Romania Entry: Mandinga - Zaleilah

May 31, 2012 Critic Jonni 0 Comments

Mandinga represented Romania in Baku, Azerbaijan in 2012. The band has been around since 2002 but in 2006 they split and reformed with a new front singer. Unfortunately there is a rule with Eurovision saying that only 6 people can be on stage during an act's performance, so someone had to stay backstage. The 7 band members are: Elena Ionescu, Alex, Chupi, Zach (Valle), El Nino, Omar Secada and Tony. Been searching for hours for last names so if anyone can find them out for me with sources I'll be very grateful... So Romanian music has hit big here in the UK, with the likes of Inna (who was nearly the Eurovision act to come from Romania), and Alexandra Stan, will this band follow in their footsteps?

"Zaleilah" was written by Consti Ioniţǎ, Elena Ionescu and Omar Secada. Zaleilah is the dance they perform in the music video, and the verses is about Elena and her love interest, which is sung in Spanish. The fact that the band helped to write the song, is what makes it so much more interesting, as they believe what they are singing and would have performed it to the best of their ability. I like how it's a two-language song, and having English for its chorus and the bridge, makes it that little bit special. This is definitely my favourite song, and if it were down to me, the UK would have given this 12 points, but no matter how many times I voted for this band, the UK didn't award any points at all, which was quite disappointing. Romania came 12th in the Eurovision, but clearly deserved to be in the top 10. Funnily enough, in 2009 Elena Gheorghe represented Romania. Elena is an ex-member of Mandinga. She only managed to get to number 19th, whereas Mandinga got 12th, and 31 points more than what Elena did...

This music video is full of everything, there is a narrative with that purple ring, there are performance pieces, there is choreography, and even more there is scenes that doesn't relate, but fits well with the verses of the song. Usually this is what makes a good music video, but is it too much information? Is there too much going on for one person to handle?

Let's start off with the performance piece, I love how there is bagpipes from the start, and that they are performing on a stage. I also like the fact that each member of the band is included, and although focus is on Elena Ionescu, the other band members do get scenes. And how can you not love the choreography? It's easy to follow, and I can't stop doing the Zaleilah whenever it come on.

The narrative is a little different, you follow the ring, but it's not as clear to see what the storyline is. Clearly it is a special ring, that flashes due to light, but what does it do? We find that out at the end, but I don't think we know enough about it to be perfectly honest. And the sexy scenes of Elena, made me think it was Inna when I first saw it on the music channels, as it's sort of a typical Inna music video scene. I love how they are transported to Baku, Azerbaijan with the ring, it's quite clever.

Overall a great song that I can't get enough of, but it's accompanying music video is better than most Eurovision music videos, I just don't know how you can refuse to do the Zaleilah, as it's quite easy to do. I wish Mandinga the best of luck, in the future. They should be a hit in the UK, but it doesn't look like this song is going to chart, which is unfortunate. I hope they return to the UK, and give it one big shot.

Spain Entry: Pastora Soler - Quédate Conmigo

May 30, 2012 Critic Jonni 0 Comments

Another power ballad on my top 7, however it was definitely the year for ballads, so quite surprised that a lot of them managed to get a high position. However they do show off what amazing voices these artists have, and that's why so many people like ballads, including myself.

Pastora Soler, real name Pilar Luque, is quite a big hit in Spain, she has had some high charting albums, including a number one which was "Fuente de Luna" back in 1999. She has recently been getting chart topping albums in Spain, and now she's trying to hit out internationally, and how else to do it, than using Eurovision to help. She has an amazing voice that I could listen to for hours, I hope she does great elsewhere too.

"Quédate Conmigo" was written by Thomas G:Son (who's a big Eurovision song writer), Tony Sánchez-Ohlsson and Erik Bernholm. In English it means "Stay With Me", and you can kind of feel that kind of emotion come off from her as she sings this song; it's like she is feeling every single word of this song, and sending it to us. The fact that it is in Spanish makes it that bit more surprising, especially since you can feel the words of the song even if you don't know what they mean. This just proves that she is a great singer. She managed to come 10th in this years Eurovision, which is really good for Spain. The UK gave 8 points to Pastora Soler, which shows how big a hit this song was over here, however no sign of the song entering the UK chart this Sunday... If it was down to the song, this would definitely get the five stars it clearly deserves.

However, it's down to the music video, which is disappointing. I admit, that it is difficult to make a ballad music video look good and interesting, but people still manage to do it. But in this case it's pretty boring, with very little going on to keep the audience interested. I'd probably pass on watching this on the music channels, and attempt to find something better on another channel.

It's mainly performance based, but also includes two dancers that didn't appear in Baku, Azerbaijan, or maybe the UK took them instead... These dancers are the highlights of this music video, however there is a repeated sequence footage, which is quite annoying, although to make up for it, everything is in slow motion making it go along with the song, which is perfect. I wonder if that water at the end was warm... And how many takes they had to do.

As for Pastora Soler, she's a magnificent singer, but she isn't even doing anything except singing, and although various shots are used, there is nothing stunning about the performance. I was just expecting something, but there wasn't anything.

Overall, a quite catchy song, and I think everyone understands why I like it. But I'm not impressed with this music video, I was pretty bored with it to be honest. Whilst trying to focus on it, I ended up looking at the YouTube comments and the other videos on the right, instead of watching the video. There's just nothing to this music video, apart from the song.

Italy Entry: Nina Zilli - L'Amore è Femmina (Out Of Love)

May 29, 2012 Critic Jonni 0 Comments

Nina Zilli, real name Maria Fraschetta, has got my 2nd spot on my top 7, please remember the order of my top 7 is in order of which they placed in the Eurovision Song Contest. Nina Zilli performed for Italy, and managed to come 9th, which is a great position to get. She reminds me a lot of the late Amy Winehouse, she not only looks like her, but she sounds quite like her too. And this is definitely the sort of song I could see Amy singing. Nina Zilli is a great singer, she has already made a name for herself in Italy getting some pretty high charting positions, but can she do as well in the rest of Europe? There's no sign of her charting this Sunday on the UK chart, but that doesn't mean she won't. At the end of the day, I think she should have a crack of it, I'm sure the UK will bring her in, and I can see her doing pretty well elsewhere as well. I wish Nina Zilli the best of luck.

