We have been waiting for what seems like forever for this music video to drop, and it is finally here! I previously reviewed this music video, when it was released, for CelebMix. I also reviewed the song itself for CelebMix back in January, when the song was released. It's so good to have a visual for this song, and it was obvious that a killer choreographed scene would be the main part of the music video, and that is exactly what we got! Watch 4th Impact "Unleash The Diva" with a killer dance choreographed routine whilst being confident, sassy, and fierce in this music video for their official debut single.
4th Impact are a four-piece Filipino girl group consisting of Almira Cercado, Celina Cercado, Irene Cercado, and Mylene Cercado. The four sisters have been attempting a career in music for many years and have gone under various names, including The Cercados - which they released a self-titled EP under. Other names have included MICA, Gollayan Sisters, and 4th Power. Almira Cercado, being the oldest, performed in talent shows at an early age and went on to release singles before the group formed. The girls then competed in many talent shows, starting off with Pinoy Idol, then they won It's Showtime; they followed that up with winning the World Championships of Performing Arts for the second time in 2013 - they previously won in 2006. Next up was Korean talent show Superstar K6 (the sixth season of Superstar K), where they went viral with their audition song; they came eighth overall, being eliminated in the third live show. Then it was time for them to come to the UK; they competed on the 13th series of The X Factor, where they sang "Bang Bang" by Jessie J, Ariana Grande, and Nicki Minaj. It was polished and perfect, with Simon Cowell saying: 'In terms of first auditions, this is probably one of the best I've seen.' They came fifth overall. Afterwards, they signed with Star Music and released this amazing debut single. "Unleash The Diva" is an empowering upbeat song that makes us all feel strong and confident. It was written by Jonathan Manalo.
The music video itself is low-budget and simple, but 4th Impact brings it like they always have; therefore, managing to turn this music video round and proving they are sassy, fierce, and confident.
It was obvious that a choreographed dance scene would be included in this visual; we expected nothing less from these four sisters, and they nail it completely. 4th Impact are completely amazing and professional, how they aren't superstars yet, I do not know.
There's plenty of profile scenes in this visual, easily allowing the audience to identify with each of the members of 4th Impact. They have their style down perfectly. They all look beautiful throughout this visual.
Overall, 4th Impact brings it like no other girl group can. They are destined for world domination, and they deserve it because they're the whole reason this performance-based low-budgeted music video works. Fierce and sassy throughout, these four divas know exactly how to perform and sing! You go girls! I cannot wait for new music from 4th Impact.
Time for my Chart Mondays review, and still at number one is "Despacito" by Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee featuring Justin Bieber; which has now broken the record for the longest reigning foreign language number one in UK chart history. Since there isn't a music video for the Justin Bieber version, it opens up the UK top ten to my Chart Mondays review; where I chose this one since it looks like it will be dropping out this Friday, There was certainly a buzz about this video when it was released, and it is very hot and sensual, which is something new from Charlie Puth; but it's all been done before and it's nothing new. Watch Charlie Puth sing about a woman who is tantalising and wants him back, but she keeps messing with his head and he doesn't want that in this music video for "Attention".
Charlie Puth first came onto the scene in a collaboration with Wiz Khalifa, titled "See You Again" that scored him his first number one in the UK. Now he just can't stop banging out hit after hit after hit, bringing it completely. His music has never stayed in one lane, always managing to switch it up. This one shows a sexy adult side to him, a much more mature sound. It's not a surprise that it peaked in the UK top ten, but it looks like he'll drop out by Friday. This song was written by Charlie Puth and Jacob Kasher.
Directed by Emil Nava, the music video features actress and model Samara Weaving as Charlie Puth's love interest. There's a full narrative with a performance piece set within.
We watch Charlie Puth and Samara Weaving at a club, she's wearing a stunning red dress, It's tantalising and definitely attention-grabbing, as Charlie Puth suggests in the song itself; however, he doesn't want to give her attention because he's done with her, she only wants him when she wants, and that's not relationship material at all.
