Anyone who knows me, knows I'm obsessed with Global Records and their array of artists on the record label. They recently created a division titled Global Records Latin, which Micke Moreno was the first star to release under that division with "El Amor" which featured Antonia. The label has continued to release songs that are beyond addicting, and here is another one on this backdated new release. I previously wrote up about this for CelebMix, and although it wasn't strictly released on this backdated date, it was released a few days earlier, it was still new for that week. Watch Micke Moreno and Kryan battle it out during a car race intercut with performance scenes in this music video set in a car park for "Juego".
Micke Moreno, who is sometimes known as just Micke, is best known for taking part in The X Factor (US) and La Banda. Now, Global Records Latin has picked him up, along with some of his friends for their new record label, and it is proving to do well for everyone involved. His debut, "El Amor" got millions of YouTube views, although we reckon that was with the help of featured star Antonia. This single sees him collaborate with Kryan, again - they first teamed-up for "Eres Tu" along with Fabyan and Yoandri. Kryan is known for being on La Voz Teens where he was a semi-finalist. Now, he's a part of Global Records Latin allowing him to pursue his dream and passion. He manages to twist up this track, adding his stamp and flavour. The song was written by Micke Moreno and Brien Melo with Alexandru Cotoi helping to compose the music.
The music video has both a narrative and a performance piece, so you would expect my rating, at the end of this review, to be high; this is the core of a great music video, however this just doesn't come off quite so well. The performance takes over as the main part, leaving the uninteresting and overdone narrative to become a minor part.
The car race launches this whole music video, but sometimes the cars don't look as if they're competing. They go around the car park as we wait to see who wins. We've seen plenty of car races in music videos. Micke Moreno looks disappointed at the end, suggesting he lost, but maybe he's just unhappy about Kryan's inability to perform in the performance part.
To be fair, it's not just Kryan's fault, the camera operator focuses on the women dancers far more than the two singers, and we can't really blame Kryan for being distracted, now can we? It would be good to see Kryan perform all by himself, to see if he does grab the audience at home. As for Micke Moreno, he is on point and definitely a future star, he controls the energy and slams it right into the viewers at home. He's not distracted and wants to give a good performance, and he manages to save this video in every way.
Another week, another Thursday Revisit, and I have been waiting for a 2018 Thursday where I get to review this track by Antonia. This is totally her top solo song in Romania, and gosh is it catchy. It's one of those songs that stay in your head even a day after you first heard it. It's no surprise it climbed so high on the Romanian charts. Today is the first time I've seen this music video and I am so not impressed. Her latest music videos are on fire in every way, whereas this one just feels low-budget and it's beyond simple. Watch Antonia perform this hit song against a white background, flooding the visual with her modelling skills in this music video for "Marabou".
Antonia, full name Antonia Iacobescu, is one of the top female Romanian singers about at the moment. She's just released a brand new single that I can't get over, titled "Tango". I am hoping she plans on releasing a new album as we totally need a follow-up to her debut, especially since some of her latest tracks have charted well in her home country. All her recent tracks have been amazing, but none have quite reached number one in Romania like this song did. Catchy beyond anything we can imagine, Antonia sounds perfect on this song and is subtly sexy with the lyrics, which makes it even more addicting. "Marabou" was written by Thomas Troelsen and Anna F.
There really isn't much to this music video at all, and considering what she's released recently, this visual doesn't live up to Antonia's true potential. It was directed by Khaled Mokhtar - which really shows how far he has come in directing music videos since this.
Within the clip, Antonia draws on her modelling experience to sell this song. She is wearing a black dress that exposes her chest and the sides of her body. Throughout she's sexy and sultry as she stares into the camera and she tantalises the audience with certain moves.
Overall, this music video is beyond basic. It uses Antonia's strengths from when she was a model and wraps it up in a sexy music video that doesn't go anywhere. There are some synchronicity issues, where her lips don't match up to the lyrics, which draws the whole music video down. Regardless, Antonia stays in character throughout and does what she can to make this visual, good.
Once again, YouTube came through for me with this music video as I found it on the right panel when I was reviewing Forever In Your Mind's "Smooth", and the thumbnail just stood out at me. I recognise his face, although I'm not quite sure where from, as I've only ever seen Grease Live! from what he has been in, and I don't remember him in that show, although he clearly was one of the main characters. I probably recognise him from all the press from the 25th season of Dancing With The Stars, which he won. He's been trying for a music career for some time and he has done all right to date. Watch Jordan Fisher profess his love for a woman while he knocks out some brilliant dance choreography in this music video to his debut song "All About Us".
Jordan Fisher is a name people are quickly getting to know. He's an established actor and musician, and he is certainly getting his name out there. As previously mentioned, he's the winner of the 25th season of Dancing With The Stars, which is bound to push him to future success. He has appeared in 12 episodes of Liv & Maddie; starred in Grease Live!, Teen Beach Movie, Teen Beach Movie 2, and appeared in 9 episodes of The Secret Life Of An American Teenager. He has also appeared in the Broadway production of Hamilton. As for his music career, this song was his debut single back in 2016. He has since released an EP and three follow-up singles. I am certainly interested in seeing what the future brings him, music wise. The song charted on the US Billboard Mainstream Top 40 at number 26. It was written by Nick Bailey, Rick James, Ryan Ogren, and Steve McMorran.
Directed by TK McKamy, this music video is a pure performance visual that really showcases everything about Jordan Fisher. He sings passionately, he dances like he's on fire (no wonder he won Dancing With The Stars), and he can stay in character all the way through a music video.
