In case you haven't noticed, I've been a bit obsessed with Romanian female artists, specifically the ones releasing on Global Records, and here is another one, called Runa. She's got some sweet tantalising vocals, the sort that are gorgeous to just listen to. It really works with this song. In the "Blestem" music video, watch Runa perform her song as cute as she sings it.
Runa, real name Miruna Manescu, is another Romanian female singer on the Global Records label. This is her debut single, and the name of the song translates into English as "Curse". She is part of the group Timebelle, who competed in the Switzerland national selection to Eurovision 2015, where they came second, first in the public vote... They released a self-titled EP, before entering for this year's national selection for Switzerland, again. They are in the top six and could be representing Switzerland in Kyiv, Ukraine for the Eurovision Song Contest 2017. The song was written by Alexandru Ioan Pelin and Ovidiu Baciu.
Once again, Khaled Mokhtar has directed this music video. His music video styles are pretty similar and here's another performance piece, which is just as good as all the others he has directed.
Runa acts all cute in this music video as she moves about in her long coat. She does look sexy but doesn't pull it off as well as other artists we've seen; besides, her cuteness goes well with the song.
There is a male love-interest who can be seen every now and then in some clips. He's just as cute and they've done this music video very cleverly.
Overall, it's a great performance visual that totally works with the song. It feels quite similar to others we have seen directed by Khaled Mokhtar, but it's stunning nonetheless.
After writing about this for CelebMix, I just had to write it up for my blog, but I didn't want it to clash with the New Release of that week, so hence why I have waited a few extra days. It's actually taken me quite a while to get into Antonia, only because Inna was, and still is, my favourite Romanian female singer, and I've been worried about liking other female artists from Romania. Antonia dropped "Get Up And Dance" and I did exactly that and fell in love with her voice. This follow-up is just as catchy! Antonia is sultry, sexy and completely stunning in this "Dor de Tine" music video, whilst advertising Avon products.
Antonia, full name Antonia Iacobescu, has been going for a number of years, she reached international fame by featuring on Tom Boxer's single "Morena", she later had a hit of her own in Romania titled "Marabou". Now she's totally doing well for herself, releasing extremely catchy songs that just won't get out of my head! The song was written by Irina Rimes and Alex Cotoi.
The music video was directed by Khaled Mokhtar. it's extremely vivacious and totally goes with the song.
Within the whole performance visual, we see Antonia sing the song with so much passion and energy, all the while adding sassiness to the very sexy visual.
In a promotion with Avon products, their Advance Techniques Dry Shampoo can be seen in one clip, where she sprays it onto the hair of another person in the scene.
The song is sung in Romanian and kind of translates to being in love with someone and that someone not being there when she needs him. The music video is completely relatable with Antonia totally connecting with the song, expressing it perfectly. Although the visual gets tedious, with nothing new in it, and no narration whatsoever; it's still a complete packaged video that I could still watch again and again. The song is total fire!
Finally, a music video for this awesomely catchy track, that has been in the top 10 of the UK chart for quite some time now. The music video for the girls' second single from their "Glory Days" album was released just before midnight on Friday. It hasn't been followed up by a single release, as of yet; it currently has been charting from album track downloads alone. Watch the girls of Little Mix dance their way through a very colourful maze with various male dancers dancing flirtatiously around them in the "Touch" music video.
Little Mix are the biggest UK girl group around at the moment. They are still the only group to win The X Factor. They consist of Perrie Edwards, Jesy Nelson, Leigh-Anne Pinnock, and Jade Thirlwall. They recently grabbed their first number one album with "Glory Days" and are currently set to go out on tour in promotion for the album. This definitely won't be their last single, although what they will choose next is anyone's guess. The song was written by Hanni Ibrahim, Patrick Patrikios, A.S. Govere, and Phil Plested.
The music video was directed by Director X and Parris Goebel. Think you recognise that latter name? Well, she's the one who choreographed most of Justin Bieber's "Purpose: The Movement" music videos. She has also choreographed for many other well-known stars; it's no wonder she is sought after in the music industry. I would go into who Director X is, but you all know his amazing back catalogue of music videos.
We are first shown a very colourful maze, an ideal place to get lost in. Someone, tell me where it is and I'll get lost in there, maybe make a really hot guy go in there as well... Oh wait, there's the hot dancers, guess I'll be sorted for men. Where is this maze?
The girls knock the choreography out perfectly. This isn't exactly something new for them, we've seen similar in "Move" and "Salute", but this is one of their most fired-up music videos. As much as I hate to compare them to Fifth Harmony, those girls have got this type of music video completely nailed, and they pull off what they're wearing easily... As for Little Mix it feels more experimental; like they're trying this route and direction but it's not what we're used to, and not what they're used to.
Dancing is pure fire throughout, we expect nothing less from the girls. Their outfits, however, is less sexy and more different; especially Perrie Edwards with her plastic corset-like costume, surely that wasn't comfortable to wear. Plus the knee-length boots must've made it tricky for the girls to dance in. The styling just looks like the director and girls got their wires crossed and it became a compromise. Whatever the reason for the styling, the girls bring it with a fierceness we haven't seen from them before.
This is not just a normal music video, it may go down in history as the day Little Mix transformed into sexy provocative women. It is completely fierce and could easily take them down a path that will bring more fired-up music videos. Totally relatable and the dancing is completely on point.