The music video progresses to her coming over to his place and smashing things up. There is a comical bit when a vase bounces instead of breaking. The visual continues where Charlie Puth is on a bed and she walks over scandalously in her underwear, but he doesn't even look at her. What a way to send her packing.
Overall, this relates perfectly well with the song. I feel more could've been done to make this video epic, and it's quite lack-lusting since this sort of video has been done a few times before. Charlie Puth doesn't exude performance vibes and it's quite disappointing as a whole. The ending is brilliant, as we hear how the concept of the song came about, it literally appeared in his head and he had to record it on his phone. Amazing!
This is one of my favourite music videos out at the moment, and I actually believe Axel Muñiz and Alexandra Stan make a cute couple; although, he's no Staruiala Bogdan, who is Alexandra Stan's boyfriend. I love the virtual reality long distance relationship concept in this music video and it really showcases both artists in a beautiful light. Two versions of this song have been released, this original Spanish-language version and an English-language version; it is unknown whether an English version of this music video will be released, but I'm starting to doubt whether one will. Watch Axel Muñiz and Alexandra Stan in two different cities using virtual reality headsets to connect with one another and spend time together in this amazing music video for "Siempre Tú".
Axel Muñiz is a Mexican singer who has been signed to Warner Music Mexico since 2015 and has been establishing his career ever since. His voice is great throughout this song, and I'm sure he is a future Latin star, that's for sure. He is stepping out of the shadows of his father and grandfather; who are Mexican actor, singer, comedian, and host, Jorge Muñiz; and famous Latin American singer Marco Muñiz, respectively. His voice pairs well with Alexandra Stan's for this song. She is the Romanian singer who hit it big internationally with "Mr Saxobeat". She has gone on to release incredible songs and albums. She is now preparing to release new music of her own, which I cannot wait for. The song was written by Axel Muñiz, whilst it was produced by Nico Stadi and Mike Green.
The music video was directed by Manuel Escalante and features Axel Muñiz in Mexico and Alexandra Stan in Barcelona, Spain. All scenes were filmed in the separate cities; which, on the first watch, you don't even realise.
It all starts off with Axel Muñiz sending Alexandra Stan a text saying that he wants to see her and asking if she wants to connect through the VR headsets. She says yes and they both put on some VR controller gloves before donning the headsets.
Inside the virtual reality world, Axel Muñiz is watching Alexandra Stan in Barcelona, whilst Alexandra Stan is watching Axel Muñiz in Mexico. They do things together, such as sitting at benches - even though Alexandra Stan is sitting at a one-seater bench, and Axel Muñiz is sitting on a long park bench - they totally make it work though. They do all sorts of things together, as well as kissing, which is technically and simply brilliant.
I especially like the restaurant scene as Axel Muñiz tells Alexandra Stan a story, and it is so cute to watch. There are so many amazing scenes, and I like how they hold hands throughout, how they kiss, and how it looks like they're in the same hotel room at the end of the VR scenes. This music video couldn't be any better. Showing that this technology could advance to help long-distance couples. Such a perfect concept that totally works with the song; it deserves nothing less than this rating.
I previously reviewed this for CelebMix when it was released, and I still can't get enough of it. Mandinga first came to my attention when they represented Romania in the Eurovision Song Contest 2012 with "Zaleilah". Since then they have gone on to do so much but they have also changed their female singer; which has certainly allowed them to return to their Latin-inspired roots. This song is so catchy that it'll be in your head before you know it. Watch Mandinga perform their new song "Besame" whilst showcasing a young couple being in love in this music video.
Mandinga are a six-piece Romanian band consisting of Barbara Isasi, Chupi, El Niño, Zach, Omar Secada, and Tony. They have had a fair few line-ups but have proven the test of time, and has changed their sound accordingly. It's nice to see that they have returned to the music that started it all off for them, yet made it new and current. Barbara Isasi is a great addition to the line-up and really works well as part of Mandinga. It is a shame to see Elena Ionescu go, but it has allowed Mandinga to become something so much more. This song is one of my favourites at the moment. It was written by Roberto Stoica, Enrique Perozo, Barbara Isasi, and Alexander Himely.
