Karen Harding has also been announced for Birmingham Pride 2016, I have to admit I was expecting her to be a big name by now, because of how successful "Say Something" was, and yet this follow up single fails to meet expectations, it's too similar to "Say Something" and regardless of the promotion on musical.ly app, it failed to chart, unsurprisingly. Today is the first time I've heard the song and watched the music video. Karen Harding definitely has presence and can perform, which she pulls off perfectly in this music video, as there is nothing else going on. Bland, unimaginative, and unengaging, Karen Harding does the best she can with what she's been given.
AND HERE'S OUR NEXT EXCITING REVEAL...After storming the main stage last year the fantastic Karen Harding returns to...
Posted by Birmingham Pride on Thursday, 17 March 2016
Karen Harding has appeared on The X Factor and the UK national selection for Eurovision. She proved both of them wrong by getting a hit single with "Say Something", she just needs to follow through and prove the judges wrong by getting more hit singles and a hit album. Her vocals are to the right standard, she just needs the right songs and this one isn't one of them. This song was written by Sophie "Frances" Cooke, Josh Wilkinson and James Reynolds.
Directed by James Partridge, this video is very visual, almost art-worthy, and yet bland and unexciting, without meaning.
There's not much to comment on. There's one scene that is relatable to an extent as Karen Harding is singing and dancing in front of a pink board with a pair of eyes. However the other scenes don't make sense, the flamingoes especially.
Karen Harding exposes her natural beauty, she works the clothes she is wearing, and her hair looks amazing both curly and straight. She clearly has on-stage presence which will be perfect for when she performs at Birmingham Pride 2016, I'm just sad that I missed her last year.
Overall, the video follows "Say Something", as in that she can perform well, but she hasn't had a great music video, that I've seen, so far. I feel that she needs a good music video under her belt, one that the music channels will play again and again, one that will make people watch on repeat on YouTube, because a music video is good promotion for a song, and she has the vocal talent of a superstar, she just needs the hit songs.
What have I just watched. This literal translation of these lyrics is weirdly entertaining to say the least, and yet it doesn't entice me to watch it again. Full of contemporary dancing and visual interpretation of the song words, Nick Jonas and Tove Lo scrape forward and backwards closer and distant from each other, a battle of feelings.
Nick Jonas was originally in The Jonas Brothers and in Nick Jonas And The Administration. He has set out all on his own and has definitely made a solo career for himself. I am not so sure on this song, myself... I absolutely loved "Levels" and I have found Nick Jonas a very hit and miss kind of singer, so I was hoping for more songs like "Levels" but this one isn't as good, which probably explains why it's not doing so well on the iTunes chart today. Tove Lo has also been a hit and miss kind of singer, real name Ebba Nilsson, and yet she's doing all right for herself at the moment. This song was written by Robin Fredriksson, Mattias Larsson, Julia Michaels, Justin Tranter and Tove Lo.
This video could've been sexy and it just isn't. Directed by Tim Erem, it's clear a lot of effort went into creating this allusion and both singers' acting and dancing skills were put to the test, however both singers look totally undesirable.
They move forward and backwards on their seats, as if there is a magnetic force repelling and attracting them, and it isn't until their clothes get removed that they're able to touch each other.
Not only is it a good literal translation of the song but there is perfect hidden meaning behind it. As much as I'm not so keen on the song and as undesirable as this music video is because Nick Jonas isn't sexy whatsoever in this video compared to "Levels" and let's not even start on Tove Lo, but she does look better in her feature with Years & Years on song "Desire" than she does in this; I have to congratulate the video on the idea of it all and pulling it off perfectly.
Such an off-putting video, one I both want to watch again and I don't want to watch again. Regardless of that fact, it is technically brilliant, perfectly relatable and an undeniable translation of the lyrics. As much as this may not be appealing, it works well and it fits the song.
Keeping to the style of my blog, regardless of the fact that we're in the middle of Birmingham Pride 2016 Special, since some of the acts have been announced. I've decided to continue to do Thursday Revisit, and so Booty Luv is my revisit today. This is THE song that made ma a fan of Booty Luv. a cover of Luther Vandross' "Shine". Booty Luv are dancing with a dance group in this video, it's clear they can't dance very well and not enough effort went into this video, although it's clear that they can stand there and look pretty whilst singing.
AND OUR NEXT REVEAL IS...The fantastic Booty Luv who return to Birmingham Pride after storming the main stage...
Posted by Birmingham Pride on Thursday, 17 March 2016
Booty Luv consists of Cherise Roberts and Nadia Shepherd, they were originally in group Big Brovaz before they split. They are one of my favourite acts that got announced for Birmingham Pride 2016,. however with no new songs, I'm a little worried that I am hyping them up too much, especially since these videos I have reviewed hasn't shown them as great performers. This is a cover of Luther Vandross' "Shine", I definitely prefer the cover version, although Luther Vandross is an undeniably incredible singer, this song was meant to be played in the clubs. It was written by James Harris III, Terry Lewis, Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers.
