This light-hearted anthemic track, titled "small towns", really makes an impact as Michael Eddy completely shines from start to finish. His voice is soft and sweet giving the perfect teen heartthrob that we all have in our lives over the decades and generations. Michael Eddy's songwriting ability completely plays out as we hear about a girl he fell for and how she changed him into being someone worthy of her love but also allowed him to become a better version of himself.
"small towns" focuses on the fact that Michael Eddy and his love interest are from a small town and so he's grateful for that as he may never have found her. This is the debut single from the singer, songwriter, actor, multi-instrumentalist, and dancer, who worked with acclaimed producer Michael Orland who is best known for being a mentor, vocalist, trainer, and pianist on the TV show American Idol.
The music video has a cartoon production vibe to it and has been shot, directed, and edited by Typo at the Apogee Studios. We first watch Michael Eddy on the side of a stage with his guitar over him as he kickstarts the song with guitar chords and vocals, he later stands up on the stage and starts to perform with a bandmate on keys and backing vocals, and Michael Eddy also jumps onto the drums. The next lot of scenes are him recording the song at a studio and we watch as he produces, lays down some vocals and plays his guitar. The entire thing sees him transition from reality to the cartoon version of himself and his bandmate as well as the stage and the recording studio. The animation flows through various styles and conceptual art that infuses a variety of styles giving you different perspectives. Every time you pause the video you get something new from American animation to Japanese anime to overly CGI art.
Newly released, Emily Henry brings it for her latest single and music video, "How It Feels". Easily describing what it's like having someone in your corner, someone who turns any bad day into a good day, just by being there. Her voice is magnetic and her lyricism is off the charts, with the song easily addictive and one I'll have stuck in my head for the rest of the day.
The music video takes a different spin on what would normally be a relationship narrative and instead makes the suggestion that her cat is the one that brings sunshine into her life. There are scenes of her spending time with her cat (named Frenchie for the video, but really named Harry), as well as spending time playing board games and cards with her friends - once again suggesting that friends, too, can choose to spread positivity in others.
Directed by Rah Foard and starring Emily Henry, Aubryn, Evan Moross, and Henry the Cat, this music video relates well with the song, twists up the narrative to surprise the viewers and brings something positive to the world overall. With cute simple edits that make the video pop, "How It Feels" is exactly what the world needs right now. Positivity is always a good force.
A twist of words, "Mourning Coffee" is easily a stand-out track by Scott Goldbaum, bringing heart-touching lyrics that are sure to make everyone feel, in more ways than one. This marks his second single from his upcoming EP, following on from his debut single release, "Drive Too Fast". With the help of Molly Rogers on violin and viola, Kiel Feher on drums and percussion, and Kaveh Rastegar on upright bass, Scott Goldbaum has created this awesome folk ballad with hints of indie-rock mixed in. He mixed the track while Reuben Cohen mastered it, making "Mourning Coffee" this peaceful and calming number that hits us right inside. The poetic lyrics are full of so much meaning and integrity, that it's impossible not to relate to this song.
Scott Goldbaum said that "Mourning Coffee" is "the distinction between codependency and partnerships that are chosen and decisively cared for while the world is falling apart around you."
An animated music video, directed by Britt DeVandry, resembles what looks like a gift card, like a virtual gift card, in my personal opinion, which relates well with the theme of the song, and as the video progresses, it really manages to showcase the heart-wrenching lyrics. We watch an insect/bug-type person, sitting on a bench reading a newspaper; a few seconds later, we watch a bird fly across the screen. Later, a blurred person walks up to the bench, sits down and seems to be moving their limbs. As time progresses, we watch the new person start to materialise and we realise they're in an orange hoodie and drinking from a cup however the insect/bug-type person starts to blur and they get worse as time goes on. The most interesting bit is watching the seasons change and how that affects the entire image.
Recently released is this music video by Marshall Oakman for his 2021 song "She's No Doll, She's A Woman", and gosh was it worth the year or so wait because this is such a good music video! It's really refreshing to come across this song, a track that is full of female empowerment, sung by a male singer-songwriter. Marshall Oakman wrote and produced this song, with the full intention of recognising, with appreciation, how much women bring to this world, as a whole.
It's an uplifting song full of power to women and full of respect, and the music video, directed by Ethan Felizzari, follows the essence of the song by adding an incredible narrative, intercut with scenes of Marshall Oakman performing the song with additional backup musicians (Samantha Coughlin on Bass, Hope Woodason on drums, and Daria Meyer on guitar). Marshall Oakman impresses on the keys and vocally during these performance scenes and it's clear there's a lot of passion for the song as you see him giving the song strength and sentiment. Samantha Coughlin, Hope Woodason, and Daria Meyer bring a tonne of stage presence and energy to these scenes too, clearly feeling dedication and devotion for the song itself.
This CK Films production showcases a developing narrative that interprets the song beautifully, as we watch Rosie Dean start off as a doll-like character before coming across a TV programme that reveals women who have changed the world - this new energy brings to light a different way in which she views the world, and she sees strong women out in reality, from incredible autobiographies to women in high-powered jobs, and even incredible mothers in the park. This frees her from who she was before and allows her to become freer and believe in herself more.
Another week has gone by, and Sam Smith & Kim Petras are still at the UK top spot on the chart with "Unholy", so this time I'm reviewing "Super Freaky Girl" by Nicki Minaj, and I never know what to expect when it comes to this queen of hip-hop, but I can guarantee she serves in every visual, and this is just another serve and a half! Selling sex, fierceness and charged energy, Nicki Minaj doesn't disappoint both with this song and the music video, and you can totally understand why she has hit after hit after hit.
Sampling Rick James' "Super Freak" throughout, Nicki Minaj transforms the track creating lyrics about sexual fantasies and desires while also rapping about the length of her career. The songwriters are listed as Rick James, Alonzo Miller, Lukasz Gottwald, Aaron Joseph, Lauren Miller, Vaughn Oliver, Onika Maraj, and Gamal Lewis, with Dr. Luke, Malibu Babie, Vaughn Oliver, and Aaron Joseph acting as producers.
The music video sees Nicki Minaj as a Barbie-like character who also has a love interest who resembles Ken - played by Alexander Ludwig (known for being in The Hunger Games, Vikings, and Heels, as well as The Band Perry's music video "Gentle On My Mind"). The video feels like it's straight out of Fergie's music video for "M.I.L.F. $", it's that suburban lifestyle, only Nicki Minaj has a more sexed-up style, with sexual intentions and suggestions. There's choreography, of sorts, passionate delivery from this queen rapper, and there are also some vicious (freaky) accessories within the scenes including a very sharp knife and some scissors.