The song was originally written by Christian Rabb, Kristoffer Sjökvist, Frida Molander and Charlie Mason. They wrote the song in English, however Nina Zilli then translated it into Italian for her album. Then when she released it for the Eurovision, she decided to sing it in both English and Italian. I love it when you watch singers on the Eurovision who has sung a song in 2 or more different languages, they make it seem effortless, but then again, it probably is when you are fluent in those languages, it's only difficult when you aren't.

This music video isn't too bad, but it's not great either, it's another pure performance piece with artistic choreography, and an extremely catchy tune. It kind of reminds me of the old jazz/pop music videos where the singer didn't do much and the dancers had quite a lot of choreography. It also reminds me of the classic musicals where the main character is lifted and moved, with not much choreography. This links in well with the sort of song this is.

It was definitely more entertaining than the Eurovision performance, however the latter was more interesting as it portrayed the song, perfectly. This is lacking somewhat, I have watched this video 4 times already, hoping I'd come up with something more to write about , but there isn't a lot going on.

I like how they've made Nina Zilli stand out, one scene she has ginger hair, that makes her noticable and makes her that little bit more interesting, and then those dancers are in bright coloured shirts with a white overcoat, that emphasises Nina Zilli, they also make her quite sexy too.

Overall a great, upbeat song and a not bad music video to go with it. What would have made this video much better would be making Nina Zilli do some more complicated choreography, maybe include a narrative, maybe make it look on the old side to go with this song. Although, this music video works pretty well, I have to give this rating, I wish I could give more.

Estonia Entry: Ott Lepland - Kuula

May 28, 2012 Critic Jonni 0 Comments

From my top 7 this is the highest placed Eurovision entry. Which is quite surprising; of course I liked a few others that did place higher, but I had to narrow them down didn't I? So Ott Lepland first found fame from the third series of "Eesti otsib superstaari", which translates in English as "Estonia is Searching for a Superstar". It is Estonia's version of Pop Idol. In which Ott Lepland won. He has an amazing voice, and although he sung a ballad, he made it sound recent and current. His voice just outstands me and I really hope he becomes that world-wide star he clearly deserves to be.

"Kuula" was sung in Estonian, therefore I haven't got a clue what he was singing. Kuula means Listen. However Ott Lepland has recorded versions in many different languages. The English version can be heard below, which is titled "Hands On". The English version is very good, but you just can't beat the Estonian version. The song was written by Ott Lepland and Aapo Ilves. The former is the singer, which makes me happy, as I like it when artists write their own songs, they're more meaningful, hence the reason why I like this song as it's full of emotion. The latter is a writer and poet who lives in Estonia, but has dipped into songwriting every now and again. Marvi Vallaste provides additional vocals to this track, and she was seen on stage with Ott Lepland at Baku, Azerbaijan. The UK gave 4 points to Estonia, which isn't too bad considering this is a ballad, so my vote helped somewhat.

This music video is another performance piece, however it's not as boring as the UK's entry, which was Engelbert Humperdinck's "Love Will Set You Free". It contained words, some I couldn't quite pronounce until he sung them, that wisped away like sand in the wind, it went nicely with the song, and kind of suggests "read me" if you won't "hear me". Which was a great technique to interest the viewers more.

Again, because it's a ballad, not much is going on, there's good use of the lights, and he is wearing a great suit, that I want to wear. This also helps to make this more entertaining. And then comes the voice in the second half of the song and you just can't stop listening to this over and over again. But not only that the song actually gets stuck in your head, which is rare for a ballad, and might be one of the many reasons he came sixth in Eurovision 2012.

Overall a great song that I'm still in love with, there's no sign of it charting on the UK chart this Sunday, but it might be in the top 200. I wish Ott Lepland the best of luck in the music industry, and I hope to see him crack the UK soon. He definitely has the chance with that amazing voice. The accompanying music video is different to what is about, and that is the main justification I have for giving him this rating. I hope others take a leap out of this music video and make people realise you can do a ballad music video and make it look good.

UK Entry: Engelbert Humperdinck - Love Will Set You Free

May 28, 2012 Critic Jonni 0 Comments

Engelbert Humperdinck was a big star in the 60's and 70's along with the legend that is Sir Tom Jones. But lately he hasn't been doing that well, and when we all heard that he was going to be our UK entry into the Eurovision, most of us, of the younger generation, went "who?" Last year, the UK tried to appeal Eurovision to the younger generation with Blue's "I Can" and it worked, but for some reason that people have no clue as to why, they picked this person. I had to research a lot about him before I really knew who he was. But before he had been selected I wouldn't have had a clue who it was. I give him ten out of ten for doing perfectly well at the Eurovision with this song, he has an amazing voice that you can't help but like, and with this catchy song, you could tell we might grab a few points, but unlucky for us, he had to sing first, so most people forgot this song since all the amazing acts had followed. We grabbed 12 points, and placed 25th, just ahead of Norway. I just hope that next year in 2013, we get to either have our say, or we get a upbeat song as for the last 5 years we've had ballads, that really aren't for the Eurovision, in my opinion.

"Love Will Set You Free" was written by Martin Terefe and Sacha Skarbek. I'm sure I've wrote Martin Terefe's name before. Sacha Skarbek has produced and wrote quite a few well known songs and albums, I can see him appearing on my blog a few more times in the future. This song kind of reminds me of the sort of song a boy band would sing, such as One Direction. It's the sort of song you could sway to, but also understand all the lyrics. I loved what Engelbert Humperdinck has done with it, and he makes it really catchy, but it is missing this spark, that was apparent in quite a few other entries.

The music video is a pure performance piece. There's not much going on, so I don't see me commenting much, although I loved the lighting and it was really clever how they recorded it. It's quite laid-back which works well with the song.

