Britney Spears - Womanizer



I actually can't believe I haven't reviewed this music video yet. So lets make amends on my blog. I chose the director's cut, since it isn't much different from the original release, just less steam and more nakedness, but nothing too profound. For my Thursday Revisit, after watching "Make Me...", this is how you do a first single music video of a new album. "Make Me..." isn't a typical Britney Spears music video, THIS IS! This put Britney Spears back where she belonged, it was her name on everyone's lips, "Make Me..." just hasn't done that. Britney shows her man who's boss and proves that he is a womanizer. You don't mess with Britney Spears and get away with it!

Britney Spears is one of the biggest stars around and she is still releasing music, although you may not know it since she hasn't been hitting the charts hard recently. Believe it or not, she has never had a UK number one album, and unless she pulls something out of the bag, her latest album 'Glory', which is set to release at the end of the month, is just not going to get to the top. Especially after the fiasco of "Make Me...". This song, however, should've got to number one. Instead it settled at number three behind Leona Lewis' "Run" and Take That's "Greatest Day". It was the first single to be taken from her 'Circus' album, which got to number four. Could she turn things around? It looks doubtful, although her instant grat singles aren't doing so badly. Womanizer was written by Nikeshia Briscoe and Rafael Akinyemi.

Directed by Joseph Kahn, he strikes again, this music video is fire! We expect nothing less of him nowadays. Britney Spears' love interest is male actor Brandon Stoughton.

This is a Britney video! Narration with a performance piece set throughout. She shows how brave she is in the sauna, proving to the world that she hasn't put weight on and that she is totally healthy once again. This single will always be my mark to Britney being back and healthy again.

Throughout the video, we see Britney in disguise, much like "Toxic", with a few references to the previous video, this almost works as a follow-up, not quite though.

She's seen as a receptionist, a waitress and a chauffeur. Proving to herself and her boyfriend that he is a womanizer and that he gets up to all things when Britney Spears is not around. So at the end she gets her revenge and magically makes him disappear.

The dancing is stiff and not so flawless as we're used to from Britney Spears, regardless there's dancing, which is more than what can be said about new music video for "Make Me...".

Extremely stylish and fashion-based for 2008, it proves that Britney Spears is on form and knows what she wants. And it certainly isn't womanizer: Brandon Stoughton.

Brandon Stoughton is gorgeously sexy, he is one fine on-screen boyfriend, visual-wise, and definitely the perfect fit for a womanizer, he just has that look about him. Brilliant acting from him, he makes it seem so real, whilst Britney Spears is perfect as always.

This music video is amazing, everything is thought of, every detail, every outfit, every style, and every scene. Britney Spears' dancing might be slightly off in the video, but we know she's back on form right now at her Las Vegas residency. If only I could fly out and go and see her.
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Greece Entry: Freaky Fortune Featuring RiskyKidd - Rise Up



Greece's entrant into the Eurovision Song Contest 2014, was definitely a fan favourite, but clearly didn't quite do it on the night, only managing to place at number 20, with 35 points. This catchy track will become one of the great Eurovision songs that never won, or even came close, and yet I will not stop playing it at the parties I host. Freaky Fortune and RiskyKidd team up for this simple performance-based music video for "Rise Up", not quite rising anywhere though.

Freaky Fortune are a Greek duo consisting of Nikolas Raptakis and Theofilos Pouzbouris. The former has gone on to start a solo career, releasing a few singles here and there. Whether the duo is still together, is a question we may not be able to answer, but having already won a Perez Hilton competition early in their career, it suggests we need this duo to return. Featuring on the track is RiskyKidd, real name Shane Schuller, has continued on with his career since this track and is actively releasing singles. Collaborating on this track together, they competed in Eurosong 2014 - a MAD show, Greece's national selection show for the Eurovision Song Contest 2014, which they won. The song was written by Freaky Fortune and RiskyKidd.

Direction by Alex Grammatopoulos, the music video is extremely simplistic. Freaky Fortune fails to entertain as they sing the song in this video.

