenkins, who was previously known as Young Jeezy. He was in rap group Boyz n da Hood, and has gone on to have quite a few hits, his biggest solo hit to date is "Soul Survivor". The song was written by Terius Nash, Christopher Stewart, Robyn Fenty, and Jay Jenkins.
Directed by Melina Matsoukas, this music video is a pure performance piece set in the desert, drawing inspiration from high fashion and combining it with the military.
As I previously stated, Rihanna totally works all the fashion items, to the extent where she really put her own stamp on the fashion industry with her military couture. Some of the clothes aren't typical, yet she works them as if they are everyday wear. Her spiked-shoulder tight-fitting dress became an iconic look for her and this video really established that.
The theme relates greatly to the song because the song is all about being strong and fierce - hard, for lack of a better word - and Rihanna styles that out with the theme and her confidence. Jeezy doesn't add much to the visual, but his words are needed to break up the song.
Overall, this is a completely unforgettable music video - there's even a bright pink tank, which is pretty memorable. Rihanna brings it and her gladiator look is totally on-point, well until she decides to get muddy. With this female singer being strong and powerful, Jeezy kind-of falls short.
This is completely random, I literally typed Lucy into YouTube and saw Lucy Hale's name and decided to finally review one of her music videos on my blog; to be fair, I am a fan of her music, so I'm glad that I've chosen this one, with the help of YouTube. Her debut album "Road Between" is certainly worth a listen and she really managed to establish herself as a country music artist, it's just a shame she hasn't continued music, although her acting career has certainly taken off. Watch Lucy Hale perform at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville, Tennessee while snippets of her having fun with friends and being carefree are cut between in this music video for "Lie A Little Better".
Lucy Hale is pretty well known as an actress, she's massively known for playing Aria Montgomery in Pretty Little Liars although she's been in a whole range of TV shows including loved but short-lived Privileged as Rose Baker and the equally loved but also short-lived refresh TV series of Bionic Woman as Becca Sommers; she also won American Juniors with five other children which made up the group of the same name. In 2014, she returned to music, releasing two singles and an album with moderate success. This was the second single and I love this track so much, I just wish it had charted better and helped her kickstart her music career. The song was written by Mike Daly, Chris DeStefano, and Melissa Peirce.
Directed by Philip Andelman, the music video must have been a dream come true as we watch Lucy Hale perform at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville, Tennessee. She really manages to own the stage and her sense of inclusiveness to her backing band is heart-warming, to say the least.
It's nice to see Lucy Hale be herself and full on go for it on that stage. She is clearly meant to be on stages all around the world and I sure hope she comes back to music at a later point and goes on a world tour as I can just imagine the energy she gives out when she performs. Please come to the UK for a gig so I can come and see you, Lucy Hale. This video paints her in a perfect light making us all wish we could go an see her.
As for the fun-clips, they're full carefree moments with friends, something that we've all felt but wish we had more of. They're moments that you miss, but in those current moments, it's just you and your friends being yourself and doing your thing. It's cute, but unfortunately unrelatable to the song - if only this struck up a slight narrative, it would be getting the top rating from me, but these clips just make it fall short.
Usually, I hate this specific week of the whole entire year and the week after, purely because most artists don't release new music, let alone music videos. Luckily, for me, Loïc Nottet has come through (this blog post is backdated if you haven't already guessed). It is a Christmas-spirited music video and song, with it being a full-out piano ballad. This is certainly one of those songs that will grow on me, I automatically like every single Loïc Nottet song, but this just feels average compared to his previous tracks. Watch Loïc Nottet and Justine Vercleven dance together while the former sings at what looks like a piano in this music video for his song "Go To Sleep".
Loïc Nottet is mainly known internationally for coming fourth in the Eurovision Song Contest 2015, where he represented his home country of Belgium with the song "Rhythm Inside"; he scored 217 points. Previously, he came second in the third season of The Voice Belgique. That's not the only talent shows he has been on, after Eurovision, he went on to win the sixth series of Danse avec les stars (the French version of Dancing With The Stars / Strictly Come Dancing). He released his debut album last year, titled "Selfocracy" and I chose it as my favourite album of 2017 for CelebMix - make sure you check out what other albums made the CelebMix Top 2017 Albums, the article I wrote up. I can only hope that the release of this single suggests he's working on new music for 2018. This song was written by Loïc Nottet and Eric Chevet.
Directed by Sidney Van Wichelen, this music video is displayed almost like a vertical music video, containing the imagery into a box, reminding us of when TVs used to be square.
There is a performance piece and a narrative going on. The performance side of things see Loïc Nottet singing into a camera, we can presume he is sitting at a piano, playing the song, with the camera propped up on the piano so we just see him. It's quite a different performance piece but allows focus on the dance narrative being displayed.
Together, Loïc Nottet and Justine Vercleven work brilliantly as a dance duo. They have been in a romantic relationship for years, and their passion for each other is very clear. They perform on a bench in front of a Christmas tree. The choreography is flat out amazing and totally on point, although eagle-eyed fans did notice that it was a similar dance choreography that they performed previously in a video to Elvis Presley's "Can't Help Falling In Love".