I like the fact that there is a guitarist that we can see and it allows the camera to focus on him as well. There was more going on in the performance on the stage. There were two dancers who was choreographed by Arlene Phillips. I would have liked to have seen them appear in this music video.

Overall, I think it's a pretty good song, it's something nice and relaxing, however the music video is lacking a lot, and I think the staging was in Baku, Azerbaijan. I have my fingers crossed that next year we shall do well, but I'm not holding my breath.

New Release: Lawson - When She Was Mine

May 28, 2012 Critic Jonni 2 Comments

Lawson is all everyone is talking about, they are here, there and everywhere and people just can't get enough of them. They are having great feedback from YouTube comments, and have already charted high on the iTunes chart at number 8, and it's only been out for a day! They are being compared to 'The Script', which is extremely understandable, and I can see them going far and maybe a number one some time in the future... They are a four-piece pop/rock band consisting of Andy Brown, Adam Pitts, Joel Peat and Ryan Fletcher. Andy Brown has been in the music industry before in a band called 'Avenue' who also consisted of Max George, who is now in 'The Wanted'. They were formerly known as 'The Grove'.

"When She Was Mine" was written by Andy Brown. His inspiration for the song comes from Mollie King from The Saturdays. Mollie and Andy used to go out, but recently split and Andy Brown apparently wrote a few songs about the split, and this was one of them. Mollie King is in total support of the song, and she was urging people on Facebook to download the single. I love it when bands write their own songs as you can tell they really mean everything they are singing. And it's sometimes one of the main reasons why it is so good.

This music video has everything you need. There is both a narrative and a performance, which most music videos have started to do. They also tend to get my 5 stars, as you can rarely find better. I am sure I've seen the girl before, but not sure where from, she is played by Angelica Lynne (thank you anonymous commenter) and she has starred in quite a few music videos, but she has done theatre and modelling.

This music video is cleanly cut and interesting to watch. It's one of those videos that you can watch over and over again and see something new that you hadn't seen the previous time. I'd never get bored of it, and I love the storyline, and how at the end she doesn't answer his call. It's a nice representation of the song, and I don't think any other music video would have done this song justice.

Overall, a very catchy song that you can't help but love. The accompanying music video is great too, however there's a few parts where you are blinded by the sunlight, and some of the camera shots aren't that great either. Having said that though, it definitely will not affect the charting position this Sunday. And I'm super excited to see where this will chart. I can see this band going places!

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Ke$ha - TiK ToK

May 24, 2012 Critic Jonni 0 Comments

This music video appeared on the music channels this morning, and it put me in such a uplifting mood, I was ready for this blissful sun, and this was the song that got me in such a great mood.

Ke$ha has yet to reach her peak, she is still starting up, and I hope she releases something outstanding soon. Her real name is Kesha Sebert. She has appeared in and out of the UK charts, yet she is much bigger in the USA.

"TiK ToK" was her first solo single. And she got number ones here there and everywhere, however for the UK she got to number 4, although there was a lot of airplay and music channel play. The song was written by Kesha Serbert, Lukasz Gottwald (Dr. Luke) and Benjamin Levin (Benny Blanco). Both the latter songwriters have appeared on my blog endlessly, they are the ones who create the biggest hits, and you just aren't surprised that a song is written by them, as they are that well known. I am glad to see Ke$ha's name in the writing credits, showing that it is her own song, and it explains why this song is the way it is. According to various sources across the internet, P. Diddy did in fact provide the two lined vocals on the track right at the start.

The music video is a total joy to watch, it contains everything you possibly need, it's narrative and performance at the same time, how can you not enjoy it? There is a lot to like about this music video, and I could talk for hours upon hours about this video, but I'm going to cut it down.

I love the start, using remnants of the night before with her waking up in a bath. I like how the video footage links in perfectly with the lyrics such as when she sings "Pedicure on my toes" there is footage of her pedicure on her toes. I also love the shocked faces of the family when she walks down the stairs near the start of the music video, clearly it's not her house. I like how it's an exact replica of the lyrics, this was probably an easy video to come up with, and easily represented, I bet it blew all the other ideas out of the water.

Again we see a boombox, which seems to be popular lately, so it's interesting to see if they come back into fashion in the future. I like the use of the boys which matches perfectly with the lyrics "And now the dudes are lining up cuz they hear we got swagger, but we kick them to the curb unless they look like Mick Jagger" hence, comes in "Barry" played by Simon Rex, who drives a "1978 Trans Am". The ending is just perfect, as she ends up in a bath once again, ready for the next amazing night.

Overall, this song surprisingly didn't get to number one in the UK, but it will always be one of my top songs, and perfect for this kind of weather (which is really hot, for the UK). The accompanying music video is perfect, and there is nothing bad I can say about it. It contains everything a music video should have, and is definitely worth this rating.

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Inna - Amazing

May 23, 2012 Critic Jonni 3 Comments

Inna, real name Elena Apostoleanu, has been hitting our screens for quite some time, she is definitely a worldwide star. She is from Romania, and they almost had her for Eurovision 2012, however she was touring, and wouldn't have been able to do it, so instead Romania used their usual selecting process. Also something has changed recently. Inna has released 4 singles recently under Roton Romania Records, here in the UK, all of which had no music video release and zero promotion. She used to release under 3beat, who has served her pretty well, making sure the music video is played a lot on the music channels, and then releasing the song at the best possible moment. I am unsure of what is actually going on. 3 months ago 3beat released the music video to "Club Rocker" on to YouTube, but there's no news on a release as of yet, does this mean she's swapped record labels? I don't know. But if she is going to release in the UK she really needs to promote a lot more.

"Amazing" was written by Sebastian Barac, Radu Bolfea and Marcel Botezan. It was the second single to be released, and I remember going out and buying the CD single.  Her most recent release is "Un Momento" under 3beat, which I reviewed on here. She is definitely one of my favourite dance artists, alongside Basshunter, Cascada and Alexandra Stan. But could she quickly disappear from the UK as quickly as she appeared? With next to zero promotion, how on earth she is going to get those important chart hits, I don't know.