You would think this visual has it all. The choreography is on point all the way through, and there's even a slight narrative with his love interest. However, he loses connection with the audience. I'm not sure if the song isn't exactly to his liking, or he hasn't quite felt it within him, but whatever it is, he feels slightly out of it.
The audience loses interest as the first scene progresses and we're drawn back in when additional dancers added into the scenes. However, it happens again towards the end of the music video as it doesn't develop or grow. It feels like it's one flat visual.
Regardless, Jordan Fisher gives it his all. His dancing is superb and the choreography is so on-point that we all wish we could dance just like him. The additional dancers, as well as his love interest, add flavour and intrigue to the mix, but it's just lacking connection overall. Jordan Fisher is on fire in this clip and this excites me for what is to come from him in the future.
I wouldn't say I'm a fan of Forever In Your Mind, but I do love their music, and here's another example of a very catchy song; although, I don't approve of what they said about BTS, on the other hand, they did apologise about it, so I guess it can be forgiven. This song may be beyond catchy, but the music video is lacking a smooth quality which we were expecting - there's just way too much smiling going on. Watch Forever In Your Mind attempt to be sexy and sultry and smooth whilst they dance with female love interests in this music video for their song "Smooth".
Forever In Your Mind are a three-piece boyband consisting of Emery Kelly, Ricky Garcia, and Liam Attridge. They made their name when they were formed on the third season of The X Factor (US); however, they only made it to the Bootcamp stage before being eliminated. I guess they proved Simon Cowell wrong though since they have gone on to release two EPs and a bunch of singles. Not only that, but they almost bagged a Disney TV series as the lead stars; unfortunately, the show wasn't picked up - they could've been the next Jonas Brothers. Regardless, they are still going and releasing contagious music that I can't help but love. This song, "Smooth", was written by Dustin Atlas, Emery Kelly, Emily McDonald, Liam Attridge, and Ricky Garcia.
Directed by Nayip Ramos, this music video is a pure performance piece with the guys attempting to nail it with the song. They clearly connect with it but are just having too much fun on set that they can't help but smile, rather than act smooth - this is the major flaw with the music video.
The concept is great, seeing the women in the music video as parts of their imagination; clearly, they are still on the guys' minds. Then, they surprise us with some brilliant dance choreography that they completely nail in every single way.
Throughout, they bring sex-appeal and killer dance moves. They manage to be sultry and smooth all the way through the scenes; however, it isn't consistent. The worse is Liam Attridge who may have perfected his smooth look during his verse, but throughout he's always smiling for the camera before he realises he's not supposed to smile and tries to look sultry again. He's not the only one, Emery Kelly and Ricky Garcia have their moments too. They're just living the life and having fun on set; it just sidetracks the viewers. If they can't stay in character for an almost four-minute visual, then it's no surprise their TV show wasn't picked up by Disney Channel.
A new week means a new Chart Mondays, and I'm still weeks and weeks behind - I will catch up! I swear! On this backdated date, Eminem reached the top of the UK chart with "River" featuring Ed Sheeran; knocking off Ed Sheeran's "Perfect". At the time of this date, there was no music video to the UK number one song - it was released weeks later and I'll probably end up covering it in a future Chart Mondays review - so today's backdated Chart Mondays was open to the UK Top 10, and this song seems to be falling on the UK Chart, so I thought it was about time I covered this. Watch Rita Ora perform in various places in New York in what looks like a spontaneous recording in this music video for "Anywhere".
Rita Ora is currently one of the biggest female singers in the UK at the moment. She's managed to get all of her latest singles into the UK Top 10, which is certainly not easy to do nowadays. Her songs have been instant hits, and this all happened after she had a few legal troubles with her previous record label that could've turned into a #FreeKesha / #FreeJoJo movement if it hadn't all worked out in the end. She now has 12 UK top ten hits, which equals the record for the most UK top ten hits by a British female artist, equalling with Shirley Bassey and Petula Clark - it'll only take one more and she'll have the record all to herself. This song peaked at number two on the UK Chart and was written by Nolan Lambroza, Alexandra Tamposi, Alessandro Lindblad, Nicholas Gale, Andrew Wotman, Brian Lee, and Rita Ora.
Directed by Declan Whitebloom, the music video took 14 hours to shoot in various places in New York. The video is a pure performance piece with some iconic looks from Rita Ora throughout whilst she nails the energy for the song in every way.
Let's start this review about the fashion. Rita Ora manages to style every single bit of clothing in every way. Most of the jewellery was designed by Alexis Bittar, whilst most of the footwear was designed by Sophia Webster. As for the restaurant scene, the diners are real diners and the restaurant remained open during filming, allowing the diners to accidentally appear in the shots.
The whole clip embodies running away and escapism. What it is lacking is a love-interest, however, I'm going to imagine that her love-interest is actually behind the camera, shooting her being free. There's so much on-point fashion from different designers and in different styles that this blog will be way too long to list them all. Regardless, Rita Ora shines throughout, pulling off any sort of look possible.
Overall, this music video is good; however, it feels like it's a fashion-forward music video. This would be fine if the song itself was focused on fashion at all; instead, the song is about running away with a lover. Minus the lover, Rita Ora certainly isn't in LA, and she does act free as if she's been released from the binds of LA - we're going to ignore the fact that New York is on the other side of the US so it was totally a planned getaway. I also believe the viewers at home are the people she's running away with.