New to Global Records, Karmen surprised me and I'm happy to find another Global Records artist that I like... Soon enough I'll be a fan of all of them because they are coming out with some killer sounds. She previously released cover versions on Sprint Music Media Group as Carmen. Now she's ready to release her own songs under Global Records as Karmen. Watch Karmen dance around in this high-quality studio "You Got It" music video that is full on fire from start to finish.
Karmen, real name Carmen Simionescu, has been paving out her career in music for quite some time now. She has been brought up around music as her father is Adrian Minune, who is a famous Romanian manele singer. As previously stated, she started her career by releasing cover versions of songs, this led to signing with Sprint Music, who helped her to establish herself as Carmen. Now rocking a whole new name under a new record label, Global Records; Karmen is ready to set out for world domination. This is her debut single under name Karmen. It was written by Lucan Vlad Octavian, Achi, and Caliman Alexandru.
The music video is directed by Bogdan Daragiu, known as simply Daragiu. It's a pure performance piece that Karmen totally nails.
There is a full on dance choreography throughout. Karmen is a total centre point and smashed out the dancing as if it were nothing. She rolls well with the guys as well as the girls. She's the centre of the show and she is totally on point throughout.
The solo performance is sexy and stylish, Karmen knows exactly how to draw the eye of the camera and does well to draw attention, she does it with complete perfection.
Now she's on Global Records with Inna, Antonia, Lori, Alexandra Stan, Carla's Dreams, and many other international artists; Karmen is ready to be the next big name, we just hope you're ready too.
Finally, she has dropped a music video. This will act as Una Healy's official first single, even though it is her third promotional instant grat single from her debut studio album. What a way to kick off your musical career; a duet with no other than Nashville's Sam Palladio. This is quite the fit for the song, although I'm not so keen on the song itself... It deserves to be a little bit more catchy, and doesn't quite go anywhere. The music video sees Una Healy missing her man, who just happens to be Sam Palladio, as they wish they ask each other to "Stay My Love".
Una Healy made her name as one-fifth of girl group The Saturdays. They are, unfortunately, on a hiatus with no sights on getting back together anytime soon. All five girls are doing incredibly well for themselves, away from the group. For Una Healy, she will be the first of the five to release a debut album. Her style is very different from The Saturdays, and it's a completely new route. It's quite a soft country sound that takes a bit of getting used to, especially if you're used to her pop-dance songs in The Saturdays. Yet, I'm proud she's making the music she wants to. Sam Palladio featured on this track, he's mostly known for playing Gunnar Scott in the TV show, Nashville. Although he has been in many other things such as Humans. This song was written by Una Healy and Amy Wadge.
The music video was filmed in Nashville and shows Una Healy revisiting a place where she spent time with her on-screen love interest, who is played by Sam Palladio. It all has an Avril Lavigne and Chad Kroger feel to it, this video is definitely reminiscent of "Let Me Go".
The narrative is extremely intricate as Sam Palladio is almost a ghost. In his scenes, a cold filter is used suggesting that it is the past; whereas in Una Healy's visual it's all full of warmth, as she glances at pictures of Sam Palladio.
She ends up driving to a bench with a beautiful scenic landscape, she sits down on the bench and the video ends with them two together on the bench.
Halfway through the video, there is a performance piece and they completely shine throughout. Both artists are amazing singers and performers, really showcasing their love for this song. However, I'm not so keen on the song, it's not the sort of country I like, and it totally feels dated.
The video is an awesome concept, and I've only ever seen it similar in "Let Me Go" by Avril Lavigne and Chad Kroeger. However, both videos are completely different and although this one is lacking in comparison; stood all by itself and compared to the meaning behind this song, it deserves an equally high rating.
Struggled, once again, to find a new release with a music video, but came across this one and I just HAD to review it. This song hits me, there's a strong emotional connection and the gorgeous soulful voice is completely powerful over the amazing upbeat dance-like backing track that would totally be drawing me on to the dancefloor. Watch Rationale perform his song "Reciprocate" on many different stages, unleashing his killer sound out to his fans and the others in the audience.
Rationale has been going for a number of years, lending his vocals for Bastille and DJ Jakwob, before releasing his debut single in 2015, which he followed up with an EP. Now into 2017, he has released this song, and it is a killer track. It may not have gained momentum, but with his amount of fans and people recognising his potential in the music industry, Rationale will become one artist you can't wait to hear more from. In a world where new artists are emerging quickly and incredibly fast, Rationale will be on everyone's radars in no time at all. This song is one of those that will blow up, or become a lost treasure; either way, you need to listen to it.
The music video is extremely basic. It's a pure performance video that combines multiple visuals of Rationale performing on stage.
At times you get to see the crowd, usually with their phone torches in the air, waving in time to the beat. This shows that energy is being unleashed into the crowd, they are so lucky to have heard him live.
As for the staging shots. The camera is at a low angle, giving Rationale an empowering stance. It doesn't help him show what he's like on stage, because of the camera angle. It isn't great viewing, but regardless, Rationale puts his all in performing on stage and that really comes across.
Overall, this could be any other tour video, it doesn't add anything new; and, certainly, doesn't make the song any better. To be fair the song is amazing, and no matter what the video was, it would still be great to listen to. The rating is based on the video alone, but it's just like any other tour music video.
It's Thursday again, which means it's revisit time. I chose Stromae since this is his only song to have charted in the UK, and it is completely an international hit. I have to admit, I didn't recognise the song when I mentioned the title in yesterday's blog post of "Papaoutai"; but, as soon as I clicked play on this music video, I recognised it instantly. No wonder this was a worldwide hit. Watch Stromae go about his life in a split screen music video for "Alors on danse", starting in his office, to walking the streets, to being at a bar and concert.