This music video is a little surprising after "Hot", especially since it's a beach scene, whereas "Hot" was set in a club. Although, we end up expecting this sexy side of Inna as her further music videos are willing to shock. There isn't a lot going on but it's interesting to watch. I especially like the comment on YouTube that says "These cameramen have the best job ever", that just made me laugh lots.

Inna is surfing until she gets knocked over by a wave, and an 'amazing' lifeguard comes and saves her. I'm not sure who the lifeguard is played by, but if someone could find out and show a reference for it I'll happily add it in this blog post. I presume the song is about the lifeguard, as that is the only prominent male person in the video.

I have to comment on the beach shower, I don't know about overseas, but I've never seen one of them before this video, there's none in the UK, as far as I know, but to be honest I haven't been to every beach in the UK, maybe there is one about somewhere. But now these showers are popping up everywhere, there's one in Cascada's "Summer Of Love" and I'm sure I've seen others in other videos.

Overall it's a good sexy video, which we have learned to expect from Inna. To be honest, compared to other videos this one isn't that over the top. I am a big fan of hers, and I hope she manages to keep charting in the UK, and hopefully manage to promote a new single. I am also hoping that a UK tour will pop up soon, as I will definitely be there. I really don't want to see this girl disappear from the UK music channels, so keep strong Inna, and start promoting over here.

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Justin Bieber - Boyfriend

May 22, 2012 Critic Jonni 0 Comments

Justin Bieber has finally appeared on my blog, there was absolutely nothing on the music channels today, and this music video was the only one I took an interest to. Then all the music videos after this one I had already previously reviewed. I'm not much of a fan of Justin Bieber, although I do commemorate him for being a great singer, and managing to sell a lot of records. He has never had a number one in the UK before, however this is his highest charting position to date, charting at number two. He is currently going out with Selena Gomez, and has been for over a year.

"Boyfriend" was written by Mike Posner, Justin Bieber, Matthew Musto and Mason Levy. I'm surprised to see another singer's name pop up in the writing credits, which is Mike Posner, he sang "Cooler Than Me". Could Justin Bieber have written this for Selena Gomez? It is definitely one of those songs you expect Justin Timberlake to sing, and it's extremely different to what is actually about at the moment, sometimes that is a good thing, when others it's not so good, but with the Justin Bieber's fans (aka Bieber Fever), it looks like he can never release a bad song, and even if he did, it'll still do well on the charts no matter what.

This music video seems extremely short. It finished, and I was like, is that it? However it's over 3 minutes long, which is the amount of time most music videos are. So was I so intently watching it that time passed me by so quickly? Or was I expecting something better?

They could have done a lot with this music video, it could have been a narrative storyline, there could be a lot more choreography... However they decided to make it subtly sexy, or try to at least, but I don't think it's paid off, we're left with wanting something more. The double start is a little on the infuriating side, as the singing really stand out from his rapping, therefore choreography could have been built in. So we have to wait a whole minute until he starts to sing, which would normally be okay, but in the video not much is happening.

Before the video was released, there was camera shots released online, showing Justin Bieber near flames, and under water and various other scenes that other critics had commented on. Some were excited about the video and others were saying it could be a little on the erotic side which wouldn't be good for his fan base. Before the release of this music video, it got scrapped and this one was filmed and released. Could it be possible that they were not too happy with the feedback from the previous video? What ever happened to taking a chance? No wonder this video seems simplistic and restrained. Personally, by the looks of the shots and the thoughts of other critics, I think I would have preferred the previous music video.

Overall it's an average music video, not much going on, and it leaves you wanting more, there's a few choreography scenes interspersed throughout but not enough, I wanted to see additional dancing scenes. However it's quite a catchy song, so I understand why it got to number two.

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Britney Spears - If U Seek Amy

May 21, 2012 Critic Jonni 0 Comments

Britney Spears once again appears on my blog. She is a worldwide star and has recently been confirmed as an X Factor USA judge. I was kind of hoping she'd be signed for the UK, but guess not. Will she be a good judge? I'm not sure, but guess we'll find out soon enough. This song brought a lot of attention upon herself, with many people not happy with the song lyrics.

The song was written by Max Martin, Shellback, Savan Kotecha and Alexander Kronlund. Once again they have created a great hit. This song wasn't going to be released as a single, Britney decided to ask Facebook followers what should be her next single, and they chose this one. It worked out well as it charted high in some countries, but in others it didn't fair out so well. In the UK it got to number 20, which is quite low for Britney. Although it has been 8 years since she has had a number one hit.

This music video is quite shocking, I love how it's a reference to the song's meaning. For those of you who don't know there are two meanings, one is: "all of the boys and all of the girls are begging to if u seek Amy" suggesting they want you to find Amy, and the other one is "all of the boys and all of the girls are begging to F-U-C-K me", this explains the start of the music video perfectly.

The second half makes Britney look like a traditional mom, with a family and a normal life, with the paparazzi unaware of what is going on behind close doors. This is yet another paparazzi Vs. Britney music videos, which are frequently popping up with "Piece of Me" and "I Wanna Go".

There is quite a few references to past music videos in this video, these include the start for "Piece of Me" and at the end where her "daughter" is dressed in the school wear found in "...Baby One More Time".

Overall I love this song, and the music video is quite surprising, but are we getting bored of these paparazzi vs. Britney story lines for music videos? I'm not sure I could cope with another one, but guess we'll eventually find out. Also, a little more trivia... Amy is possibly Britney's alter-ego, hence why their trying to find her. But also when Britney went "off the rails" so did the now late Amy Winehouse, could the Amy in the song reference her instead?

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New Release: The Wanted - Chasing The Sun

May 21, 2012 Critic Jonni 0 Comments

The Wanted once again gets my New Release, they have only previously been reviewed on this blog twice, and that was for "Glad You Came" and "Lightning". They have released quite a few singles since then, but none got to number one. From the iTunes chart, this song has only been out for a day and it's right at the top spot. Looks like these boys will gain another UK number one hit this Sunday. The Wanted consists to 5 guys, who are Nathan Sykes, Max George, Tom Parker, Jay McGuinness and Siva Kaneswaren.