I absolutely adore this song and its music video. 4th Impact continues to bring their firehouse vocals, and this is definitely a track I could listen to over and over again. Their harmonies are always on point, and that's why I'm so happy I'm finally reviewing this track. Unfortunately, I am so far behind on my blog that I'm trying to go on a catch-up spree, which isn't really working all that well, and I seem to be getting more and more behind each day, but I will catch up, I swear I will! Watch 4th Impact perform their song on some stairs, in a recording booth, and in front of a metal gate as we watch clips from the film "Ang Dalawang Mrs Reyes" in this music video for their song "It's Not The Same Anymore".
4th Impact are a Filipino girl group consisting of Almira Cercado, Irene Cercado, Mylene Cercado, and Celina Cercado. They are known for owning it on talent shows under various names. They came eighth on Superstar K6 and then came fifth on the twelfth series of The X Factor. They have since gone on to release their debut single "Unleash The Diva" and signed to US management. This is their follow-up single and is the soundtrack to Star Cinema movie "Ang Dalawang Mrs Reyes". I previously wrote about this for CelebMix. It was written by Edgar Van Passel and Daniel Van Passel.
The music video is a typical soundtrack visual that is completely on-point in every single way. It has clips of the artist singing the song and clips of the film in extra promotion - which is exactly what we need.
To be fair, the best thing about this music video is that we understand the plot of the film just from the clips shown. This is exactly what we expect to find in a soundtrack music video. If you understand what is going on, without any major twists being exposed, then the editors have done a brilliant job of creating a music video, and that's exactly what has happened here.
Then there's 4th Impact's performance, and gosh do they bring it - nothing new there. They bring it, especially from the clips in the studio and in front of the metal gate. The clips on the stairs are fire in every way; however, we certainly miss their dancing, regardless of the passion they flood this song with.
Overall, this music video is almost perfection. Unfortunately, there are some editing problems, mainly with the film clips having the audio on. I understand that in some of the clips, they wanted to get the humour across; however, without subtitles, people other than Filipinos will understand these jokes. I truly believe that this would've worked so much better without the audio from the film clips.
I actually thought I had already written about this music video for my blog, so I was surprised to find out that I hadn't; hence why I'm making up for it right now by reviewing it. I literally cheered on Adore Delano during her RuPaul's Drag Race Season, although Bianca Del Rio certainly deserved that crown; regardless, I am happy she got into the top three. Then she returned for All Stars season two and she decided it wasn't for her. I hope one day she does decide to give it another shot and take that crown. For now, we can just marvel at her in her music videos. Watch Adore Delano be a baseball player whilst performing in the locker room and the showers in this music video for "Negative Nancy".
Adore Delano, real name Daniel Noriega, is a drag queen who appeared on RuPaul's Drag Race season six. Beforehand, Daniel Noriega appeared on the seventh season of American Idol, where he was eliminated during the top 16. Now he's a drag queen who does rock music, and we love Adore Delano for it, that's for sure. She released her debut album in 2014 and followed it up with a second in 2016. Then her third was released in 2017, with this song being the first to be released from the "Whatever" LP.
The music video was directed by Ben Simkins. Adore Delano looks on point throughout the entire clip, looking stunning as a baseball player. The visual also stars Chuck Roy, Henry Bae, Bryan Meza, Yvie Oddly, Sid Darling, Stevie-Ray Vance, Nichole Martinez, Karly Porter, Cameron Sprenger, Mike Temple, Emma Meeks, Jacob Meeks, John Miller, Ajay Davis, and Ethan Hsieh.
Starting it all off is Chuck Roy with the blow of his whistle. He's clearly the baseball coach, although he doesn't seem all that strict and only acts it. To the group, he shouts: "Line up buttercups. This little team of lovable losers are better at handling your johnsons than you are at sporting bat."
The music then kicks in and Adore Delano picks her team. This is then intercut with various performance scenes, some are from the locker rooms, and also from the caged waiting area. She really nails the performance piece, giving it all she has got to the camera and showing off how talented she really is. She has passion in her eyes from the get-go whilst still bringing the relaxed style of her drag.
Then there's the baseball side of things, her team are a killer, bringing out all the stops to win the game, until the very end when Adore Delano gets angry at a not-so-great throw. And I certainly can't end this review without commenting on the shower scene; although, I'm not quite sure what to say about it. She acts sexily towards the camera and gives it all that she has got, and gosh does it pay off.
Overall, this music video is on point all the way through. However, I am missing the relation to the song; I have no idea how this links in with the lyrics at all. Regardless, I could so watch this over and over again; I am hoping that Adore Delano's music gets bigger and bigger in years to come, and soon enough she'll be an international music chart sensation.
Not much choice for today's backdated new release, so I decided to go with one of my favourites even though it wasn't technically released on this date; instead, it was released a few days earlier. I did write up an article about it for CelebMix, which was to be expected. Antonia has been on form lately, especially in Romania, and I'm excited to see what the future brings - hopefully, a new album as we certainly need a new one from her. Watch Antonia and Connect-R perform this collaboration with all the heart and emotion it deserves, while we watch a narrative couple take some time apart from each other, finally ending it in this music video for "Adio".
Antonia, full name Antonia Iacobescu, is one of the biggest female Romanian singers around. She went international in her early career but now she's gone back to her home-country-roots by singing in Romanian and it's been fairing well for her, gaining chart hits in that country and millions of YouTube views. She hasn't released an album since her debut in 2015 so we really need a new Antonia album, that's for sure. This song features Connect-R, real name Ştefan Mihalache, who is a Romanian hip-hop artist. He was originally a part of R.A.C.L.A. before he went after a solo career, becoming a recognised figure in Romanian music. This song was written by Alexandru Cotoi and Ştefan Mihalache.
This music video was directed by Khaled Mokhtar - someone who is certainly making his name known in the Romanian music video industry. This is both a narrative and a performance visual, although there's not much to the former and not much to the latter, either.