Stromae, real name Paul Van Haver, made his name with this massive global smash of a single "Alors on danse". When translated to English, it means "So We Dance". The song is about going through life; that life is what you make of it and it's all the same regardless. It's a highly deep concept, and I don't see it working if it were in English. He went on to release some more awesome songs that did well in many different countries. I can totally see him releasing another incredible hit song. This one was written by Paul Haver.
The music video is difficult to follow, especially since it is split screen. Both visuals take place at the same time, but it's clear that a different camera shot is used in both.
There's a cycle narration going on, starting off with Stromae in his office, then he visits his child, but a woman slaps him across the face and suggests that he should leave. He comes into contact with a homeless guy, who steals his jacket from him. He then bumps into a friend who takes him to a bar and makes him drink some alcohol. He clearly isn't in the party mood but his friends don't notice and he is soon pulled onto a stage to perform his song. He passes out and is dragged back to his office by an unknown guy.
The story goes round in a full circle, although he doesn't exactly end up where he started since the homeless guy still has his jacket. It does represent the song in a brilliant way, and yet it is difficult to follow because of the split screen. Nonetheless, since the song and the music video work well together, I have to give it this rating.
This song keeps randomly playing on my iTunes and I automatically sing along to it. The main reason is because it sounds very similar to the Eurovision 2014 song "Moustache" which was released by Twin Twin, after this song was released. I can definitely see the resemblance. Both are catchy nonetheless; and since I haven't reviewed this one, today's as good a day as any. Watch a son try to interact with his father but he's not there at all, in Stromae's "Papaoutai". Where are you, daddy?
Stromae, real name Paul Van Haver, has really established himself as a Belgian singer-songwriter. He already stormed the charts globally in 2009 with "Alors on danse", it even charted in the UK at number 25. Unfortunately, this worldwide successful song "Papaoutai" didn't make the UK chart; however, it was another international success for Stromae. This is the case with many well-known songs that does well in Europe. However, recently, success has managed to cross over to the UK as well, and it's likely that Stromae could come back harder than ever. If he's already managed this, just think of what else he can do. This song was written by Stromae.
Directed by Raf Reyntjens, the music video revolves around a son trying to interact with his father, who is played by Stromae. The whole idea comes from the song which is about his father's absence in Stromae's life. His father was killed in the 1994 Rwandan Genocide.
It's set in what looks like Call of Duty's Nuketown. The boy sees all the other children dancing in the street with their respective parent and he wants to do the exact same, only his father is a mannequin and totally not completely there.
It gets to the point where the boy gets so annoyed, he rants by singing along to the lyrics of the song and interpreting them into a brilliant contemporary dance sequence that totally explains what he is singing. Who cares if you don't know French, this music video is a brilliant interpretation of the lyrics.
At the end, we see his father give a bit of a smile before the boy sits down on the couch next to his father and copies the position he is in, his eyes go blank and he too becomes a mannequin much like his father. Talk about following in your father's footsteps. This is the mannequin challenge before it even became a thing.
Overall, this is clearly very personal, and at times it affects the viewer in exactly the way it is meant to. The choreography is nailed in every way, and the boy is definitely a brilliant character, who easily encompasses the role. This is a magical music video that deserves so much more recognition. It accompanies the song amazingly and is one of those music videos I'll never forget.
Okay, when did this get released? And, how the hell did I manage to miss it? Like, seriously? I was totally obsessed with the song when it got released - I reviewed it for CelebMix - but this video was rolled out afterwards and I completely didn't see it. But now I have, and it's ready to be reviewed by me. This song is now currently stuck in my head because it is that awesome. Watch model Arizona Muse walk around Ibiza and goes clubbing, as models have a fun time behind the scenes with Martin Solveig in "Places" music video that doesn't show Ina Wroldsen.
Martin Solveig, real name Martin Picandet, is a French DJ who is one of the top DJs in the world. He comes in and out of the charts around the world and his catchy songs really show his ability to implant songs in people's heads. This one deserved to be a worldwide hit but comparison's to "How Deep Is Your Love" probably didn't help. The featured star, Ina Wroldsen, is super famous in the songwriting world and was even the uncredited vocalist on "How Deep Is Your Love", which probably explains the comparisons. Recently she's been building her own career in music; I have to admit, I am a fan, and she deserves worldwide credibility. With her amazing songwriting skills, I'm sure she'll become one of the biggest singer-songwriters globally pretty soon. The song was written by Ina Wroldsen and Martin Picandet.
The music video takes place in Ibiza and we watch model and actress Arizona Muse walk the streets as well as go to Martin Solveig's show at the end.
The opening shows models going live on their phones as they talk in their own language. Things get a little comedy out-of-control, but it's all just a bit of fun. Later we see them having a good time with Martin Solveig.
There are snippets of his "My House" party at Café Mambo and Pacha, showing his time in the White Isle totally reminding us that summer is never too far away.
Arizona Muse totally shines throughout this music video on her Balearic journey. She reminds me of Rachel Platten.
Overall, an alright music video showing off Ibiza. Martin Solveig has brought us another awesome song, and Ina Wroldsen is definitely one of the rising singer-songwriters to look out for... Someone this established in songwriting is bound to have some killer songs to be released in 2017. I literally cannot wait to see what the future holds for these two.