"Chasing The Sun" was written by Alex Smith and Elliot Gleave. This surprised me as Elliot Gleave is in fact Example! I just couldn't believe it. No wonder this song is so great, although I am not too fond of Example, I do appreciate his music, and to be totally fair this is probably my favourite song by him, and although he hasn't personally sung it himself, it still counts in my eyes. It has already charted in Canada at number 50, which isn't too bad to be honest, but is that its peak? Or will it climb higher? This song is also set to be the theme song to "Ice Age: Continental Drift (AKA Ice Age 4)". And apparently, while filming the music video, they caused a blackout in LA, because an electrical transformer blew out. Read more here.

The music video once again gives us a total different meaning to what we were expecting. I just thought maybe they'd follow the sun partying here and there, but they have some great creativists behind them, as I would have never had come up with an idea like this, and it is a distinguishable music video.

I like the idea that they are chasing the sun tattoos, that are on the girls, and once again, thankfully, there is a girl for each of them, unlike previous boy bands... I also like how the girls are all vampires. According to really old vampiric lore, if a vampire bites you, you too become a vampire. However, authors have recently changed people's thoughts on these supernatural creatures, and clearly The Wanted aren't vampires, since they can walk in the sun, with no rings on, and they don't go shiny either... So... Taking a leap out of some of the other, more erotica books are they?

Overall I really like this music video, it links in with the song perfectly, although not totally expected, which always makes a nice change. I haven't got anything bad to say about this music video, and the song is extremely catchy. Although I didn't like it first time around.

Rihanna - Pon De Replay

May 20, 2012 Critic Jonni 0 Comments

So I chose Rihanna as my Sunday revisit, purely because I have never watched this music video before, but I had heard the song many times. Rihanna, real name Robyn Rihanna Fenty, first released this song back in 2005, and she looks very different to what she looks like right now. She kind of reminds me of Christina Milian, and to be frank this is the sort of song Christina Milian would release.

"Pon De Replay" was written by Vada Nobles, Carl Sturken and Evan Rogers. None of which have been mentioned on my blog before, as far as I'm aware of. This is the song that made Rihanna, if she hadn't have released this song, would she be where she is right now? It's pretty doubtful, although with that voice, she may have gotten there. "Song Pon De Replay" translates loosely to "Put The Song on Replay", as Pon means upon.

The music video is one of the classic music videos you used to see in the late 90s early 00s. With artists such as Christina Milian's "Am to Pm" and Pink's "Get The Party Started", so it's quite surprising that in 2005 a similar music video popped up, but it failed to get to number one in the UK, only grabbing a number two. Would a different music video have helped to push it that little bit further?

There's not a lot to say about this music video, there is a lot of choreography, and it kind of reminds me of "Don't Stop The Music", that also had the non-music bit at the start, which I always like to watch in a music video. Also the DJ in the music video was played by DJ Cipha Sounds, there is also a cameo appearance from Kardinal Offishall. I also loved the human bicycle at the end, it's not something you usually see.

Overall, a great music video if it was released in early 00s but it was released in 2005, and it obviously got lost amongst the videos that were being released by other artists. This is definitely a catchy song that gets stuck in your head easily, but the music video is missing some sort of spark. If you're going to release a video like this, make sure that there's something extremely different about it.

Ocean Drive Featuring Aylar Lie - Some People

May 19, 2012 Critic Jonni 1 Comments

I haven't seen this music video on the music channels for quite some time. It was quite popular when it was released. Aylar Lie has one of the most talked about pasts ever. She used to be a pornographic actress, but has lately wanted to disperse from that life. She has frequently turned up in Basshunter videos, giving us a on-going storyline that is always amazing to tune in to. However now she's trying to make her own music, she's tried in the past, and she is trying again, but once again it didn't work out well for her. She may not have the best of voices, but her songs are pretty catchy, and she is becoming more and more well-known across Europe. She was born in Iran, but grew up from 2 years old in Norway. She commonly refers to herself as Norwegian. As for Ocean Drive... They are a French electro band consisting of Nicolas Carel and Just Uman, they are both producers. They had previously released this song across Europe using DJ Orioska as their featured artist. It was a success, in a few countries. Now they're planning on releasing in the UK, but being on "Dance Nation" record label may not be the best thing to do. I think both these artists should go on All Around The World Records, who are doing amazingly right now. I hope to hear new music from both these artists soon, as it's only a matter of time before they become big.

The music video is performance-based, using Aylar's good looks. They make her seem even more beautiful, having the backing dancers hide their faces. However I wish we would see a scene where Ocean Drive appears, I think this is something that's really lacking here.

I love the fact that they have AYLAR in height-size letters, you definitely won't forget who she is. She has recently come second in Skal Vi Danse? which is the Norway version of Strictly Come Dancing & Dancing With The Stars. If she can't get her music career going, I can see her turning up in Eurovision one year.

I really don't have a lot to say about this music video, but you probably expected me not to have much to say as not a lot is going on. However I like the fact that the song is extremely catchy, the lighting and the overall performance makes this music video better than others. I like the fact that no gimmicks are used and it's just Aylar Lie, there for everyone to see. She doesn't have the strongest voice in the world, but keep on releasing dance music videos and I'll be enjoying it more and more.

Buy on iTunes

Paramore - Ignorance

May 18, 2012 Critic Jonni 0 Comments

Paramore is probably my favourite band of all time. They have had a number of hits, and I can only see them getting better and better. When this song was released, the band consisted of Hayley Williams, Josh Farro, Zac Farro, Taylor York and Jeremy Davis. Recently the Farro brothers have left as they didn't like the direction the band was going. But I'm sure it's going to be their biggest mistake ever, as Paramore will be in the public eye for ever and ever.

This song was written by Hayley Willams and Josh Farro. The song was written during Paramore's worst time. They were close to splitting up, and they each took time away to collect their thoughts. The song is about growing up, and the emotional tolls it takes. But also the fact that they weren't connecting with each other during the height of their fame. It gives this band an edge, and they are pretty brave to sing songs that are so personal to them, and I think this is the main reason why I like them so much. However the fact that I saw them back in 2008 with Tink09 and Hollagram Star, may actually be the real reason.