Overall, this music video is completely loving and perfect for Christmas time. I like how the song isn't a typical Christmas song, and instead brings something lovely to the table. The music video is all right, but nothing as epic as what Loïc Nottet has previously released! I don't get why it's a square music video. This is nowhere near as great as "Million Eyes" or "Mud Blood", even "Doctor" is better than this; but this certainly is love-filled.
Here is Thursday Revisit, and since I didn't think I'll ever get the chance to review another Modjo music video, I thought why not choose this one? I previously reviewed "Lady (Hear Me Tonight)" earlier in the week, hence why I'm reviewing this one for my Thursday Revisit. I actually have a slight memory of it, but the song wasn't to my taste so I don't think I ever watched the video all the way through; although, I have a slight recollection of the track, or maybe it's just the similar groovy vibes? Watch a bowling competition take place between two teams, while there is a disco ball head man dancing and Modjo working at the bowling alley in this music video for their song "Chillin'".
Modjo were a French DJ duo consisting of Romain Tranchart and Yann Destagnoi (also known as Yann Destal). They only released an album before parting ways. This song became their second single and had moderate success in some countries, clearly riding the "Lady (Hear Me Tonight)" wave. Unfortunately, it didn't live up to their debut single and was certainly the start of their downfall. The songs certainly have similar vibes, with this one focusing much more on the fun side of things lyrically, whereas the debut single was filled with much more emotion. The song hit number three in Finland, number four in Spain, number ten in Switzerland, and number 12 in the UK; which just goes to show this didn't live up to the first song. The song was written by Romain Tranchart, Yann Destagnoi, Nile Rodgers, and Bernard Edwards. It samples Chic's "Le Freak", hence the songwriters.
Directed by Yannis Mangematin, this music video was set in a bowling alley. It opens up with a dancing man with a mirror disco ball as a head, backed up by two female dancers. This precedes the bowling competition.
This was way back when bowling was all the range and something everyone did. Nowadays, the bowling alleys are pretty empty which brings a much different atmosphere when attending. We watch as each player is knocked out, leaving the top two players; one team is wearing masks. Yet, it's the other team that wins, after being distracted by one of the female dancers.
The ending sees a party going on, and many people have spotted the young woman from the "Lady (Hear Me Tonight)" music video. Not only that, Modjo also make another appearance, this time as staff of the bowling alley. The music video doesn't really go anywhere, although does create some hype and tension around the bowling competition. It feels unrelated to the song though.
I really am looking to YouTube to come up with music videos I can review quickly so I can finally catch up, since I am 25 blogs behind, at the moment - I am determined to catch up, and I will. I was planning on doing Spice Girls' "Spice Up Your Life", but that's already done, then I came across Lady Gaga's "Judas", but I think that music video is going to take up too much of my time, for now - I will review it at a much later date - so then I stumbled across this one, and I'm surprised I haven't reviewed it yet; although to be fair, it's one of Britney Spears' weakest music videos. Watch black-haired Britney Spears pole dance while blonde-haired Britney watches with amusement before checking out a guy in the bar, in this music video to "Gimme More".
Britney Spears needs no introduction, she's one of the top female singers in the entire world who still manages to get chart hits when she needs to. She has recently finished her Vegas residency, which has certainly led the way for many singers to take on Vegas residences after her first set of shows were completely sold out. Reverse back in time, though, and Britney Spears was hitting all the headlines as she went through some personal struggles, and this song and it's subsequent album was released around that time. This was certainly a new side of Britney Spears and the music video really shows that her head wasn't into it - same goes with the other video released from the Blackout album "Piece Of Me" ("Break The Ice" doesn't count since it is an animation visual). The song still climbed high on the charts, regardless of the negative critical reception the video and song got. It managed to peak at number one in Canada; number two in Brazil, Denmark, Ireland, Italy, and Sweden; and number three in Australia, Norway, the UK, and the US. The song was written by Nate Hills, James Washington, Keri Hilson, and Marcella Araica.
Directed by Jake Sarfaty, the music video is beyond basic and certainly isn't on par with what we expect from Britney Spears. Although, this song is certainly the beginning of "It's Britney, Bitch".
There's a slight narrative going on as we see blonde-haired Britney Spears enjoying a drink at a bar, whilst black-haired Britney Spears starts pole-dancing. Britney enjoys watching Britney's show before taking an interest in a guy who is also drinking within the venue.
The dancing isn't anything amazing, and to be fair I do pole dance much better than Britney Spears in this video when I go clubbing - as there is one venue with a pole on the dancefloor. She's quite methodical, clearly thinking about the steps she's taking and what she should do.
The music video was edited and re-edited, with a leak of the previous version being released in 2011. This version omitted the blonde-haired Britney scenes and included the female singer walking down the street and being in a zebra-print bed with a cat. It's clear that no matter what version was released and no matter how this was edited, it clearly couldn't have been saved. However, I much prefer this version, as it gives off a slight narrative that is relatable to the song itself; so, I guess it was a good decision to re-edit the video.