Close ups of Theofilos Pouzbouris producing the track is the most advancement of the music video we get. Otherwise we have a lot of jumping from RiskyKidd and Nikolas Raptakis where they really aren't rising up to anything.

Clearly the budget was blown on the stage production of the song, which didn't even help the acts get a high placing on the leader board of the Grand Final. Trampolines used in the stage performance are no where in sight of this music video, unfortunately.

With little else to comment on, because there is literally nothing going on in this music video, the stars fail to give performance vibes for this song, and although their vocals are on point, the video just doesn't do a thing.
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Charlie Puth Featuring Selena Gomez - We Don't Talk Anymore



It seems split-screen music videos are a massive thing nowadays, we've already had The Girl and the Dreamcatcher's "Make You Stay" split-screen music video, and now this one, wonder what song will be next. Regardless, Charlie Puth and Selena Gomez harmonise amazingly on this extremely catchy song that I definitely can't get enough of recently. As for the music video, the concept is hard to follow with the split-screen, Charlie Puth and his ex go about their lives apart because they don't talk anymore, whilst Selena Gomez doesn't even appear.

Charlie Puth, Grammy nominated singer and a chart success, he has had many hits already including number ones "Marvin Gaye" and "See You Again". This track marks his third single from his debut album. This won't be the last we hear of him. Featured on this track is the amazing Selena Gomez, although you wouldn't know it from the music video. She compliments Charlie Puth's vocals in this song, making it melodically beautiful. The song only charted at number 26 in the UK, although it's definitely worth a higher peak position. The song was written by Charlie Puth, Jacob Kasher Hindlin and Selena Gomez.

Directed by Phil Pinto, it relates to the song perfectly. Showing the lives of two people who's lives used to revolve around one another but now they lead separate lives. Unfortunately, Selena Gomez doesn't appear in this split-screen video as she is busy with her tour. Her absence is badly received since she is a crucial part of the song. This isn't the first time this has happened, most-recently Zara Larsson didn't appear in Tinie Tempah's "Girls Like".

The video, as I previously mentioned, includes a split-screen, which is definitely all the range lately, however it never unites unlike The Girl and the Dreamcatcher's "Make You Stay".

This video shows a broken relationship and how each person wants to reach out but they don't talk anymore so although they constantly think of one another they don't message or talk.

Interestingly, iMessage is used, which tells people when the other person is typing something. This becomes even more heartfelt as the other person knows they're typing and then deleting the message, it's like a double stabbing in the heart.

There's a lot to like about this music video, especially seeing them do variously similar things, such as crossing the road and going out with friends.

Overall, this is a fully narrative music video, that is totally engaging yet a little difficult to follow as it's not easy to concentrate on both sides of the split-screen. The effect is nothing new to us, and is played about and edited interestingly. No one can deny the complexity of this video, nor how it relates to the song. However it's completely missing Selena Gomez!
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Chart Mondays: The Chainsmokers Featuring Daya - Don't Let Me Down



The DJ duo that just keeps coming back and back and back, with hit after different hit after completely different hit. This is nothing like the "#Selfie" song that we experienced a few years ago. The Chainsmokers are on a roll with their most-recent songs and the way they are going, they're not going to go down. With Major Lazer still happy sitting at number one on the UK chart with the "Cold Water" track which features Justin Bieber and MØ and still no music video, it opens my Chart Mondays up to the UK Top 10. This song looks like it's going to be in the chart for some time. Bouncing up and down in a hydraulics car, The Chainsmokers are not allowed to let Daya down, so instead they become stranded in the air, whilst Daya steels the car in this weird video for "Don't Let Me Down".

The Chainsmokers consist of Andrew Taggart and Alex Pall. They have had various hits over the years and various not-so hits that definitely should've been. Every chart hit has been different from the rest, and they really are proving themselves as one of the hottest DJ duos around. These two definitely don't mess around, or maybe they do in the studio. Featuring on this track is Daya, real name Grace Tandon; she is the new girl on the scene. At just 17, she's already had a global hit called "Hide Away", which didn't quite make the UK chart, but got on the UK indie chart. her follow-up didn't fare so well. She released a self-titled EP. With this song blowing up worldwide, and her vocals killing it, she is definitely one to watch! This song was written by Andrew Taggart, Emily Warren and Scott Harris.