This music video is a big performance piece, and it's very theatrical and personal, that you know that they believe every single word they are singing. It's stripped back, with no narrative, and this can work perfectly or go completely wrong. However this has that special spark that most performance-based music videos seem to be missing.

I love the "shoulder shrug" that Hayley Williams does. It's definitely my favourite part, and no matter how many times I attempt to copy it, I can never pull it off. I like how they are performing on a stage, you can feel the vibes of their performances and you feel like you're at one of their gigs, which is one of the biggest things performance-based music videos need to get across.

Now the light bulb, how can I miss commenting on that. It's clever, and the shadows and the darkness has been used effortlessly. It reminds me of ignorance, and that Hayley is confronting that ignorance. My favourite bit is right at the end, when she lets go of the light bulb and everything goes black.

Overall a great song that reached number 14 on the UK chart, which is Paramore's highest UK charting position to date. The music video is perfect, the only problem I have with it is the bit about half-way through, where Hayley is styled Japanese and is in a blue chamber. I don't see the point of it, and it's the one thing that doesn't feel right in this music video. However regardless of that I cannot help but feel this is worthy of this rating, and I hope you all agree.

Rihanna - Where Have You Been

May 17, 2012 Critic Jonni 0 Comments

Rihanna is definitely a global superstar, nearly everyone has heard of her (well except for that Irish guy that stopped her filming on his farm). Her real name is Robyn Rihanna Fenty. She has had a number of hits, and she will keep on going. She recently starred in "Battleship" which was amazing, and clearly showed how good of an actress she is. She will definitely get more film roles, which I look forward to watching. She also is planning on doing a TV show and teaming up with Nicola Roberts to find a UK fashion designer.

"Where Have You Been" was written by Ester Dean, Lukasz Gottwald (Dr. Luke), Calvin Harris, Henry Walter (Cirkut) and Geoff Mack. This is definitely a great writing team. Most of them have appeared on my blog in one shape or form, the others are fairly new, but with some big hits behind them. It's extremely catchy and reminds me a lot of "Only Girl (In The World)" and Flo Rida Featuring Sia's "Wild Ones". But I'm sure this wasn't the exact music video I saw this morning.... Could it be possible that they edited it for the UK? I'm not sure as I can't find the one I saw on YouTube, so I guess I'll have to roll with this one.

The music video is interesting, once again it's different to what is about, and there is a lot of choreography to handle in it. Sometimes this is good and sometimes it isn't, depending on who the artist is. We haven't seen Rihanna dance for a while, but here she is, and she does it perfectly. So there's nothing to worry about. The first time I saw it, I thought of "Disturbia", I don't know why, but some of the dancing made me think of that song and it's music video.

There are many different scenes and it's more of a dance music video rather than anything else. And it leaves you wanting more, and there's no narrative either. It's just lacking something, and it's not something I'd go out of my way to watch. If there's something better on another music channel I'd happily swap over.

Overall this song is catchy and it will definitely get a high charting position. But the music video is missing some sort of spark. I think we were all just expecting a little more from Rihanna, and it never came about. A lot of people have compared it to Beyoncé... But I don't see why, they are two very different artists, and although they are both great dancers I don't understand where the comparisons are coming from.

Cascada - Pyromania

May 16, 2012 Critic Jonni 0 Comments

Cascada has been reviewed on this blog quite a bit, I think you can probably guess that I am a fan of their music. So I was excited to see this music video being shown on a music channel. But then I got worried, I thought that maybe I had already reviewed it on here. However luckily I hadn't.

Cascada is a dance band from Germany, consisting of Natalie Horler, Manian (Manuel Reuter) and Yanou (Yann Peifer). They have had a number of hits over the years, especially in the UK. They have a new song out, which is bound to chart high, with promotion. I hope "Summer of Love" becomes a big hit.

"Pyromania" was written by RedOne, Allan Eshuijs, Yann Peifer and Manuel Reuter. I was really surprised that RedOne was part of the writing team, I'm also surprised that Cascada doesn't say "RedOne" before the song starts, which you usually find in his written songs. He is the main writer for Lady GaGa, possibly hence the reason why this song has been compared a lot with "Pokerface" amongst other Lady GaGa songs.

This music video, is a big performance piece, but it works so effortlessly, you can't help but like it. There's a lot of choreography going on, and it's nice to see Natalie Horler getting involved with the dancing too, as it's rare to see her do much.

There's a lot to like about this music video. I like how flames are here and there referencing the song as Pyro means fire. Also that hoop swing looks a little on the scary side.

There is quite a few UV lights about which has a nice slight link as the song would definitely have been heard in the dance clubs back then. This song only got to a disappointing number 60 on the UK chart, but that was due to the fact that this was the only promotion they did for the song.

Overall, it's a catchy song, that was definitely worthy of a better charting position. It's music video is a great performance piece and is really interesting. However it's missing that little something, the wow spark. However I could watch it again and again and never get bored with it.

Selena Gomez & The Scene - Who Says

May 15, 2012 Critic Jonni 0 Comments

Selena Gomez & The Scene have recently gone on hiatus, however reports have suggested that Selena Gomez has been visiting the studio, could it be possible they're working on a new album? Or is it her way of messing about, something she enjoys to do in her part time? Selena Gomez & The Scene is a band that consists of Selena Gomez, Greg Garman, Joey Clement, Ethan Roberts and Dane Forrest. I tend to take a dislike to bands who uses a celebrity's name to make their band more successful. If they had just had a normal band name (like The Pretty Reckless), would it have made a difference? I find it doubtful, but it's hard to know really. They haven't been much of a success in the UK, or anywhere else. They have yet to have a number one, which is quite surprising, but then again some of the songs are to some preference of others. They're not your average band, therefore making them quite quirky, which makes me like them more.