Let's start with the story side. We watch a man and a woman finish their argument and decide they need some alone time. This is clear from the get-go and their time apart makes them realise that they need this to become a permanent thing; hence the upsetting ending. It completely relates to the song, and the actors put in a lot of skill to display the character's feelings. However, there's not enough to show us and we don't quite know where the argument came from or what it was about.
As for the performance side, Connect-R is pretty emotionless, which is quite surprising considering he wrote the song. He's not much of an expressive performer, and I was expecting him to deliver. His style is on form though. As a whole, he is a complete opposite to Antonia. She knows how to bring it in a music video, and that's exactly what she does. She's connected with the song and now she wants all the viewers to connect too. Thing is, her style is off-point. I know wet hair is in, but it actually looks greasy making her less appealing; and, her coat may be a nice colour, but it doesn't allow her to release much of her typical energy.
Overall, I'm not sure what to make of this music video. The basis and the concept are brilliant and it should've been an easy top mark from me; however, both sides of this music video has its flaws. If only this was better.
Time for my backdated Thursday Revisit, and how do I only just know this song, especially since it hit number one in the UK? Like, seriously? Most UK number ones I know off the top of my head, especially in the 00's when the chart was practically my life, and yes I do keep up with it now, but I don't care for it as much as I used to (because streaming has messed it up - but let's not go there); but this song only just slightly rings a bell. I know I was never into Ja Rule, R. Kelly, or Ashanti at this time, but this song sure is on fire which completely explains why it hit the top spot. Watch Ja Rule, R. Kelly, and Ashanti team-up and present their performance energy whilst there's inclusion of half-naked women in this music video for the UK number one song "Wonderful".
Ja Rule, real name Jeffrey Atkins, hit the height of his fame back in the 00's. This song is one of his biggest, especially in the UK which is his only number one, to-date. The song did well around the world, but most countries favoured his other hits such as "Always On Time" and "Mesmerize", both of which feature Ashanti - just like this song. R. Kelly has been a prominent force in the music industry for a number of years, his full name is Robert Kelly. He hit it big with "I Believe I Can Fly" and "Ignition (Remix)" which has truly implanted him into the history of music in every way. Then there's Ashanti, full name Ashanti Douglas, who pretty much helped Ja Rule turn his songs into hits. She then went into the film industry, before working on new music which didn't reach many people, unlike her previous efforts. All three of these acts need to make a return to mainstream charts around the world, with the right song, I'm sure they will. This song was written by Robert Kelly, Jeffrey Atkins, Irving Lorenzo, and K. Smith.
The music video was directed by Hype Williams, and I am not that impress. It's just another typical hip-hop and R&B infused music video that we've seen time and again. It does trick us into thinking it's a performance piece visual, but then the half-naked women come in with very little connection to the song.
I actually don't get this at all, like they are singing about wishing they had true love and not quite knowing if the woman they are with (or in the case of this music video - women they are with) actually loves them. They're questioning whether she would still be there if they didn't have all the money, cars and jewels. If they're referring to the women in this music video, with bodies like that, I very much doubt they'd stick around if you had no money. Although, it is possible as true love does come in all sorts of forms.
Overall, Ashanti doesn't add much to the video, although her vocals stun us all on the song. The lyrical content is engaging, real, and rich; it's not a surprise that it became a hit. However, I am disappointed by the music video, they definitely could've added a bit more, and R. Kelly's rap scene sure looks like there was originally a bigger narrative - if only there was.
Definitely one of the most underrated rappers in the world right now, NF has finally launched globally with the awesome track "Let You Down"; however, it seems unlikely that he'll keep getting chart hits even though he completely deserves them. His back catalogue, for example, is flat out amazing and I just can't get enough of him due to the way he floods a song with emotion. It's simply awesome and worthy of international success and awards across the board. NF is my new favourite rapper at the moment, and I could listen to his music all day long. The same goes for his music videos. Watch NF perform his songs within meaningful scenes that show people who are unhappy with their lives and the choices that they have made in his music video for "Wake Up".
NF, real name Nathan Feuerstein, is an American rapper who has charted a lot in the Christian hip-hop charts in his home country. He gained mainstream success with the song "Let You Down" launching on the world with emotion, flare, and style. He's definitely one to watch and I truly believe he is going to become one of the biggest rappers in the world as his music reaches out to more and more people. His music comes from the heart, and that is very clear in every single song that he sings; there's a raw emotional quality to his words that strikes something inside of us all. I'm very excited to see what the future brings him. "Wake Up" was written by Tommee Profitt and NF.
Directed by Jon Jon Augustavo, this music video is an in-depth take on the lyrics that grab the audience in from the very first minute. It's intriguing and interesting throughout.
There are two narratives going on that is slightly linked. We first watch a woman who lives in a mansion, and we soon realise that she's alone and that her husband and child left her. She never got to be a great parent and she's annoyed at herself for the way that things have gone and smashes up the house.
Later she exits out of a garage, where we watch a younger man who is her gardener, possibly. He thinks she's got everything going for her whilst he's got nothing going for himself; we later see him smashing up his own house as he isn't happy the way his life is going.
Throughout NF can be seen in certain scenes like a ghost or an apparition. He brings all his infectious emotional energy with every single word, once again proving he deserves to be known globally. The ending scene sees our two main characters as old-aged people who are still alone. It's a clever music video, one I could watch again and again.
