New Release: Sage The Gemini Featuring Nick Jonas - Good Thing



Been ill for a week, hence why I haven't blogged, but I'm back now, with this surprising collaboration. Is this Nick Jonas' attempt at getting into rap and hip hop? Because it is a complete fail. Who is Sage the Gemini anyway? A typical music video featuring a lot of girls in a forest similar to Nicki Minaj's "Anaconda", with two singers who are ecstatic to be surrounded by all these women, only Nick Jonas looks more focused on singing and performing, whereas Sage the Gemini looks obsessed with the girls in the video. Reminds me a lot of Justin Timberlake's collaborations.

The Jonas Brothers broke up in 2013, and Nick Jonas has gone solo. His recent singles have done well in the UK. But this one isn't making an impact on the iTunes chart all that much. Could it be due to the shoddy release date? Amazon, HMV and 7digital released it three weeks ago, yet on iTunes it was pushed back until now. I surely haven't heard it on the radio, although it is kind of catchy.

Sage the Gemini, real name Dominic Woods, has had an all right career in the US. He has previously charted all over the world in a collaboration with Flo Rida and Lookas on the track "G.D.F.R.", but it'll be interesting if he has another hit.

Here is another typical music video, where girls are parading around wearing very little, we've seen this hundreds of times in rap and hip hop music videos, and yet a music video has failed to stand out above the rest.

Even the forest isn't a new thing as Nicki Minaj has done it before. Is there anything original about this video? Not really, and that is what really disappoints me as the song is on the catchy side.
Buy on iTunes

P!nk - There You Go



How have I not seen this video before today? To be fair I only just about remember P!nk's debut single. This video is amazing! What a great ending, I'm so glad I chose this as my revisit.

This is P!nk's, Alecia Moore's, debut single. She was previously in a girl band called Choice, however they disbanded and P!nk got a solo career. This song is a surprise, who would've thought P!nk was firstly an R&B singer? Written by Alecia Moore, Kandi Burruss and Kevin "She'kspere" Briggs, it hit number six here in the UK. Considering the songs out at the time, Destiny's Child's "Bills, Bills, Bills", TLC's "No Scrubs" and Mýa "Case of the Ex (Whatcha Gonna Do)", this sound was very popular in the early 00's and I do miss this sound, maybe it will return, like all good music does, in the future.

This video is awesome. I like her skater side, makes me think of Avril Lavigne's debut single "Complicated", and they also brought back the skaters in "Raise Your Glass", which was a nice tribute to her past.

The narrative was something interesting to say the least. I loved the ending as I wasn't expeciting it at all. The whole scene with the bike is pretty reminiscent of Britney Spears' "Toxic", but then again motorbikes are featured in this way a lot, whether it's in a music video or not.

I can't help but laugh at the phone, back then the flip phone was popular, and it soon came back around again, but the size of the screen is laughable considering the size of our screens now and what they can do.

P!nk, even back then, proved how great of a performer she is, she sang and danced her way through the song, and she commands us to watch her and give her our full attention. She just looks powerful.

Overall great song, with a brilliant music video. I just don't understand the topless scene, although Rihanna also did it in "Umbrella", and Miley Cyrus, most recently, did it in "Wrecking Ball", so I guess it's nothing to be surprised at.
Buy on iTunes

One Direction - Drag Me Down



This has to be my favourite One Direction song thus far. I did like "What Makes You Beautiful", but their voices in this song are so powerful and emotional, this is exactly what I've been waiting for from these guys. A memorable video to boot too, although it only links in with the drag me down part of the song, since they're in a spaceship and creating a force against gravity. Maybe they're off to see Britney in "Oops!... I Did It Again" or maybe they're after Ariana Grande in "Break Free".

One Direction hit headlines recently as they announce they're splitting up, however it's only for a year, before they return as a band again. So can we get this straight, just like many other bands do, they're going on hiatus, they are not splitting up completely... So can we all stop using the words One Direction Are Splitting Up, because they really aren't. They deserve this break, and they will get back together after a year.

They are now a four-piece band consisting of Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Liam Payne and Louis Tomlinson. Recently, Zayn Malik left the band to pursue a solo career, however if this is the outcome with him not being in the band, then they're better off without him. Sorry Zayn fans, but every time I saw Zayn, I always thought of the day he cried at bootcamp on The X Factor, not a good look at all. They came third on the seventh series of The X Factor, behind Matt Cardle and Rebecca Ferguson. Other notable stars from that year includes, Cher Lloyd, Mary Byrne, Katie Waissel, Paije Richardson, Aiden Grimshaw, Belle Amie and Storm Lee. The song was written by Julian Bunetta, Jamie Scott and John Ryan.