"Who Says" was written by Emanuel Kiriakou and Priscilla Renea, the former has worked with a lot of celebrities on albums. But the latter has wrote for Cheryl Cole amongst others, Priscilla is also an artist herself and has already released an album with a second one on it's way. The song looks very personal to Selena, and she sings it as if she means every word. It's about not letting others knock you down. Everyone's perfect no matter what. It kind of reminds me of Pink's "Perfect".

The music video is different to what is actually about. It stands out and is definitely not your usual music video. Which I've come to expect from this band.

I like all the editing that has gone on, making signs say "don't judge a book by it's cover" and various other words, including lyrics found in the song. It's extremely clever. I also like how you see "The Scene" as some times it's rare to see the whole band.

However, there isn't a narrative storyline. And I feel that a song like this should have a narrative, to emphasise what they are trying to get across. However I still feel this gets the meaning across, but only slightly. I think the fact that there isn't a narrative, leaves this music video lacking something.

Overall, a great personal song, and a good accompanying music video, however there's just not enough going on, and it doesn't make me think WOW. However I do really like it, and I do hope this band returns in a few years with some amazing songs.

Alexandra Burke - Let It Go

May 14, 2012 Critic Jonni 0 Comments

So I have watched quite a few different music videos today, and they are all mixed up and stuck in my head. So I looked at what could potentially be my New Releases in the coming weeks, and saw which ones clashed with which. And so I narrowed it down to two. It was Alexandra Burke's "Let It Go" Vs. Cheryl's "Call My Name". Contestant Vs. Judge. And Alexandra won. But only because I think Cheryl's song will be a big hit and I would rather review it near the release date.

Alexandra Burke won The X Factor UK back in 2008, Cheryl Cole was her mentor/judge. 2008 was a big year for The X Factor UK, and many of the finalists became artists. They are: Alexandra Burke (winner), JLS (second), Eoghan Quinn (third), Diana Vickers (fourth), Ruth Lorenzo (fifth), Rachel Hylton (sixth), Daniel Evans (seventh), Laura White (eighth) and Scott Bruton (tenth). There is a possibility there may be more in the future. The X Factor is obviously one of the best shows to get noticed, and the people coming away from that show is doing amazing things.

This song was written by Belle Humble, Mick Hansen (Cutfather) and Jason Gill. I'm pretty surprised there's no sign of Alexandra Burke's name in the songwriting credits. She helped wrote "Elephant". Anyway, Mick Hansen also known as Cutfather has been songwriting for quite some time and has had many hits, the others are not so well known. The song is definitely one that will be played in the clubs, and it's definitely very catchy.

This music video is good but then it's lacking something. Again it's a big performance piece and I love the start where you hear Alexandra's previous single "Elephant". And it looks like we might get a narrative storyline, but that isn't the case. I like performance pieces, but it's rare for me to give 5*'s to them as they still need to portray something across, and that thing is seriously missing here.

She is an amazing dancer, kind of reminds me of Britney Spears, a bit, as Britney tends to do big choreography. However this video looks cheap, the set is simple, and they aren't even in the real places. Apparently a security guy came up to her and told her she didn't have the rights to film in the London Underground. But wherever that article came from it was later proven false as they filmed in a set.

If you notice any of the dancers, you may find BB dancing, he was in "Dirty Sexy Things", and ended up choosing his dancing career over his modelling career. There may be others you might know from other places, if you spot someone please comment below.

Overall, this is definitely missing something, but what that something is I'm not sure, it was missing in "Elephant" and it's missing in this. Her music videos just aren't as good as previous ones, they are all too similar, and they don't really stand out. I want to go WOW at one of her music videos, but I just can't.

New Release: Demi Lovato - Give Your Heart A Break

May 14, 2012 Critic Jonni 0 Comments

Believe it or not, but you are definitely hearing this right! For the first time EVER, Demi Lovato has released a second single from an album in the UK. Her previous two albums only spawned one single release in the UK, so after I got excited at seeing "Skyscraper" finally released in the UK, I was expecting another long wait (about a year or two) until another single release. But a second single has finally come off her third album, but will it get the great charting position it needs? Or will it dwindle, especially with the stiff competition of new releases: Jessie J's "Laserlight", The Saturdays' "30 Days" and the already charted: Tulisa's "Young", Rita Ora's "R.I.P." and Carly Rae Jepsen's "Call Me Maybe". Will she get to number one, it's extremely doubtful, as there is no sign of her on the top 200 iTunes chart, all we can ask is that it gains some sort of charting position, otherwise second singles from future albums will be a thing of the past.

This song was written by Josh Alexander and Billy Steinberg. Yet again Demi locks onto this song and makes it her own, it's so personal you believe she is going through this right now, and I'm quite surprised she didn't help pen the track. Hopefully one will soon come up. I recently watch "La La Land" music video and I hardly recognised her. She looks much more healthy now, and much more beautiful, and the people who are slagging her off are purely jealous of her.

This music video is definitely one of my favourites, it's a great narrative, that I love to watch over and over again. And the ending is so amazing, but do those photos actually make that picture? I know that other people have done it in the past, such as Taylor Swift who got fans to send in a photo, and then in the CD single there was people's photos all joined together and it made the picture of Taylor Swift. But with this, I feel that a projector might have been used...

The onscreen boyfriend is Alex Bechet, he looks a little bit like Siva Kaneswaran from The Wanted. I'd love to be able to make a collage like that one, it's really clever. I also like the fact that we see clips of when they were together, and Demi Lovato explains where it's gone wrong and why they need a break in the song.

Overall I love this song, and it's accompanying music video is amazing to watch. I have nothing bad to say about this music video. And I so hope enough interest is built up so that this song manages to chart, as it is really catchy. I have yet to download the digital download. But I shall be doing it this week. I hope others will do the same.

Rita Ora Featuring Tinie Tempah - R.I.P.

May 03, 2012 Critic Jonni 0 Comments

Rita Ora is definitely one of my favourite new artists, she sings so clearly and effectively I don't understand how some people don't like her. She was born in Yugoslavia (now known as Kosovo) but was brought up in Britain. She got to number one already in the UK on DJ Fresh's track "Hot Right Now", and this is her first single and it looks like it could go straight to number one. But with competition from Tulisa's "Young" (could be number one this Sunday) and Carly Rae Jepsen's "Call Me Maybe", Rita Ora has a fight on her hands. To help boost sales, this song also features Tinie Tempah, real name Patrick Okogwu. He is someone I'm not too fond of, but I do like some of his songs. This is the first time he has appeared on my blog, but I'm sure it will not be his last.