Wow! So after three weeks of having no music videos to review for Chart Mondays, the UK top ten gets quite the shake up and I actually have some choice, for now anyway. Dominating the UK Singles Chart is Ed Sheeran, he's currently at number one and number two with "Shape Of You" and "Castle On The Hill", none of which has a music video just yet, which opens the top ten to my Chart Mondays music review. I chose this one as it's my type of music, plus it's the remix that has pushed the success of this song, and I love my remixes, who doesn't love a remix? Watch Starley get out of bed to perform this song, in beautiful settings and with a smoke grenade, before heading back to bed in this "Call On Me" music video.
Starley, full name Starley Hope, is an Australian singer who has released this cute song as her debut single. She has previously featured on a track titled "Into You", released by Odd Mob. She moved to London to pursue music, but later returned to Australia where she ended up getting a record deal; guess that's just the way it works sometimes. It's quickly becoming a worldwide sensation, but the bigger question is whether she can follow it up with another hit record in the future? It's the Ryan Riback remix that has launched the success of this single in a number of countries, including the UK and Sweden. The song was written by Starley Hope and Peter Wadams.
There isn't an awful lot to this music video. It's an expressive performance piece to a very cute song that is definitely going to become a defining track of 2017.
There is a slight narrative throughout that sees her singing in bed, clearly wanting that little bit of extra sleep that we all want in the mornings. Next, we see her amongst a grassy field where she runs and generally relaxes in a playful way, all by herself.
She ends up by the water where she releases an orange smoke grade which only emphasises how stunningly beautiful she actually is, before wrapping it all up back in bed amongst her comfy pillows.
It's a gorgeous visual to the song and is extremely pleasant to watch. It's not inclusive of the audience, though; some viewers may become distracted and it fails to keep the watchers engaged. However, Starley captures the camera and really gets into this song and its music video. I am looking forward to finding out what is next for Starley, she has this glowing star power that will definitely prevent her from being a one hit wonder. I'm excited about her follow-up.
With less than two weeks to go until I see JoJo live in Birmingham for her Mad Love Tour; it's obvious I was going to review more of her music videos on my blog. This one is her newest release and is total fire. I previously wrote an article on the video for CelebMix. This is totally one of my favourite songs from her "Mad Love" album, even though each song on that album is completely amazing. I reviewed the album for Outlet Magazine. Watch JoJo stroll around the streets of New York in this black and white visual of a song about Fake Ass Bitches ("FAB"), with Remy Ma.
JoJo, real name Joanna Levesque, has hit the music industry hard with her third album, but it totally isn't a surprise since she has been trying to release this third album for years now. Record label problems stopped her, but she's quite the inspiration for people going after what they want. JoJo wanted to release new music, and she has finally achieved it. If JoJo can overcome the brick walls standing in her way, we can overcome ours as well. Her Mad Love Tour kicks off today in Dublin, and in 13 days she'll be performing in Birmingham, which is where I have meet and greet tickets! It'll be my birthday too so she can totally wish me a happy birthday! Remy Ma collaborates on this track, real name Reminisce Smith. She's a grammy-nominated rapper and is definitely one of the biggest female rappers about at the moment, and totally someone you should be keeping your eyes on. This song was written by Joanna Levesque, Jussi Karvinen, Hayley Warner, Jason Dean, Joe Kirkland, and Reminisce Smith.
Directed by Wes Tedhome, this video is completely in black and white and sees JoJo perform her song "FAB", with a clip of Remy Ma during her rap verse.
This super songstress is walking the streets of New York, looking incredibly sexy in her outfit. She performs with passion throughout meaning every word she is singing. This song is clearly close to her heart and I literally cannot wait to hear this live.
Remy Ma adds some fire to this already lit track, spinning it up totally with a very awesome rap. She performs it amazingly in this video clip, and it works well completely.
Overall, there's so much passion and emotion in this video. JoJo totally loves this song, and so do we! I'm glad this got a music video, and it has the same passion as her tringle singles "When Love Hurts", "Say Love", and "Save My Soul". I so hope she sings those songs at the Mad Love Tour as well!
Craig Stickland is a Canadian singer-songwriter. This song is his most popular track to date, and it's no surprise since it is ever-so-catchy. He released his debut album on 15 January 2016, who would've thought that exactly a year later he would be kicking off the European leg of JoJo's Mad Love Tour in Dublin? He's country vibe easily settles in with his gritty rock-side, mixing the two up to create this awesome sound that will, no doubt, bring more popularity his way.
This music video was directed by Aaron A. There is both a performance side and a narrative side; however, the latter is not that developed and has quite a plodding storyline, which definitely coincides well with the song.
We watch Craig Stickland get up and from the couch, caress his piano with his face, get ready haphazardly to go to the bar, where he has a drink that he nurses before leaving.
The narration feels like it's the morning after a heavy session. It easily relates to the title of the song and gives insight into the lyrics. We've all been there, drinking a bit too much, forgetting things including our shoes. We've all had the "Liquor Store Blues" that is blurring our minds.
The performance is full of soulful emotional vibes, Craig Stickland knows how to perform and build up a song; rocking behind his guitar adding passion into the mic. He excites me for JoJo's Mad Love Tour. He's going to open the European shows in ways we can't expect; he will easily gear the audience up for JoJo.