The music video was directed by Alex Ceausu, and features both a performance piece and a narrative piece. Barbara Isasi is sexy throughout and totally works the camera, but then the male vocalist comes in and brings the song and visual even more fire.
This band is incredible, it's clear that Mandinga are a group we all need to see live. They bring so much energy, and this current line-up is a sure winner. Their vocals are on point throughout, and they ooze stage presence. I can imagine the calm and relaxed environment at their gigs thanks to their performance vibes.
As for the narrative, we watch a young woman and a young man make eyes at one another, before running away from their everyday lives and deciding to spend their time together on a beach. They try to break coconuts, they get in a boat on the sand together, they try to find water, amongst other things. It's cute, it's definitely couple goals, and it's just so adorable.
Overall, this music video works in every way. It's well thought out and switches it up just when the audience needs it. I feel the narrative could be a bit more flirtatious and cute, but the performance visuals are perfection! I can't wait to see where Mandinga goes to next because this sure is fire throughout.
My favourite artists, who have released new music today, have not released music videos yet, so that left me struggling with what music video to review for my New Release. Then, I found this one, and it's wacky, it's weird, and it's so bizarre, that I just had to review it today. I'm not entirely sure what I've just watched, although it was incredibly comical and engaging. The song is definitely one that will easily get stuck in my head, and even though I doubt that radio will pick this up, I really hope that it does, because it's a killer track and both these artists are so underrated. Watch Peking Duk eat soup whilst watching Aluna Francis from AlunaGeorge sing "Fake Magic" on a small TV, whilst they're oblivious to the two bikers dancing behind.
Peking Duk are an electronic music duo, consisting of Reuben Styles and Adam Hyde, hailing from Australia. They have been making their name known in recent years and are definitely one of the most underrated DJ duos on the scene. Their most known hit is "High" which featured Nicole Millar and charted at number five on the Australian ARIA Singles Chart. They followed that up with a number of chart-worthy hits; although, they garnered international success by appearing on various compilation albums with their 2012 song "The Way You Are". This should become an iconic collaboration because AlunaGeorge is one of the most underrated mainstream pop duos around. Consisting of Aluna Francis and George Reid. They had a successful start to their career when they hit the mainstream with songs such as "Attracting Flies" and "White Noise"; but as they focused more on their music, they have not been hitting those chart numbers, even though they have been releasing some killer tracks recently, including this one. The song was written by Adam Hyde, Reuben Styles, George Reid, Aluna Francis, Sam Littlemore, and LJL.
The music video is totally unique and different, which is what we have come to expect when it's a Peking Duk music video, or an AlunaGeorge music video; so these two collaborating just makes for a weird but wacky visual, that totally works.
The opening scene sees Peking Duk eating soup whilst being enthralled watching Aluna Francis on the small TV in a bar. She's singing the song inside a bathroom. A biker walks into the bar, but Peking Duk don't even notice, and sits down on a stall. The biker becomes aware of another biker further down the bar, who mirrors his actions.
The biker experiments by standing up, by messing with his jacket; and the other biker does the exact same. Peking Duk is oblivious to the whole thing going on. The bikers start up a dance and take off their helmets, they are the same guy, or doppelgangers, or twins.
The visual continues with Aluna Francis coming out of the bathroom. This is where we discover that the TV is actually a live stream, and if Peking Duk looked behind them they'd see Aluna Francis in the flesh. The ending sees her walk out the bar's door, whilst the bikers back into one another and turn into a sprinkle of pink confetti, all of which is displayed on the small TV that Peking Duk is watching.
Overall, this music video is a complete metaphor, showing how enthralled people can be in TV, in their mobile phones, or other technological devices; that they are unaware of what is going on around them. If only they weren't so busy watching the live stream TV, they would've seen the Aluna Francis right behind them. A brilliant concept, that totally works with the song, although completely wacky and different.