"R.I.P." was written by a load of people which is extremely surprising, so get ready for all the songwriters... Aubrey Graham (Drake), Farhad Samadzada, Mikkel Eriksen & Tor Hermansen (Stargate production team), Nneka Egbuna, Renee Wisdom and Saul Milton & Will Kennard (Chase & Status). So a very big collaborative effort. Drake made the song initially for Rihanna, but she didn't take to the song, but Rita Ora took an interest to it, and that's how Rita Ora got it. Not only that but it may also be the reason why Rita Ora is being compared to Rihanna a lot lately. The song is about being better than your boyfriend's ex.  It's definitely the sort of song you expect Rita Ora to sing.

This music video is only a performance piece, but this is what makes it so strong, you can imagine the camera as Rita's boyfriend, and it's like she's singing right at you. As for Tinie Tempah, I love his rap it fits perfectly with the song and it's like the other side of the storyline.

There isn't a lot to comment on, there's a car that looks like it's crashed into the ground, suggesting that car is over like his ex... I also like how she is dancing above the car and it's quite an open space as well.

Some of the things she is wearing though is quite surprising, to be honest I don't think you'll see anyone wearing some of those things on the high street, but for the music video, it kind of fits in.

Overall a great song that could be going straight to number one. But the video is lacking something, I think the fact that there isn't a lot going on and that there is no narrative, it just leaves you feeling disappointed, as if you expected a little more. However this is definitely worth this rating.

Nicki Minaj - Starships

May 02, 2012 Critic Jonni 0 Comments

Nicki Minaj, real name Onika Maraj, has appeared on my blog a few times, and will probably frequent it more in the future. She is definitely at the height of her career at the moment, and I think she'll go higher and higher. She is going to be one of the world's biggest stars in the future.

"Starships" was written by Nicki Minaj, RedOne, Carl Falk, Rami Yacoub and Wayne Hector. All are well known, so it's quite a writing team to be honest. Most of them have been included in my blog, RedOne is extremely well-known and has worked with Lady GaGa lots, Carl Falk and Rami Yacoub have both worked with One Direction, but the latter has also worked with Britney Spears. Wayne Hector is the odd one out, he has worked with lots of well known artists but I have yet to include him in any of my reviews. This is definitely one of my favourite songs from Nicki Minaj but the video just doesn't work out.

The music video probably sounded perfect on paper, I love the idea of bringing a star ship into the video. And sort of makes us all understand why Nicki Minaj is so different, and that's because she's an alien... This is very much a performance piece, but can be considered as narrative to an extent.

This video is currently getting a lot of stick. Nicki Minaj tends to look pretty in most videos, especially in "Turn Me On", but in this one she doesn't fit in, most people are saying that this video makes her look unattractive, and it's true. She's alright about half-way through when she's dancing in the field and on top of that black box while flames are going on around her. But all the other scenes you kind of feel sorry for her, it's like the director wanted to see more than he's used to, and maybe he did... Especially at the end, Nicki Minaj makes me laugh as when she jumps she has to hold everything in place, but you'll have to look for it, they've tried their best at cutting it out, so watch closely.

Overall this is probably one of her best songs, and I also don't get why this video took so long to be released. However the video doesn't match up the way we wanted it to, it reminds me of the video for "Stupid Hoe". We were all expecting a great music video to go with a great song, but it just looks like a sleazy first music video, and they never really pull it off great.

Cher Lloyd - Want U Back (US Version)

May 01, 2012 Critic Jonni 3 Comments

So today the US version of Cher Lloyd's "Want U Back" music video got released today. And after watching it, I knew I was going to have to review it on my blog. I have previously reviewed the UK version of "Want U Back" which featured Astro from The X Factor US, so I don't know why he wasn't included on the US version especially since some Americans would have heard of him, unlike the UK. This is Cher Lloyd's first single in the US, and I'm interested in how well it will do. She came from the same series of the X Factor UK as One Direction, so will Cher Lloyd get the same amount of fame over there? Or will she be left on the sidelines?

This song was written by Shellback and Savan Kotecha, who are frequent song writers who appear on this blog. The UK version also contains lyrics written by Astro, however since they have taken him out for the US version for reasons unknown, his lyrics have also been taken out. Surprisingly this song only got to number 25 in the UK, but has done well in many other countries. I can see this being a big hit in the US also. Furthermore, for the US version there is supposedly going to be a remix version which features Snoop Dogg, which has yet to be released.

The music video is different from the UK version. This one is more narrative whereas the UK version is more performance. This can be considered as a completely different music video, and therefore that is how I'm going to treat it, so no more comparisons from now on.

I find this music video pretty funny at times, you can't help but laugh at that milkshake going over the blonde girl. But also wouldn't the guy have got wet too when the tray almost goes over him? His seat certainly gets wet.

A few extra things to note... The American diner in which most of the music video is performed in is also the place where Cee Lo Green's "Forget You" music video was filmed. Not only that but a lot of people have commented on what Cher Lloyd is wearing, and to be honest I am a little on the shocked side, since no one would have thought that she'd be wearing that in the future, especially after the first episode of The X Factor UK which is where she first started.

The only thing I don't get is why the police come in... Is it a criminal defence to push someone who spills milkshake over a girl? Or is it a criminal defence to climb on tables or write words from the tomato sauce bottle? It isn't in the UK and I'm sure it isn't in the US either... So why does she get arrested?

Overall, this is a great music video, and not as different from the UK version as one might have first thought. But which ones better? I'm sorry I'll have to say the UK version, as Cher Lloyd does far more worse things, and it's all done through photographs. But this is not a comparison review, and therefore I have nothing against this music video, and the helicopter bit at the end actually fits in, so therefore this rating is definitely well deserved.