I'm trying to add more male singers' music videos to this blog, purely because I feel that week-on-week I'm writing about female artists, and as much as I love writing about some of my favourite queens in the industry, I need a break from them every now and again. So, after randomly clicking through a few YouTube videos, I came across this one and I thought, why not? At 16 million YouTube views, I just had to review it. Watch Lauv's car break down in the middle of nowhere, he then gets out and sings his song with an amazing falsetto whilst dancing in front of the Paris, Texas sign in this music video for "Paris In The Rain".
Lauv, real name Ari Leff, went international with his single "I Like Me Better" which was a global hit, charting in many countries around the world, although they were moderate chart numbers. His other singles haven't quite reached up to the success of that previous track, although I certainly can't deny his amazing singing voice and off-the-radar vocals. This track, in my opinion, should've been a worldwide smash, it's catchy, it's meaningful, and Lauv definitely brings it. What more can we want? Regardless, this track will no doubt become a treasured track by many, including myself. I am so glad I've stumbled across this song, and I definitely can't get it out of my head. "Paris In The Rain" was written by Ari Leff, Michael Matosic, and Michael Ross Pollack.
Directed by Chase Smith, this music video is a pure performance visual which easily showcases Lauv as an artist in every way. If we were to go and see him live, we know exactly the sort of energy he would unleash to the crowd, just from this music video alone.
There's not a lot going on, the car breaks down so he dances in the street. A car does drive by and he tries to hitchike but he's just ignored. Then an umbrella pops out of nowhere as he continues to move. At one point, we see that he has stopped in front of the 'Welcome to Paris, Texas' sign.
Overall, the song is beyond amazing and Lauv really shows off his voice in every single way. Unfortunately, the music video barely relates to the song and doesn't keep the audience interested all the way through. I would've liked to have seen a love interest, at least. Regardless, Lauv is certainly a singer who deserves to stay popular, and I can't wait to see what the future brings him.
I really need to start to watch popular music videos, because I haven't seen this yet. This is literally the first time I have seen this music video, which is quite a surprise considering how popular the song is. I'm not sure what to make of this at all, I'm not really a fan of either artist and so that usually puts a slight judgement on to my review, same goes for the song itself which I'm not so keen on. This backdated review is a Chart Mondays, where Ed Sheeran with "Perfect" remains on the top of the UK chart, hence why I'm reviewing this song since it's in the Top 10 on this backdated date. Watch Julia Michaels sing this song in various places whilst an editing technique allows it to run smoothly, with Clean Bandit appearing throughout, in this music video for "I Miss You".
Clean Bandit are a three-piece instrumental group consisting of Grace Chatto, Jack Patterson, and Luke Patterson. They are the biggest British instrumental band in the country and they collaborate with other artists so that there are vocals on the songs. They've had a number of hits and every single release pushes their stamp further into the music industry. They are seriously unstoppable completely. Their second studio album is planned to be released in the early months of this year, so surely that means very very soon. This is a collaboration with well-known songwriter-turned-popular-singer Julia Michaels. Her song "Issues" became a smash hit around the whole world; since then, she hasn't lived up to that track until this one came along. She's definitely one to watch considering her amazing back-catalogue of songwriting hits. This track was written by Julia Michaels, Jack Patterson, and Grace Chatto.
Directed by Jack Patterson & Grace Chatto, this music video is flat-out iconic, purely because of the amazing editing techniques used. It always surprises me that their visuals are self-directed because they manage to nail it every single time.
We watch Julia Michaels walk along train tracks before switching to a desert scene that continues her path with layer upon layer between the two. It looks like they had complete fun filming this. My problem is that they're all dressed in red, making Julia Michaels look like she's a part of Clean Bandit as if she's the lead singer or lead vocalist or frontwoman of the group - this is not what we usually expect from a featured singer.
Overall, there's not a lot to comment on, I'm not so keen on Grace Chatto's outfit, it looks like it's been teared up. Otherwise, both artists nail the performance, giving it all they've got and allowing the viewers to be captured from the very first few seconds, but it doesn't really relate to the song and it doesn't allow any depth, only layers. I do admit, Julia Michaels looks amazing when she's on top of the piano.
This is what happens when a classic song gets revamped like RAYE & Mr Eazi has done with "Decline", as I end up reviewing the original music video too - and why not? Not going to lie, I love what RAYE has done with the song and the idea of declining the call; I now sing those lyrics when I hear this, rather than these actual lyrics. It's full of 00's R&B which was all the rage way back then; it seems to be coming back in, in a whole new spin and we sure aren't complaining. Watch Ja Rule and Ashanti prove that she's always there on time but not always there when he calls in this just-on-time music video for their hit single "Always On Time".
Ja Rule, real name Jeffrey Atkins, is an American rapper who hit it big in the early 00's with rapping on R&B tracks, such as this one. He was on top of his game, however he hasn't released a single in some time, and he's been pushing back his eighth studio album. It's great to see that he wants to make it perfect, especially since he has been away from music for so long; yet, everyone is wondering whether he can make a comeback - we'll have to wait and see. As for the featured star on this track, Ashanti, full name Ashanti Douglas, has been a prominent force in music for some time before jumping into the film industry and making her name known there. She's now focusing on music and is also planning on releasing a brand new album soon, her sixth studio LP. Again, it's another question as to whether she'll be able to make a comeback, her latest album just didn't hit the mark. This song was her first official single and one that was an international hit around the world. It was intended to feature Brandy instead of Ashanti. "Always On Time" was written by Marcus Vest, Jeffrey Atkins, and Irving Lorenzo.
Directed by Craig Fanning, the music video is a performance piece set within a narrative and shows off some incredible scenes that certainly would've put this music video on top during its release. I have to admit, I'm surprised I haven't seen this until today.