The song that created the Epic Sax Guy meme, I was hoping there would be a music video for this song so I could review it for my Thursday Revisit, and here I am. SunStroke Project, in collaboration with Olia Tira, represented Moldova in Norway at the Eurovision Song Contest 2010, with this song. They won the right to represent their country by winning O melodie pentru Europa 2010; and they came 22nd at the Grand Final with 27 points. Luckily for us, SunStroke Project returned seven years later and represented Moldova in Ukraine at the Eurovision Song Contest 2017 with "Hey, Mamma!", where they did even better in the Grand Final, coming out in third place. It really shows how much of a difference seven years has made; yet we're still waiting on an album with this song and their new Eurovision 2017 song, come on SunStroke Project! Watch Olia Tira shine throughout this performance-based visual compared with SunStroke Project in this music video for "Run Away", where the Epic Sax Guy meme was born.
SunStroke Project are a three-piece group consisting of Sergei Yalovitsky, Anton Ragoza, and Sergey Stepanov, who have represented Moldova at Eurovision twice, to date. They went viral when Sergey Stepanov was turned into a meme called Epic Sax Guy; then, upon their return in 2017, they hit the Eurovision scoreboard hard, managing to come third overall; "Hey, Mamma!" was my favourite out of all the contestants and I voted for them to win. I hope they continue to push for success, as I truly believe they could bring some saxophone flavour to charts around the world. As for Olia Tira, she's mostly known for this track, although she has attempted to represent Moldova at Eurovision a number of times, not quite making it to the Eurovision stage. She has collaborated with SunStroke Project often in their bids to represent Moldova. She even tried something new in 2014 by competing under the stage name FLUX LIGHT, but that didn't work either. She needs the right song to win, as SunStroke Project proved in 2017. I truly believe that if she keeps trying she'll make it to the Eurovision stage again, all by her own though. This song is catchy, but it's more because of the backing track rather than the singer's vocals. It was written by Anton Ragoza, Sergey Stepanov, and Alina Galetskaya.
The music video is a pure performance piece, with some of the scenes shot amongst the crowd, giving the viewers a live feel of the stage performance.
There's not a lot going on, but Sergey Stepanov does take over the song with his Epic Sax Guy routine and song, which defintiely switches this track up.
Many have noted that Anton Ragoza is just as memorable with his light up violin, with many calling him Epic Violin Guy.
There's not much to this song, and there's not much to this music video either. Olia Tira takes centre stage when it comes to her solos but her vocals aren't on form and it just doesn't work all that well, the same goes for Sergei Yalovitsky. Luckily, he has worked on his voice in the past seven years, and he was much better at the Eurovision Song Contest 2017.
He won The X Factor Australia and later represented his country at the Eurovision Song Contest 2017, but it was this song that was his debut single, his X Factor winner's single. It did moderately well around the world, charting in many different countries, which totally made him an obvious choice for Eurovision. He managed to place ninth, which isn't bad going. This music video is sweet and relatable. Watch Isaiah sing this beautiful song to a woman in this performance based music video for his winner's single of The X Factor Australia, titled "It's Gotta Be You".
Isaiah, full name Isaiah Firebrace, has only just launched on the music scene, after winning the eighth season of The X Factor Australia. This launched this debut single, which was then followed up with a debut album, which also charted well. His follow-up single, and Eurovision song, didn't chart as well this one did, which just goes to show that even Australia wasn't impressed with his song. However, this one has a lot more soul in it; although, personally, I much prefer "Don't Come Easy" over this one. This song was written by Anthony Egizii and David Musumeci.
Directed by Anthony Rose, the music video is a pure performance visual, that sees Isaiah singing this song to a woman, who is dressed very sexily. She's just as cute as he is, but he's way more adorable; especially as he sings this song with such passion and soul.