Directed by Ben & Gabe Turner, the video is set at NASA, and features One Direction as astronauts, I have to admit, this has not been done before, and the idea that a spaceship defies gravity and there for even gravity can't drag them down is a great link.

Their performance piece looks good, purely because of the setting and the camera angles as well as the way the cameras are used. However, it works exactly the way you expect, as it makes you want to go and see them live. I saw them live at The X Factor Tour, but they have a lot more energy now than back then, and you can see it in their music videos.

Overall a video that doesn't disappoints, but doesn't give us the wow factor. However the song makes up for that entirely as the song is so heartfelt and emotional, even though they didn't write the song personally, you know they've connected with the song and they mean what they're singing.
Buy on iTunes

P!nk - Who Knew



Now this is the P!nk I adored. I loved all her albums, however her most recent "The Truth About Love" put me completely off P!nk, I still love her old songs, but "Blow Me (One Last Kiss)", "Try", "Just Give Me A Reason" and "True Love" had me removing her songs from my iTunes, and the only times I hear P!nk now is on the radio or through YouTube. It's mind blowing how one album can change your whole listening habits.

A funfair video with a narrative and performance piece, what is not to like about this video though?

P!nk, real name Alecia Moore, has had none stop success and I used to be a fan of her right up to her most recent album. I hope that she returns to her old sound, or at least something better than her previous album. "Who Knew" was written by P!nk, Max Martin and Dr. Luke. A perfect song writing team, and no wonder this was a hit. The song is about a friend P!nk lost to drugs when she was just 14. This song is so powerful and her emotion in the song comes across. The song came to my attention this week as it was played on the radio, and it just explained my life as I'm back to single life, another week and a half relationship gone by. If it's meant to be, he'll come back to me. If not, someone else will surely come into my life.

The video does the song's meaning justice. A lot is compacted in this short three and a half minutes, it's surprising it all fitted in.

The narrative is emotional. A couple is clearly in a new relationship, yet the funfair shots suggests they've been together much longer. The girl is clearly more into the guy, than what he is into her. Although he is secretly injecting drugs into himself without her knowing. She finds him in a drugged state at the end, and she walks away from the relationship. (If anyone know the actors names, please comment below).

Let's be honest, if we all had the chance to, we'd go and see P!nk live. We all know that she is an amazing performer. And her passion in the words she sings are clear during the video footage. She has a presence that we'll all love to see on a stage in front of us.

The video is perfect in every way, with a developed storyline and a good performance piece. It contains a funfair and has good subliminal messages. This is the P!nk we all miss, the one we'd like to see return.
Buy on Amazon

Chart Mondays: Jess Glynne - Don't Be So Hard On Yourself



Jess Glynne shows us that we shouldn't be hard on ourselves and that we should fight for what we want because we can achieve anything if we set our minds to it. Uplifting and inspirational, this should've amazed us, yet it falls flat like so many others.

I have decided to start the week off with Chart Mondays. Every Monday I shall review a video in the UK top 10, usually it will be the current number one, however this isn't always possible due to it already been reviewed or it doesn't have a video.

Jess Glynne scored her fifth number one with this song, no longer helping Clean Bandit get awesome hits, Jess Glynne has took the UK by storm. She is tied with Cheryl Fernandez-Versini with the most UK number ones for a solo British female, however Jess Glynne has done it within 18 months compared to Cheryl's five years. Jess Glynne will be around for a long time, and I expect more number ones will follow.

Written by Jess Glynne, Wayne Hector and TMS. The song inspires us all, with it's disco theme, Jess Glynne tells us to never give up. The catchy song is so good it's no surprise it got to number one, her vocal range is amazing to listen to, and this song fits perfectly with her previous released singles. I Cry When I Laugh album is one to listen to, for sure.

Declan Whitebloom was the director, and considering his previous videos: Taylor Swift's "Mean", "We Are Never Getting Back Together" and Pixie Lott's "What Do You Take Me For?". Its surprising that this one isn't as memorable as the others he has directed.

I like the narrative side, what with the drummer practising over and over and his father encouraging him and eventually he is good enough to be included.

Yet the performance side totally lets this video down. I would never be interested in seeing Jess Glynne live. Don't get me wrong, her voice is phenomenal, and since she's had five number ones already, she clearly is one of the UK's best female acts, however it looks like she is just singing the song in this video. Where is her performance? Where is her passion? Her feeling? Does she even mean anything she is actually singing?

What's next for Jess Glynne? Another number one, surely. Or will Cheryl Fernandez-Versini fight back? Has Jess Glynne relaxed? In this video she seems complacent. Will she be able to keep her chart reign? I guess we'll have to wait and see. As for the video it fails to excite me like I was expecting it to.
Buy on iTunes