I had very little choice today for my New Release music video review. I narrowed it down to a couple of music videos, but chose this one as it has been officially released as a single and not an instant grat single; although, it has been released as two different versions, an acoustic and a piano version, so not the original, but it's the best I could do. On first watch of this music video, I totally didn't get what was going on, and honestly, I still don't. Watch Shinedown perform their new single "How Did You Love" in this extremely weird and normality-flipped music video, that is completely difficult to even understand.
Shinedown are a four-piece American rock band consisting of Brent Smith, Barry Kerch, Zach Myers, and Eric Bass. They are one of those bands everyone has heard of here and there but haven't really established themselves a global hit. Their most popular song is "Second Chance", which charted amazingly in the US, but did mediocre in other countries. This song is a catchy rock song that you can't help but like after the first listen. It was written by Dave Bassett, Eric Bass, Pete Nappi, and Scott Stevens.
The music video incorporates scenes from the N.D. Wilson-directed film titled "The Hound Of Heaven", pretty much turning this music video into a soundtrack music video.
The film itself was shown at the Raindance festival and is available to download online. According to the website, the film is about: "A girl believes that she is fleeing death, when she is actually running away from her only chance at life. Set to a surreal, nightmarish poem written in the nineteenth century by a homeless addict in London."
The main performance piece of this music video easily transitions with the film scenes that are included. Intricate and full of energy, Shinedown watches the film as they perform in a conceptual split and warped way.
The film scenes used easily spins this music video into an interesting visual. As a whole, it's not something I would enjoy watching more than I have. It messed with my head although, I did find it engaging nonetheless. The song is a killer track and one I could totally imagine listening to again and again. This song deserves to be heard more.
Slightly cheating with this. The song was released in 2012 and so fits my Thursday Revisit review, however, the video was apparently released in 2016, so in theory, I am totally cheating as the visual isn't five years old. However, out of all the artists I've reviewed this week, Rykka is the only one who has released songs five years ago or more. Therefore, I won't tell if you don't. Now this music video contains flashing images, enough that it makes my own eyes go funny. Watch Rykka perform in a fitness music video for her catchy song "Map Inside", with surprising flashing images throughout.
Rykka, real name Christina Rieder, first came to my attention when she sang "The Last Of Our Kind" at the Eurovision Song Contest 2016. She was representing Switzerland and unfortunately didn't make the Grand Final, yet she still managed to make an impression on me. She has gone on to release some awesome tracks and her back catalogue is one you need to look into. This song is a testament of that, it's catchy melody perfectly fits with the infectious lyrics that is full of meaning. Unfortunately, this was never officially released in the UK, and so I'm not able to buy it on iTunes, so it looks like I'm stuck to listening to it on YouTube.
The music video is a fitness music video that sees Rykka performing exercise moves with backing dancers in lycra. Everything's so neon and blazing bright compared to the white background.
The opening scene sees a hand with neon yellow nails turn on a bright pink boombox which is on ladders to the left of the set. This is then followed up by Rykka and two backing dancers preparing themselves for their fitness video.
The shocking part of the video is when the flashing images come into play during the chorus. I dare you to try and not look away; it's near to impossible.
There's not much else to comment on, apart from the moves are basic and easy to follow along to, if you so wish. Also, two new backing dancers appear from nowhere and join this fitness video. Neon lycra is everywhere, which is nothing new, but totally makes this feel more dated than what it actually is. Slightly reminds me of Eric Prydz's "Call On Me". It's not something I want to watch again, the flashing images are way too much! However, the song is amazing and I'd totally buy it if I could.
Another Shenna music video review, purely because I heard her album this week and reviewed it for Outlet Magazine. Awaiting publishing from my editor. The album is completely new and totally something you need to listen to in 2017. Yesterday, I reviewed "So Low", and today I shall review her first single from her debut album. Both tracks just prove her versatility because they are so different from each other; the entire album is beyond amazing, so make sure you check out my review on Outlet Magazine when it is published. Shenna hosts a party whilst she is house-sitting in this music video for "Air Balloons"; as per usual, the party gets out of hand, but what did you expect?
Shenna, full name Shenna Somsmieh, first came to my attention through a PR email asking me to review her album. This email came around Christmas time, even though the album had been released in October. I was ill all over Christmas and New Year with a chest infection, but as soon as I recovered I focused on writing about her debut album: "Made of Gold". The review is in my editor's hands at the moment and is probably ready to go out on Outlet Magazine sometime in the next week or so. This is just the start of Shenna, her unique musical talent is one that doesn't deserve to disappear from this world. This song was the first single from the album and was later followed up by "So Low".
Directed by Lawrence Turner, the music video shows the party lifestyle of Shenna; who hosts a house party when she is supposed to be house-sitting.
The intro starts with messages between Shenna and a guy, who asks her to house-sit. She later tells her friends that she has a house to herself and that some friends can come over. We all know how chaotic it can get when friends of friends invite friends. This was all to be expected from the get-go. Let's just all agree to never ask Shenna to house-sit any of our houses.
We watch Shenna performing at the party, having a great time throughout, whilst her guests also live it up. Two main performance piece scenes include her floating on an inflatable in the middle of the pool, as well as sitting on the side with various friends. She is totally relaxed and clearly in her element. Considering how different this song is to "So Low", she proves that she isn't afraid to sing different songs, and is prepared to bring it in each of the music videos.
The ending sees the house owner return, totally unimpressed with Shenna hosting a party. All the guests run from the venue in a comical way. At the very end, there's a look between Shenna and the person who owns the house, before she hops into a car and is driven away, leaving a guy with a guitar running and screaming after the car. Fun, slightly relatable and quite amusing; this just shows Shenna off in a great light. Keep an eye on her this year!