There's plenty of beautiful scenes; it was shot near some water, and so the sun reflects off the shiny surface creating this amazing setting. There's not a lot going on, the woman he is singing to is just moving about on the rocks, whilst he sits there - or stands - singing the song.
It feels more like a Manel Navarro song than an Isaiah song, considering the acts of Eurovision 2017. Comparing this one to "Don't Come Easy" certainly shows how far he has come within a year and the direction of his new music. I cannot wait to find out what he releases next.
My Eurovision 2017 Special may have finished, but I might as well keep going for the rest of the week, especially since Ilinca released this song shortly after her performance on the Eurovision 2017 stage, proving that she has a beautiful voice and doesn't always have to yodel, like she does in "Yodel It!". I truly believe she's an incredible talent that is going to follow in the footsteps of massive Romanian female artists like Inna, Alexandra Stan, and Antonia. Ilinca will be the next global Romanian name, mark my words. Wow, this was beautiful on first listen, but now there are English subtitles which makes this video and song completely out of this world! Ilinca is coming for the world, we all better be ready! Watch Ilinca sing to her Eurovision 2017 collaborator, Alex Florea, about wanting to be more than just friends in this heartbreaking music video for her second single "Amici".
Ilinca, real name Maria Ilinca Băcilă, has certainly set her sights on an international career. She has competed in many Romanian talent shows, starting off in the second season of Românii au talent, before going on to the third series of The X Factor Romania. She then participated in the fourth season of Vocea României, where she got to the semi-finals. Then she took part in Selecția Națională with the song "Yodel It!", which featured Alex Florea, they won their right to represent Romania at the Eurovision Song Contest 2017, where they finish seventh in the Grand Final. This is her follow-up single and displays her incredible voice in a Romanian-language song about wanting to be more than just friends. This song was written by Theea Miculescu and Alex Cotoi.
Directed by Roman Burlaca, this music video has a very simple narrative behind it, yet it's a great concept and totally works with the song. Even without the English subtitle lyrics, it's pretty understandable what the song is about and totally relatable in every way. Alex Florea, who features on "Yodel It!" and performed on the Eurovision 2017 stage, alongside Ilinca; appears in this music video as her love interest.
A fully narrative music video, we watch as Ilinca has clearly told Alex Florea that she likes him more as a friend, and he can't deal with that because he doesn't see her that way. After some time, they both end up out of the car fighting and shoving and arguing, we can only imagine the words that are being thrown about. They're also quite rough, are all Romanians this hard? There's definitely vampire blood running through their bloodlines thanks to Dracula.
After a while, Ilinca points at a cloud in the sky, but when she turns to look at Alex Florea, his eyes are gone, and there's just blurred oval shapes replacing where his eyes should be. This is a massive metaphor for him not being able to see her the way she wants him to see her. There are a few cute moments during his blurred vision scene, but it's clearly fruitless and she's not getting what she wants out of him. His vision returns at the end and they walk down separate paths, no longer friends.
This is completely amazing, throughout. From the music video, to Ilinca's beautiful voice, to the amazing lyrics, to the subtitle English lyrics. The meaning behind this song reminds me of Taylor Swift's "Teardrops On My Guitar", and both this song and that song cuts deep to my heart, because every gay man can identify with the meaning of those songs; we've all fallen for a straight guy, even one with a girlfriend, and we've all wanted more from him, but even just being friends kills us inside.
Overall, this is incredible, Roman Burlaca has directed an amazing music video. It easily portrays the song effortlessly, and even without the English subtitles, the meaning comes across. The inclusion of Alex Florea's eyes becoming blurry was a nice additional twist to the storyline, although it still would've worked without that; regardless it made the story bigger and better if that was even possible. This works in every way, and Ilinca is a total Romanian star in the making!