This video was directed by Marcus Kuhne, and it is definitely a low budgeted music video, that or they just spent the entire budget on a car that has awesome hydraulics.

A lot of editing clearly went into this, however the story line really isn't thought out, like why are The Chainsmokers walking into the car in the first place... If they were exiting a building or a house, fair enough, but it looks like they've just been out for a stroll and they've seen this car all by itself and decided to take it for a ride. Or they really did park there and stood around looking at the trees before hopping back in the car... Maybe, just maybe, they were playing Pokemon Go and had found a Mewtwo, we all would pull over to catch that.

Daya is just wondering through the forest with her girls. She's clearly not a dancer, but she is one hell of a performer, I mean this girl was meant to be on screen, although she seems totally out of place as the girls dance around her; it adds a bit more dramatic effect I suppose.

This entire video doesn't make sense whatsoever, apart from launching The Chainsmokers into the air so they are stranded and can't possibly let anyone down. Maybe they did let Daya down once upon a time and this is her revenge, whatever the meaning of this video is, it's something we'll probably never understand. Regardless Daya performs amazingly, whilst The Chainsmokers practise their stability in an extreme hydraulic car.
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Britney Spears Featuring G-Eazy - Make Me...



There is a lot of controversy around this music video. Mainly because the original music video got completely scrapped, you know the one filmed by David LaChapelle, and has been teased for months? Well now we have a video quite different than what was teased, and one that many aren't exactly happy with, but only because we know we're missing out on the original. If we had never known about it, then this would be a perfectly normal Britney Spears music video, that no one had a problem with. Britney Spears and her girls audition male actors, where she chooses one guy to take back to her bedroom, he will definitely Make Me Ooh!

Britney Spears is about to make a career comeback, or so we all thought. But she's lost so many potential pre-orders because of the public controversy over this music video. This song isn't the next "Work Bitch", it's not the next "Womanizer" and it's quite a simple and relaxed single that none of us really expected and doesn't defy the music industry the way we had been promised. Clearly too much hype surrounded this release, and 'Glory', her ninth studio album, might just be one of the worst releases in quite some time. Britney Spears has got to pull it all back, release something to make us go ooh! Something that puts her back on the top once again, Yet it looks completely unlikely that will happen. This song features G-Eazy, real name Gerald Gillum, who is getting around a lot, he is definitely the rapper to watch who is featuring in a lot of songs and is batting out chart hits. This is the first song, he's been in, that I really like his contribution because it goes with the beat of the track. This song was written by Britney Spears, Matthew Burns, Joe Janiak and Gerald Gillum.

Directed by Randee St. Nicholas, this video was planned to be totally different, with a different director. The David LaChapelle version will go unreleased for the foreseeable future, but some clips from the original has been kept.

Britney Spears and her girls starts off this music video, asking a 'Michael' to come along on Saturday and to bring some friends, only Michael never appears again in the video. The cackle of the girls is quite scary and unnatural and Britney Spears looks completely lost and not into it whatsoever.

We zoom forward to Saturday, and we watch them interview guys, most of which take off their shirts to let us marvel at their rippling gorgeous bodies, the winner gets to spend time with Britney Spears in bed.

Relatable and definitely sexy, this video is totally engaging as you try to work out who will win. However Britney Spears doesn't look that into it, a solo dance sequence which includes repeated steps and quite a lack-lustre performance, Britney Spears is totally missing her back-up dancers.

G-Eazy's scene is completely edited from the original video, which would've shown him having sex whilst singing his lyrics, hence the unbuttoning of his shirt. Although his verse is fire, his scene is totally out of place and unnecessary.

Overall, this video fails continuity, it fails to show variety, and we're back with Britney Spears looking a little on the lost side. This music video is easily forgettable amongst her famous releases, and she has got to do something soon to make us all want to buy her new album. She has yet to get a UK number one album, and 'Glory' doesn't look set to make it to the top of the UK charts.
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