I have recently submitted an album review of this artist to my editor at Outlet Magazine, and so I thought I might as well promote her on my blog since she has a killer voice with a unique sound. Shenna is a rising star and her unique songs show off her versatility and ability to make any song her own. Her album is definitely one you need to listen to in 2017, so look out for my review on Outlet Magazine, coming soon. Watch Shenna perform "So Low" in a projector-themed quirky performance music video that is totally mysterious and completely interesting.
Shenna, full name Shenna Somsmieh, is a new artist on the scene, she dropped her first record in 2014, and it has been an uphill battle ever since. But just last year she released her debut album, which is like nothing I've ever heard before, totally unique and out-of-this-world. Shenna is one of the ones to watch for 2017, I'm totally calling it now! Her beautiful style and gorgeous looks fit perfectly with her brilliant vocals and flexible sound. This song was her second single from the album after "Air Balloons" which I shall be reviewing tomorrow.
Directed by Moon Culture, this music video is a pure performance piece that totally shows Shenna's stage presence. She totally captures the camera in this music video and proves she is supposed to be in the spotlight.
The projector is quite distracting but shows two images together. We know someone is watching himself on the projector, which makes it an intricate scene.
As for the main performance piece, Shenna shines throughout. She has this stylish presence about her. She adds some great quirks including dance moves and emotional faces to help get who she is across to the audience.
As a complete package, the "So Low" music video is different and intricate, much like the song itself. It relates perfectly and easily shows Shenna in a brilliant light. I hope to hear more new music from Shenna this year.
For a seventh time overall, there is not a song in the top 10 UK singles chart which I can write a music video review for.
This is the first time for 2017, and I bet it won't be the last. However, with the Spotify plays changing to affect the longevity of songs staying high up on the chart, it could be that this is less likely to happen. I have considered stretching Chart Mondays to a top 20; it's not for certain yet, so I'm going to test it soon.
Let's be honest, I'm obsessed with Eurovision, I just can't help it. This song was played on my iTunes last night, and it's been stuck in my head ever since. I was interested in what the music video would be like for this, so I thought I might as well review it in the process. It's such a catchy neat little song that showcases Rykka perfectly. Let's make love like in the "Movies"; Rykka is sexy and sultry in a knowing attitude amongst the coldness of this music video.
Rykka, real name Christina Rieder, first came to my attention when she represented Switzerland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2016 with "The Last Of Our Kind". Unfortunately, she didn't make the Grand Finals, but her voice resonated with me and I ended up buying the rest of her songs from iTunes. This song is highly catchy and was her previous release before entering the contest. It was written by Christina Maria Rieder, Jeff Dawson, Mike James, Dane Devile, and Warne Livesey.
Directed by Brianne Nord-Stewart, this music video is mainly a performance visual with a slight narrative behind. Rykka and her love interest are shown amongst the coldness, in the lead up to making love like in the movies.
Her performance is on point throughout. Rykka knows how to capture the camera and really shines throughout this music video.
The visual representation is sexy. She has a knowing cheeky smile; it's clear where her thoughts are headed and it easily relates to the song.
Her love interest isn't developed enough and he doesn't take an active role. It's clear she's the decision maker in this relationship.
As a whole, this video is one big tease; much like the song. It's totally relatable and the ending was quite the taunt. Totally inclusive of the audience and utterly theatrical. This would have been a much better choice than "The Last Of Our Kind" at Eurovision 2016. I can't wait to see what the future will bring for Rykka!
Last night I was just heading for bed when I heard The Saturdays' song "My Heart Takes Over". Since I have already written about that music video I thought I'd dip into one of the girls' solo careers. Una Healy has a new album out in February, but no music videos, only live sessions; Mollie King only has "Back To You" so far; Rochelle Humes and Frankie Bridge are focusing on other careers; so that left Vanessa White. I have previously reviewed "Don't Want To Be Your Lover", and so how can I not write about another one of her music videos? Vanessa White is sexy, sultry, and provocative in this black and white video for her extremely soulful track "Relationship Goals".
Vanessa White is one-fifth of girl group The Saturdays, who are currently on hiatus. Each of the members of the group are currently succeeding in their solo careers and so the chances of them getting back together anytime soon is definitely not likely. This song was part of Vanessa White's debut EP; she plans on releasing an album sometime in the future, hopefully. This song originally features Chloe Martini. It was written by Vanessa White, Chloe Martini, and Dantae Johnson.
This music video was created by Vanessa White and Aaron Renfree. The latter name has been a friend of The Saturdays for ages and used to be in S Club Juniors / S Club 8 with Rochelle Humes and Frankie Bridge. It's so nice to see how long friendships from back then, have continued.
The visual is extremely simple with not much going on. Vanessa White is sultry and sexy as she poses and dances in front of the camera.
It came about because so many of her fans wanted a music video for this song, but it doesn't add anything to the song, and fails to keep me entertained, although I bet many straight guys and some girls would love this visual. The black and white filter doesn't add anything more to the video either. I feel this was made just for the sake of having a video visual for this song. Nevertheless, Vanessa White is a brilliant performer.
She's BACK! Kiesza stormed the UK charts three years ago with "Hideaway", and now she has this incredibly funky new tune that easily gets stuck in my head. Since her debut song, she hasn't charted quite so well, regardless of the amazing songs she has been releasing. This is set to be just another song that should've been an international success. Kiesza honours her friend who passed away, by rocking out on her friend's guitar that was passed on to her in this fun and loving music video titled "Dearly Beloved".