Back to my Eurovision 2017 special, and we're nearing the end with this song that represented Bulgaria. Many believe Kristian Kostov should've won, but my personal favourite was Moldova's SunStroke Project's "Hey, Mamma!"; although, I wouldn't have minded if this had won. Whereas I'm not so keen on the actual winning song from this year, which was Salvador Sobral with "Amar pelos dois". Although I give kudos to Portugal for finally winning after entering 49 times. As for Bulgaria, this was their best position since they debuted in 2005. They have really come a long way, since they returned to the contest in 2016, and managed to get their top position then, before beating it this year. The question is, can they do one better next year, and take the crown? They scored 615 points coming second, 337 points came from the televote and 278 came from the jury vote. The stage production was great to watch and it was certainly technically brilliant. The music video is equally dark and intriguing, with weird yet surprising visuals. Watch Kristian Kostov perform his Eurovision 2017 song "Beautiful Mess" in this music video, as we watch animals, birds, people and other profile visuals happen.
Kristian Kostov made his name known in a few countries, before entering for Eurovision 2017. He previously took part in Golos. Deti (The Voice Kids Russia), where he was a finalist on season one. He next took part in the fourth season of The X Factor Bulgaria, where he came second. He was then internally selected to represent Bulgaria at the Eurovision Song Contest 2017 with his song "Beautiful Mess" which became his second official single release. It later charted well in various Eurovision countries. The song was written by Borislav Milanov, Sebastian Arman, Joacim Bo Persson, Alex Omar, and Alexander V. Blay.
Directed by Liusi Ilarionov, this music video is more of a profile performance visual which sees Kristian Kostov surrounded by people on the floor in various positions.
As time goes on the people surrounding him get up and blurrily merge with one another before disappearing entirely as Kristian Kostov stands in the centre of the spotlight throughout.
As for the other profile images, there is a horse, and later we see a horse rider, there is also an eagle and some doves at the end. There's one wacky weird profile visual that looks like a messed-up clown of some sort. I am not entirely sure what it is and I don't know what to make of it. Let me know in the comments below what you believe it is.
Overall, it's a great profile music video, that showcases Kristian Kostov off well. It's slightly disappointing, in that, it doesn't really tell a story, and I'm not entirely sure what the video is getting at. Regardless, I much preferred the stage visuals of his Eurovision 2017 performance, than that of the music video.
Time to do my Chart Mondays music review, and Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee feat. Justin Bieber is still on top of the UK music charts with "Despacito". The Justin Bieber version doesn't have a music video, unfortunately, therefore opening up the UK top 10 to my review and it looks like Harry Styles will be dropping out next week. The last time I watched this music video was when I had to review it for Outlet Magazine. I am not that into this song or its music video; actually, I don't really like Harry Styles or any of the other One Direction members, and I usually stay away from their music as a whole. But here he is now, making his solo debut on my blog. Watch Harry Styles take to the skies in his solo debut music video for "Sign Of The Times".
Harry Styles is best known for being one-fifth, or one-fourth of One Direction, who came third on the seventh series of The X Factor. He launched his solo career with this song and soon followed it up with an album and promotional instant-grat singles. His sort of music is very different to those of the One Direction days, and it really isn't my thing. This song did reach number one but didn't have a music video at the time. As of now, it's sitting at number ten on the UK Singles Chart. It was written by Alex Salibian, Jeff Bhasker, Harry Styles, Tyler Johnson, Ryan Nasci, and Mitch Rowland.
Directed by Woodkid, the music video was set in Isle of Sky in Scotland. It doesn't exactly relate to the song, but seeing Harry Styles soar into the sky is something new and interesting.
There are various stunning imagery used throughout. There was a green screen used, as well as a stunt double; both of which is fairly obvious and unexpected.
Favourite scenes especially include when he runs on the water, and when the invisible helicopter creates the ring around him, on the water. It was clearly thought out well, and they made it totally work in more ways than one.
Overall, it's extremely simple but was risky. It stands out from other music videos as it's not at all typical. Yet, there's no substance to it, he doesn't look that eloquent up there in the sky; he should've been like the people who fly on Dancing on Ice; instead, he's just floating in the sky, doing nothing spectacular.