I have been obsessed with the recently released song "Boom Boom" by RedOne, Daddy Yankee, French Montana, and Dinah Jane; that is a re-work of this track. So, having already reviewed that music video, I thought I might as well review the music video to this classic track; that certainly takes me back to my childhood as it was released back in 2000 when I was seven years old. I certainly don't remember this music video though. Watch three young adults go out and have some fun and just live their life in this music video for Modjo's song "Lady (Hear Me Tonight)".
Modjo were a French duo consisting of Romain Tranchart and Yann Destagnol (also known as Yann Destal). They released one album and five singles, this one being their debut and biggest hit. Their follow-ups never quite hit the mark around the world, although "Chillin'" hit number 12 in the UK. The band members went their separate ways in 2003, focusing on their own solo careers; Romain Tranchart went down the producing and remixing path, whereas Yann Destal went on to release an album which gained moderate success in France. It really is this track that made them a total one-hit wonder. It hit number one in the UK, Ireland, Italy, Romania, Spain, and Switzerland. The song samples Chic's "Soup For One". It was written by Yann Destagnol, Romain Tranchart, Bernard Edwards, and Nile Rodgers.
Directed by François Nemeta, the music video displays three young adults having a spontaneous day, where they just go with the flow and have a good time. It does make me think that this is where the idea of the Tim Berg "Seek Bromance" music video came from.
There are a few interpretations of this music video, some people seem to think that this is a polyamory relationship, whereas others think the one guy is just the third wheel. Either way, it's that shower that makes us all question what is really going on. Although, it's pretty clear that one of the guys and the girl is in a relationship with one another - that shower scene is definitely on the sexy side.
The narrative shows them purchasing a car and hitting the road to a festival where a lot of older adults are attending. Line-dancing is shown as well as a stage show, where a guy throws a bottle at one of the three main characters - which then leads to the shower scene. Then the car breaks down - was bound to happen - and the final scenes see them on top of a hill.
Overall, this music video doesn't make the concept clear and seems pretty unrelatable to the song. The one guy, who some refer to as the third wheel, feels more like our main character, which doesn't make sense compared to what the song is about; you would expect the other guy to be more of the main character. This music video displays free spirit with the young adults being carefree, which doesn't correlate to the song at all. It does get a slight kudo for Modjo appearing as backing characters, did you spot them? They were the car salesman and the mechanic. Yet, they don't add anything to save this as a whole.
Backdated Chart Mondays again, as I focus on catching up week-on-week. I will do this, I promise. Ed Sheeran remains on top with "Perfect", and therefore allows one of the top ten from the UK Singles Chart, to be reviewed by me. This one is dropping out. It is officially Marshmello's biggest selling single to-date which certainly goes on to show that this masked DJ is on top form for 2017, but can he keep it going as the new year comes through? The same goes for Khalid who will no doubt become a big star in the next few years. This was an undeniable catchy collaboration, that totally worked in both of these artists favours, I just wish the music video was that little bit better. Watch Khalid and Marshmello perform and bring a sense of unity in this inspiring and lovely music video for their collaborative single "Silence".
Marshmello has really stepped up to the chart music world recently with some incredible collaborations, proving why he is one of the top DJs in the world. He's been a name we've all known for some time, making waves on stages, at festivals, and in the dance music world, but didn't really have an identifiable hit until this one and "Wolves" came along. Now he's a force that we are all watching, prepared to see what else he brings to charts around the world. Featuring on the track is Khalid, full name Khalid Robinson, who is certainly a rising star, managing to fully stamp his way into the international music industry. We all know that the next few years will see him dominate charts around the world, especially with the hype behind him. This song, unsurprisingly, hit charts hard around the world, peaking at number two in Norway, and number three in the UK and New Zealand. "Silence" was written by Khalid Robinson and Marshmello.
This music video is mainly a performance piece with a narrative set within. We watch Khalid leave a building and get on his bicycle before the song starts. He has a subtle stage presence as he sings whilst sitting on the bike, backed up by four other cyclists and Marshmello on his own bicycle.
Their bicycles certainly draw the audience in as they have lights wrapped around the wheels - why did we not have them as children? Such a great idea! The narrative shows a bunch of people who aren't having the best of days being cheered up by Khalid and Marshmello and the rest of their group with their neon lights.
As for the performance side of things, Marshmello comes off more as an unanimated mascot for Khalid and the song, rather than displaying what he does best - where are those DJ decks? As for Khalid, he has this relaxed style of performing that doesn't release any energy or inspiring vibes; it's certainly his voice that makes us enjoy this song because he doesn't bring anything addicting to the visual itself.
Overall, I so expected this to be a lot better. More focus on the characters within the narrative would've allowed this music video to be more gripping and engaging for the audience. Instead, we're left with Khalid and Marshmello, not really living up to their incredible artistry; maybe they were just too tired from cycling everywhere and pouring their energy into creating the track; leaving the video to not meet our expectations. The narrative saves this from being a total disaster.