Kiesza, real name Kiesa Ellestad, launched onto the music scene in 2014 with her amazing debut single "Hideaway". The song made me a fan of her music, and I have been following her career ever since. She has released some bangers, but not many have heard of them. However, this Canadian star is a fighter and she won't go down without giving it her all, "Dearly Beloved" is just another to add to her collection of awesome hits and I can't wait to see where this new direction takes her! The song was written by Kiesa Ellestad.
Directed by Supple Nam, this music video is a pure performance visual, where Kiesza rocks out to the song whilst wearing a holographic changing colour costume and white Dr Martens in a never ending white space.
The song itself is in honour of her friend Alice, who sadly passed away. Kiesza received the white guitar in the video from Alice and vowed to play the hell out of it. And, boy, does she do just that.
The song definitely links in well with the visual clip, it feels futuristic with an inspiration for disco-themed songs. It's something new and fresh that captivates me easily. As per usual, Kiesza goes all in for the music video.
What can be considered a totally simple, low-budgeted music video, is transformed with completely energetic vibes from Kiesza. She knows how to perform and let loose and it really shows. Unfortunately, there isn't a narrative and there isn't an awful lot to captivate the audience. Nonetheless, Kiesza does the best she can and is totally entertaining throughout.
After reviewing "Impossible" earlier this week, I just had to review "T-Shirt" today for my Thursday Revisit. This was her debut single and totally launched Shontelle as an artist. The song reminds me a lot of Jessica Simpson's "With You", mainly because of the whole t-shirt theme. I'm glad I chose this as my Thursday Revisit, as I'm more than likely never going to feature Shontelle on my blog again. Watch Shontelle parade around her on-screen boyfriend's flat in nothing but his "T-Shirt" on. She ignores her best friends, who are waiting for her and instead relaxes in the apartment.
Shontelle, full name Shontelle Layne, has had two hit singles, this debut song and "Impossible", which was later covered by James Arthur; he's "Impossible" charted much better globally. She's been away from the music industry for a while, apparently working on a third album. She has released a few singles recently but with next to no promotion. She may never make a full comeback; but, then again, all it takes is another hit song. This one was written by Andrew Frampton, Wayne Wilkins, and Savan Kotecha.
Mike Ruiz directed this music video, which is mainly a performance piece throughout. As if she'd prefer a night in around her boyfriend's apartment than a night out with her friends. She could've at least cancelled or let her friends know that she wasn't going. Seemed very rude to me.
All throughout the flat, she doesn't seem all that into this song. She clearly hasn't fully connected with it, and that is very obvious amongst the visuals. She doesn't have any passion behind they lyrics, and even at times, she is beyond happy to have the spotlight on her. Her face beams when she's in the elevator, losing any emotional pretence towards the song.
The video ends with her on-screen boyfriend returning home. She's taken care of the fish by feeding them, as well as changing into one of his white t-shirts. She's looking over his plans on his desk, or she's redesigning them as he walks in. She unleashes a cheeky smile, yet who knows what she's been up to.
This could've been so much better, but as a debut music video, Shontelle was clearly not prepared to be where she was and at times her excitement flooded over any acting possibility she had. It fails to engage the audience or tell a full story. The performance piece is totally lacking throughout.
Okay, so I may have finished my Eurovision Wednesdays, but I feel like I should've covered Måns Zelmerlöw, especially since he won the Eurovision Song Contest 2015; however he's winning song "Heroes" doesn't have an official music video. So, instead, I chose his latest release, which is ever so catchy. Watch Måns Zelmerlöw climb up and down desert hills and mountains, whilst stumbling through a haunting forest, in this "Glorious" music video.
Måns Zelmerlöw came to my attention when he took part in the Eurovision Song Contest 2015; he was a worthy winner with his amazing song "Heroes", which totally made me buy the rest of his music from iTunes. He has really settled himself as a top Swedish male artist, so it's no wonder he won Eurovision 2015. However, it's a shame he hasn't pushed into international success, his follow-up singles to "Heroes" just didn't chart as well globally, which is the same old story we hear time and again of past Eurovision winners. These people deserve global recognition. This song was a promotional international single for his new album but served as an official single in Sweden. It was written by Måns Zelmerlöw, Jez Ashurst, Emma Rohan, Paddy Dalton, and Phil Cook.
It was directed by Mikeadelica, and shows visuals of Måns Zelmerlöw being in different scenes, from a forest to a desert to a mountain. It's beautiful throughout and very relatable.
The forest is my favourite part, although I would like him to remove some of his clothes, wouldn't we all? The lighting is purely spectacular as the light technicians make it eerie and beautiful at the same time.
In other potential narrative scenes, we see Måns Zelmerlöw running up a mountain and desert hills as well as through a forest, before climbing back down.
Although this song isn't a cover version of Cascada's Eurovision 2013 song "Glorious", Måns Zelmerlöw has totally put all the emotion possibly needed and proved he is meant to be an international star. He deserves global success.
After stumbling across them for my New Release this week, as they released "Compass", I had to explore their other music videos; especially since they are going to become a Disney boy band this year! This one is so catchy, much like "Compass", I seriously think they've won me over, and I shall be buying their songs as soon as I can afford to do so. In this comedic music video for "Enough About Me", Forever In Your Mind goes up against three girls in a series of dares at high school. Will there be a sequel? We sure hope so.