Once again a Booty Luv video has failed to interest me. Like seriously, what did Hed Kandi do to these girls? Hed Kandi was the record label they were assigned to. They could've put them through dance lessons, and made this video much more explosive.
That is not what we are getting, these girls have learned the routine but not how to pull it off, they do the steps and the moves without any eagerness, they've been told they can't do it fully and they stick out like a sore thumb compared to the dancers behind them.
There's not much else I can comment on, to be fair. This video could've been much much more, but I guess Hed Kandi was attempting to earn as much money rather than exposing the girls to enough promotion. Another fail of a music video for Booty Luv, even if produced perfectly it wouldn't have worked, we needed a narrative storyline, or at least a brilliant jaw-dropping performance, this just isn't it, and commonly found in dance tracks that were popular back then.
I think I've just let The Rhythm get to me and I've just lost my mind. As if I've never seen this video before now, it's amazing, and with a song that so should've charted higher than number 38, but I guess MNEK is definitely in the limelight now, what with his collaboration with Zara Larsson on the song "Never Forget You". He has been announced as one of the headline acts at Birmingham Pride 2016, I just wish Zara Larsson was appearing too. MNEK tells you that The Rhythm will lose your mind, and he is totally right with this freaky music video, it seems MNEK is the only person not to lose his mind in this supermarket.
AND HERE'S ANOTHER BIG HEADLINER...Birmingham Pride are proud to announce that Grammy-nominated British singer,...
Posted by Birmingham Pride on Thursday, 17 March 2016
MNEK, real name Uzo Emenike, has had an established career as a song writer, he has had three number ones and plenty of top ten hits. Now he's creating a career as a solo singer and he is doing a fine job of it, although he isn't exactly a strong singer, he has a perfect soul in his vocals, enough to give him his own number ones in the future. I'm excited to see what he releases next after the amazing hit single "Never Forget You". This song was written by Uzo Emenike and Kersha Bailey.
Directed by Clemens Habicht, the video is once again set in a supermarket, this seems to be a common setting in dancing music videos. I think it's because we've all been in one of them, it's part of everyday life and I think that's what makes it a good setting to put something unnatural. Other videos that have recently been set in a supermarket is Galantis' "Peanut Butter Jelly" and Skrillex & Diplo & Justin Bieber's "Where Are Ü Now".
MNEK is working at the supermarket and he changes the music to his own song The Rhythm. Once the customers hear the song they start to lose their minds just like the song suggests.
They start to dance to the track and then the dancing gets really crazy as special techniques are used that even makes the viewers lose their minds, throughout I was like: is this really happening?
Trampolines were definitely used in the video and other visual transformations. It works really well, although the supermarket would definitely be wrecked by the end of the video, however it's only slightly untidy.
Overall, a great video that relates perfectly with the song. MNEK is a star that much is obvious. I love the video, it's freaky, it's weird, it makes me lose my mind just like the customers. I was a little unexcited when MNEK was announced as one of the acts at Birmingham Pride 2016, now I'm excited to hear him live.
Never heard or seen this before today and now it's stuck in my head. It annoys me that credible artists don't get a look in when it comes to the radio, since that is the biggest promotion. A complete step up since she appeared on The X Factor, I truly believe Lucy Spraggan is one of the most underrated British singers we have. She has been announced for Birmingham Pride 2016. Lucy Spraggan proves she's a fighter in this music video, she's unsinkable within the music industry and she will continue to get soaked, yet no matter how damp and down she gets, she'll never be beaten, because British music isn't the same without her.
AND OUR NEXT REVEAL IS...The brilliant Lucy Spraggan returns to Birmingham Pride after storming the main stage in...
Posted by Birmingham Pride on Thursday, 17 March 2016
Lucy Spraggan hit our TV screens on the ninth series of The X Factor, where James Arthur was crowned as the winner. Personally, the ninth series is one of the worst series because the acts I loved didn't go as far as I wanted them too, two of which were out in the first two live shows and Lucy Spraggan had to withdrew, therefore not allowing me to become a fan of her music. It was a shamble of a series and although some acts are well known, such as Rylan Clark and Union J, the star was Ella Henderson who undoubtedly should've won, but didn't. She's definitely the one who's had the biggest career out of all of them from this series. Back to Lucy Spraggan, before The X Factor she released an album independently, then released a second album under Sony. Her most recent album, We Are, was released last year under a new label. All she needs is more promotion, because this girl has got it! This song was written by Lucy Spraggan, Martin Brammer and Adam Argyle.
The music video, directed by Damien Reeves, is mainly a performance based music video that really captures the lyrics of the song.
I love the performance side, Lucy Spraggan proves that she's all grown up, and she really means business with this song, unfortunately it charted at number 78 here in the UK, but it should've done better.
I like the visuals. When she sings 'I should be broken drift wood on the beach', we're transported to a very cold beach. Pathetic fallacy is played to the fullest as it rains inside, where she is performing.
Yet she fights through and the rain finishes as the song finishes.
Beautiful, inviting and full of emotion. Lucy Spraggan has grown up, and I am hoping 2016 pushes her out to be more of a star, because that is definitely what she is.