Both artists bring R&B glory to the performance piece, that's for sure. They easily take in the lyrics of the song and project it out to the audience whilst adding a bit of fun to it all, which only makes this music video even more engaging.
As for the narrative scenes, there is an awful lot going on. We watch Ja Rule being served breakfast by two women, who are on the clingy side. He calls some woman and she picks him up in a speedboat. Then we pan to what looks like a fireball in the sky, but it must be the sun, and we swap scenes.
This time Ja Rule is rapping in a Chevrolet Continental before he breaks down and a new woman comes to rescue him. Until finally he's performing at a concert and the women surround him wanting him, when all of a sudden a ladder appears and a hot air balloon is above him, with a woman inside ready to rescue him.
Overall, the music video is a great concept that really works. Ashanti is iconic to this song, it's just a shame she doesn't actually appear in the narration scenes, you would think she'd be the one rescuing Ja Rule, every single time. Otherwise, it's a great music video, one I can watch again and again, which works with the song.
I kept hearing this song, wishing I knew what it was so that I could review its music video for my blog. After weeks and weeks, I've finally remembered some of the lyrics so that I could google it, and here it is, finally. I'm surprised that it's a RAYE song; YAS! It's about time she gets the recognition she deserves, but my big question is whether she'll perform well in this music video, especially considering the ones I have seen of her. I am still rooting for her though, and I really cannot wait to click play. Now that I have, I certainly am disappointed. I was really hoping this would be better. Watch RAYE and Mr Eazi perform their song as she shows off various fashion styles and her true visual potential but not quite grasping it whilst Mr Eazi outshines her slightly in this music video for "Decline".
RAYE, real name Rachel Keen, is a singer-songwriter who has been focusing on music for a handful of years. With a killer voice like hers, it's no surprise that she's got some great hits behind her and has featured on some of the best tracks recently. She is definitely one to watch, especially since her vocals are off the chart; she just needs to do better in music videos, because I've seen her perform on TV and that's the sort of energy I want to see from her. The song is a collaboration with Mr Eazi, real name Oluwatosin Ajibade. He comes from Nigeria and has released two mixtapes thus far. He relocated to Kumasi, Ghana to continue his education. He is signed to Wizkid's record label Starboy Entertainment, and I'm sure it won't be long until we hear more from him. This song samples "Always On Time" by Ja Rule featuring Ashanti. "Decline" was written by Marcus Vest, Jeffrey Atkins, Irving Lorenzo, Rachel Keen, Fraser Thorneycroft-Smith, Janee Bennett, and Oluwatosin Oluwule Ajibade.
Directed by Sing J. Lee, this music video is a pure performance piece, something we were hoping not to get from RAYE or at least something that would show off who she is. There' nothing going for this music video, from the old square style to RAYE not giving any energy whatsoever.
At times she does give some potential to the clips; we see her dancing and grooving to the beat, but there's not enough and she never really lets loose. It's because of this that Mr Eazi outshines her during his parts as he brings movement that links to the lyrics he is singing; whereas RAYE has this attitude that comes across as slightly arrogant mixed with an air of not wanting to be there filming a music video. Maybe she isn't that passionate about the songs she's singing?
Overall, this music video deserved to be a lot better since the song is undeniably catchy and certainly takes us back to Ja Rule's "Always On Time" which features Ashanti. I just wish RAYE would bring it like we know that she can. I caught her on Top Of The Pops Christmas Special last year and she was buzzing with energy; that's the woman we want to see in her music videos.
We all know how obsessed I am with Platnum, and I had planned to catch up on my blog in time for this new music release, however I am so far behind right now that I'm just taking one day at a time and trying to focus every single day and attempt to catch up to today's date; and I will eventually, it's just going to take some time. I have been obsessed with this song ever since Platnum and Sweet Female Attitude debuted the track at Staffordshire University's LRV - which is the uni I used to go to; their gigs are always pure fire and beyond worth going if you ever get the chance. Watch Platnum & Sweet Female Attitude dance and perform their collaboration song whilst they light up in UV lighting intersected by a group of dancers and fire performers in this music video for "Looking For Love".
Platnum are a duo consisting of Aaron Evers and Michelle McKenna, they were originally a three-piece with Mina Poli and went on to achieve success at the start of their career by featuring on H2O's track "What's It Gonna Be" before having a solo hit for themselves titled "Love Shy (Thinking About You)". They have gone on to release awesome fired-up tracks that I am still obsessed with today. Now, as a two-piece, this is their first song since they've been a duo, keeping their Platnum edge and style whilst making it more current. For the song, they teamed-up with classic garage artist and friend, Sweet Female Attitude, which is now the stage name for Leanne Brown. She's best known for the 90's track "Flowers". She's also had an amazing career to date and continues to drop new music; she easily stays current and totally slays when it comes to her vocals, just listen to what she brings to this song! This was a collaboration made in heaven, something we've needed in our lives before we knew it. We can only hope they team up again in the future, as this track is pure fire.
The music video is basic, filled with unstoppable energy throughout. It's clear that both these acts love being in front of a camera doing their thing and singing their songs. The track is upbeat and undeniably catchy, and all three artists convey that in the performance visual.
There's a lot going on although the main section of the video is the performance piece which sees Platnum and Sweet Female Attitude embody the musical energy of the song and unleash it out to every single viewer. This is the same energy that they bring to the stage at every single event that they go to. I've seen Platnum twice and I hope I continue to see them again and again as the years come and go.