Forever In Your Mind are a three-piece boy band, that first made their name known when The X Factor (US) put them together. After a line-up change, the group currently consists of Emery Kelly, Ricky Garcia, and Liam Attridge. Recently they have announced that they will have their own TV show on the Disney Channel, called "Forever Boys". This is bound to bring them more success, they could literally be the next Jonas Brothers, and that is saying something because look where they are now! The song was written by Liam Attridge, Ricky Garcia, Bill Grainer, Emery Kelly, and Doug Rockwell.
The music video is a fun battle between the Forever In Your Mind guys and three girls, as they each pick a random dare from a jar. These dares are then later played out, some of which emphasises the boys' performance side of the music video.
There are a total of 10 dares. These are, in order: eating a hot chilli pepper; dancing on the tables in the library; disco dancing in 80's suits; jumping into a swimming pool, fully clothed; feet tickling; take silly selfies; moonwalk along a crossing; Ricky Garcia gets his hair platted; do the ice-bucket challenge, or it's just pouring water over their heads; walk around in pyjamas.
The boys end up doing the most dares, so I would say they won this battle. However, focus was on them the whole time, for the purpose of this music video, and so they had to be seen the most; especially considering the girls aren't a part of Forever In Your Mind.
As for the performance side of things, Forever In My Mind pulls off a school corridor amazingly. They have so much energy and are ready to try all sort of new things in front of the camera. They aren't afraid at all, and it's amazing to see. Imagine what they'd be like live. If they put all this much effort for a music video; on a stage, they'd be lightning! And considering they totally held back in the "Compass" music video means these guys are already made stars!
For a sixth time overall, there is not a song in the top 10 UK singles chart which I can write a music video review for.
This is the first time this has happened in 2017, however, the chart was announced on Friday, so it still counts as a 2016 chart. Could we possibly do Chart Mondays properly each week from now on? With the Spotify plays changing to affect the longevity of songs staying high up on the chart, it could be that we have a new Chart Monday!
Whilst I was in A&E today, totally suffering and slightly worried an asthma attack would come on, this song was constantly flooding my head. I have no clue why maybe I heard it on the radio before being dropped off at the hospital; who knows? Anyhow, this song first came to my attention when Fifth Harmony sang it on The X Factor (US) at Judges Houses, then James Arthur released it as his winner's single from The X Factor (UK). But I chose the original version because you can't really beat it, even if the covers are fantastic. The "Impossible" music video shows Shontelle's relationship unfold as the guy, Steph Jones, doesn't love her as much as she thought he did.
Shontelle, full name Shontelle Layne, has had a couple of hits in her career, namely this one and her debut single "T-Shirt". She was expected to release her third studio album in 2013, but time is definitely getting on now, and no word about a new album has come forth. Is this a star that slowly disappeared from the limelight? It isn't much of a surprise, especially when James Arthur covered this song and charted much better globally than she did. Will she make a return, it's more than likely, eventually; but, whether it'll be a successful comeback, is something we can't be certain of. This song was written by Arnthor Birgisson and Ina Wroldsen. No wonder it was a hit song, especially with the latter songwriter.
Directed by Taj Stansberry, this music video incorporates a performance and a narrative, with the main focus on the narrative throughout. Her love interest is played by singer/songwriter and actor and model Steph Jones.
The storyline shows Shontelle walking away from her relationship with her on-screen love interest Steph Jones. She looks back over all the good and bad times during their music making days. These past clips aren't easily known as her past and can be considered confusing to start off with.
There are many performance scenes, but she doesn't really connect with the song throughout. She obviously cares for the song but doesn't put enough passion behind her performance of it. Which is probably why people claim that James Arthur's version of "Impossible" is better, or even the Fifth Harmony cover during The X Factor (US).
The rest of the music video isn't all that interesting, many scenes are shown that we have seen plenty of times in other music videos. It's intricate but not as engaging as we all hoped it would be.
This is later than anticipated, and I'm sorry about that. Yesterday, I was in A&E at the hospital, getting checked over. I believed I was close to having an asthma attack; instead, I was told that I have a chest infection. I am now on tablets for the next week or so. I have changed the date of this blog post to New Year's Day, even though, technically, it's the 2 January today. But, shush, I won't tell anyone if you don't.
Guess what? Last year, I decided that my New Year's Resolution would be to blog every single day of 2016. I DID JUST THAT! And when I was ill or away from home, I did some catch-up blogs so that I was back on track. I actually can't believe I managed to review a music video once a day for the whole year. This is the first time I've ever accomplished that!
Now, it's time to reveal some of my plans for this year.
Obviously, the main thing is to write a music video review a day, much like I did during 2016. However, there are plenty of other plans I have in store.
1) Start up Artist Of The Month once again. This is an important part of my blog, I just wish it was as easy as it sounds.
2) Easier navigation to your favourite artists. This will allow you to see all the blog posts about your favourite artists' music videos. At the moment, I haven't got much navigation apart from New Releases and Chart Mondays, but I am planning to change that.
3) Exciting new pages will entice you to explore my website a bit more; as well as, links to the other websites that I post articles on, as I don't advertise them enough on here.
I hope you all had a good Christmas and New Year. If there's a music video you want me to review, feel free to suggest it to me on my Suggestions Page (I had no suggestions this year); or, alternatively, get in touch on Twitter or Facebook; I love to chat with you guys.