Other shots see three dancers nailing choreography that works perfectly with the song, as well as a fire performer. There are also some interesting UV shots that see the stars wearing UV paint and lighting up in the dark. It's a great basic music video that I could watch over and over again. I cannot wait to see what these artists release next. What a way to kick off their 2018.
What did I just watch? How is this song Stroke 69's biggest Romanian hit? It does not make sense, although after thinking about the song, it is kind of stuck in my head, so I guess it's not so bad; but I certainly won't be watching this music video a second time! I chose this for my Thursday Revisit, as I doubt I'll get another chance to review this. There's just no substance to the visual and although it may keep certain people entertain, it doesn't really relate that well to the song. Watch Stroke 69 perform their song to women who move sexily in this music video for their debut hit track "Beautiful Smile".
Stroke 69 is a Romanian duo consisting of Sly (Ilyes Zsolt) and DJ White (Nagy Szabolcs). They are still going today, releasing new music and proving that this is what they are meant to be doing. Their songs are easily catchy, with some of them being worthy of becoming international hits if the right promotion came along. It's interesting to see that they have charted in Romania and that they continue to thrive today, doing what they love to do. I am interested if they can expand their reach in the coming years as they continue to release more new music. This one was their debut single, and it's still their biggest hit to date. It was released on Roton Music.
We all have to admit, this music video is sexy and has a slight narration involved if you count the women who are being sexy and eventually end up smiling, as requested by Stroke 69. It's just missing an actual storyline.
Once again, Stroke 69 fails to impress in their performance visuals. None of them really bring it to the camera, and just like in "Black Rose" - which I previously reviewed this week, hence why this has become my Thursday Revisit - Sly and DJ White just makes us wish they'd bring some enthusiasm or emotion or energy to the visual. We just get nothing from them.
Overall, this music video focuses on the women in the clips rather than trying to give the viewers something meaningful to watch. I sure hope their most recent music videos are much better than this, although I probably won't explore them anytime soon.
I had no idea what to review today, and then Cleo came on to my iTunes, not this exact song though, and I decided that I might as well review one of hers. She's one of my favourite singers from Eurovision in the last few years and has certainly been considered as underrated; however, her career has certainly soared as she continues to bring exciting new music and incredible high-quality music videos. I really believe she is a star in the making; although, to go international she needs more exposure. Watch Cleo party on a rooftop with a bunch of voluptuous women as she performs the track in this music video for her song "N-O-C".
Cleo, real name Joanna Klepko. is best known for representing her home country of Poland at the Eurovision Song Contest 2014 alongside Donatan, with the song "My Słowianie", where they came 14th with 62 points. She previously took part in the first season of the Polish version of X Factor. This song is one of her most recent tracks, and she has since charted in Poland with her songs. As for her album, that did really well on the albums chart in Poland and shows she is an artist worth watching out for. This song was written by Cleo and DobroBIT.
Directed by Piotr Smoleński & Michał Konrad, this music video is of high quality and engaging from start to finish, which is something we've come to expect from Cleo. She brings a fierce quality to the video, although she also has quite an interesting high-quality relaxed fashion style.
There are various shots of a helicopter circling around the rooftop, which we can only presume some of the camera shots are from. There are a whole host of models and extras, partying, dancing sexily, taking clothes off, and splashing water, all before Cleo takes to riding in a car at the very end.
Starring throughout the visual is Ola Ciupa, Sandra Traczyk, Luxuria Astaroth, Julia Wróblewska, and Patryk Pniewski. Overall, even though this music video is of high quality, and Cleo brings it, there's just something missing; however, it does relate to the song since I translated the lyrics. I cannot wait to see what the future brings for Cleo.
Once again, I've left my iTunes to decide the music video I review, today, and this song has really embedded itself in my head. It feels like one of those classic dance/house tracks from the early 00's that was all the range; instead, it's a lot more current and really shows that amazing music is coming from Romania from the last decade. Watch Stroke 69 perform while a woman dives into the water towards a strip of coloured lights in this music video for "Black Rose".
Stroke 69 are a two-piece DJ project consisting of Sly (Ilyes Zsolt) and DJ White (Nagy Szabolcs). Their first single was "Beautiful Smile" which went on to help them win awards. They continue to shine, by releasing new music. They clearly work well as a duo and confidently record new music. They stay fresh and current with their music, managing to keep doing what they love. It'll be interesting to see what the future will bring for them, they clearly deserve a worldwide hit, especially since they keep recording and producing. This song was written by Ilyes Zsolt and Nagy Szabolcs.
Directed by Alexandru Popescu, this music video really doesn't go anywhere and fails to connect with the audience. I was really hoping for something to hook the viewers in but nothing turns up.
There is both a performance piece and a narrative piece - if you want to call either of them that. The narrative sees a woman jump into a pool of water after seeing some lights. She grabs for them and twists around them before magically changing her clothes in the water, and never once did she come up for air - she definitely can hold her breath.
Then the performance just sees the vocalist spinning on a chair, adding subtle emotions into the song and yet not fully nailing it. This is very lacklustre in comparison to the song which is a complete emotional banger. I was so not expecting this after loving this song for so long.
Catch-up spree is in full force, and here's my Chart Mondays review from five weeks ago - yes, I am that far behind, although you wouldn't know since I have backdated the date. This song is totally the club-banger around at the moment, which isn't a surprise since it is by MK. I am reviewing the music video to this as on this backdated date, Ed Sheeran is still at the top with his song "Perfect". This music video fails to interest me whatsoever and was not at all something I was expecting. Watch a bunch of young people party, dance, and hang out with flashbacks of their youth in this music video to MK's "17".
MK, real name Marc Kinchen, is a DJ that has stayed current as the decades have passed. This is not something many DJs can state, although in recent years they have become ever so popular; which has allowed MK to return to the mainstream recently. He'll certainly be someone that will give us hit after hit, although he's not someone we're all going to be talking about as he is known for his initials, and that's going to take quite a few hits for people to get used to; although, if anyone can do that, it's MK! This song has hit it big in Scotland, Mexico, The UK, and Ireland. It was written by Carla Monroe, Dave Whelan, Marc Kinchen, and Mike Di Scala.
Directed by Dean Richardson, this music video really doesn't have a lot going for it. It's not engaging to the audience, and when you've seen it once you're not all that bothered if you see it again. It's bright and colourful and I love the fact that MK is representing black men and women within dance and house music.
We watch a party go on, before we watch the group interact in the street, all intercut with flashbacks and camera recordings. It's clever but it is so not interesting, it doesn't actively involve the viewers.
Overall, this music video falls flat, which is in major contrast to the song. Appreciation has to go out to the fact that it is quite relatable to the track and the lyrics; the content just isn't something that leaves us wanting more. Instead, within the first minute or so, we're wondering what else we could watch.
Once again, I have left my iTunes to choose which music video to review. I always have it on shuffle and I have such a diverse range of music available that I'll probably be using this method in years to come since it actually allows me to stumble across videos I've never seen before or ones I've forgotten all about - which is the case with this one. There are two music videos released for this song, one of the original song and another of the Richard Vision Remix; I was planning on doing the latter, since I much prefer the song, however, as for music videos, I much prefer the original, but only by the tiniest little bit. Watch Hilary Duff bring fire in the background of this visual while she sings to the camera in this performance-style music video for her song "Play With Fire".
Hilary Duff is someone I have been a fan of for years, both in her music and her acting roles. She's recently been focusing on acting where she stars in TV series Younger, and she has a new film coming up, titled The Haunting Of Sharon Tate. She has dipped into music and is planning on releasing her sixth studio album in the future, although news about new music has pretty much died, with the last mention of it in 2016, although rumours are certainly hyped up. We certainly are dying for new music, especially since her last album was released in 2015, and as much as we all loved it, there wasn't much promotion around it and the singles, and she didn't tour with it. We're hoping that a world tour happens when she next releases music - we so need to see her live. This song wasn't a commercial success at all. It only managed to chart on the Billboard US Dance Club Songs at number 31 and didn't chart anywhere else. The song was written by Hilary Duff, Kara DioGuardi, Rhett Lawrence, and will.i.am.
The music video was directed by Alex and Martin. It is a pure performance piece using video editing and mirrors to transform what could've been a great energetic visual into an unreal, uncaptivating, and quite off-putting music video.
Any energy that Hilary Duff could've pushed out to the audience falls flat with the editing techniques used. This is so not engaging at all. It was inspired by Orson Welles 1948 film noir The Lady From Shanghai.
The music video is known as Hilary Duff's sexy transition into a woman. I actually think people grasp at straws when it comes to Hilary Duff since she is a Disney star and we've all them take down this sexy route so they can strip away their too-nice front; however, this phase isn't easily found in Hilary Duff and she's gained a lot of respect from her peers for this exact reason. Regardless, this music video just doesn't work and although it was nominated for awards, it just falls flat.
I've been planning on watching this music video for some time, but I keep forgetting about it, until recently when it appeared in my YouTube Recommendations. Sunstroke Project were my favourite act in the Eurovision Song Contest 2017, where they sang "Hey, Mamma!"; they came third overall, having appealed greatly to the public at home. Personally, I think they deserve international success, but I'm not that surprised that this song didn't do well when it was dropped since it has a summery feel to it even though it was released at the end of last year. I'm hoping that 2018 brings new Sunstroke Project music that we all will fall in love with. Watch Sunstroke Project host a carnival in a street as a group of children discover what's going on through a gap in a wooden door, fighting over who gets to watch in this bright and colourful music video for "Sun Gets Down".
Sunstroke Project are a three-piece group consisting of Sergei Yalovitsky, Anton Ragoza, and Sergey Stepanov. They've represented Moldova at Eurovision, twice; the first time was in 2010 alongside Olia Tira with the song "Run Away" where they came 22nd in the Grand Final with 27 points. They attempted to return by competing in following national selection shows. Finally, they won, in 2017, with the song "Hey, Mamma!", which was well received by the public at home. They came third in the Grand Final with 374 points. This is the song that followed that Eurovision hit. I am hopeful that they continue to release music and we all hope a brand new album is on the horizon.
Directed by Slava Sirbu, this music video relates to the song with its summery vibe and engaging narrative. The video opens up with a bunch of children interacting with one another. This then pans out to the carnival festival that is going on. The street completely reminds me of Antonia's "Jameia", for some reason, I guess all street sets all look the same.
The one child finds out about the carnival by looking through a hole in a wooden door or gate or fence - I'm not sure what to call that. He quickly rides his bicycle to his friends and tells him about what he's just seen, and they all rush over to watch. Then, one of the children is pulled through the door to enjoy the festivities. The ending, sees someone beckon the other children to join.
As for the performance piece, Sunstroke Project are full of style, class, and fashion. They exude their magical energy and really light up the carnival with their moves and their music. They stand out amongst the festivities while others take centre stage such as the day of the dead woman and the dancers.
Overall, this music video is stunning in concept. It really relates to the jovial sun vibe that is being leached out of the track. The addicting storyline keeps the audience entertained throughout, although I'm quite confused as to why the children run away when the door opens and a hand beckons them in. Otherwise, this music video certainly excites me for future Sunstroke Project songs.
