No Doubt Featuring Bounty Killer - Hey Baby

September 30, 2012 Critic Jonni 0 Comments

I reviewed No Doubt this week as a new release, and I definitely had to do one of their songs for my Sunday revisit, but I had trouble deciding which song. But looks like iTunes DJ once again chose for me as it played this song yesterday. No Doubt has recently reformed and released "Settle Down" along with a new album, they will definitely be sticking around this time and I cannot wait for more new music from them. The band consists of Gwen Stefani, Tony Kanal, Adrian Young and Tom Dumont. This song features Bounty Killer, real name Rodney Price, who has had a slightly successful career in the US, but has only ever touched the UK with this song.

"Hey Baby" was written by Gwen Stefani, Tony Kanal, Tom Dumont and Bounty Killer. It's extremely catchy and it's definitely one of those songs you expect to go straight to number one, however it just missed out grabbing the number 2 spot, being beaten by Enrique Iglesias' "Hero". They have only ever had a number one with "Don't Speak", however I expect them to top the chart once again in the future.

This music video is a typical 2001 music video, I have seen quite a few similar ones while blogging, and I have come to expect to see this sort of side to music videos, it really reminds me of Pink's "Get The Party Started".

The video is both narrative and performance and manages to link in with the song effectively. The video represents the band and what they get up to on their tour bus and while out at clubs and stuff. The events in the video are based on true events.

That does mean that Tom Dumont really did defeat a woman in a drinking game (in this scene the woman is played by Sonya Eddy). And Adrian Young actually won $200 (US) on a dare to hang upside down on gymnastic rings naked, this happened in a club in New York. The video hit controversy for that scene especially since Bounty Killer is Jamaican and it was considered an act of homosexuality, and back then and even now, Jamaica isn't as accepting of LGBT rights as other countries are.

I like the performance side of things too, it looks like it's been done many times before, but I cannot think of any video using similar effects, although I'm sure I've seen other videos that are alike.

This is an extremely catchy song that you definitely can't help but sing a long to. The music video is a typical 2000's video however it is very controversial too. I have to give it 10 out of 10 for effort, with the amount of similar videos out back then it's difficult to stand out, and this is exactly what they have managed to do. I wish the song had got to number one, but guess we can't have everything we want, but maybe a new song might top the UK chart, we lay in wait for No Doubt to finally get their 2nd UK number one.

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The All-American Rejects - Walk Over Me

September 29, 2012 Critic Jonni 0 Comments

Yesterday I was listening to my iTunes on shuffle and this song got played twice, I believe I've already listened to it today on shuffle too, clearly iTunes wanted me to review it, so here I am, and here it is.

The All-American Rejects have been one of my favourite bands for ages, they never fail to disappoint and they are evolving better and better, I wouldn't have thought they would release a song like this, but they have and they have made it their own. They are a four-piece band consisting of Tyson Ritter, Nick Wheeler, Mike Kennerty and Chris Gaylor. They have had a number of hits and a number of songs that should have been, they are getting a bigger and bigger UK fan base and it won't be long before they are on a lot of people's playlists, in my opinion the sooner the better, this band needs to promote a lot more.

"Walk Over Me" was written by Nick Wheeler and Tyson Ritter, it is potentially their 3rd single from the amazing album Kids In The Street, the first being "Beekeeper's Daughter" and the second being "Kids In The Street". Only the first single has been released in the UK so far, with limited success, however the album is currently their highest charting album to date, so clearly they are getting more and more fans as the years go by.

This music video is the sort of video I hate. I don't know why, but it really grates on my nerves, and seriously I cannot be the only one who feels this way. I think the main thing is that it has been done so many times before that every time I see a new video using this concept I cringe away from it. However, The All-American Rejects has gone all out on it. At the end of the day if you're going to do this sort of video you HAVE to take the mickey out of it and break as many boundaries as possible with it, otherwise you will get a low rating from me. And well done, The All-American Rejects have managed to make this video good and a lot more watchable.

I cannot help but laugh at this, the fact that it's a bit scary with fish munching heads off and a knife stabbing people, makes this one of my favourite music videos in this style, if not, the best. How can you not crack a smile at this, and the fact that it looks like it was extremely difficult to make and the fact that there was obviously a lot of thought going in is exactly what I want from a video like this.

There are a few things that I'm not sure on such as there isn't an overall link, just subtle links with some of the lyrics, but they've made this video really work and I can't help but be happy that they have managed to change my opinion of this video within the first few seconds.

Overall a great song that may not be officially released but if it is I hope it does well as it clearly deserves it. The accompanying music video is not something I'm happy with, it's not a style I like to see in music videos, however The All-American Rejects has pushed the boat out and made it much more enjoyable, will I be watching more of this style of music video? Probably not, but I shall be a lot more aware of it. And I doubt I'll find a video in this style that will beat this one.

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Franz Ferdinand - Take Me Out

September 28, 2012 Critic Jonni 0 Comments

Franz Ferdinand are another band that I both like and don't, the main reason is because they disappear for too many years and you eventually get bored of playing all their old songs and then when you give up hope on them ever returning a new amazing song pops up that you can't help but like, which is really annoying. They are a British band from Glasgow, Scotland and they consist of Alex Kapranos, Nicholas McCarthy, Robert Hardy and Paul Thomson. They are working on their fourth studio album and it is supposed to be really good. However they have been gone since 2009, and 3-4 years is too long for me to wait, I have already given up on them, however I will be blogging about them and their new songs if they are up to scratch, and I bet they will be.

"Take Me Out" was written by Alex Kapranos and Nicholas McCarthy. It is their best hit in the UK thus far managing to get to number 3 on the UK chart and just missing out on the top spot, it also did well internationally too, and it's definitely one of a few of their signature songs, but I think they will have a hit fairly soon and everyone will know who they are.

The music video isn't my sort of thing, it's very 1930's and that is exactly what the band wanted to do, so they get 10 out of 10 for effort from me. There is a lot of imagery and I definitely like how they have used things they have seen and discussed and put them all together and spun it up in their own little way. I shall not list everything they have managed to incorporate as that can be found easily on the Internet. But the fact they have managed to do exactly what they wanted to do is definitely worth the stars I'm giving the video.

The downside is that it didn't grip me, it's a typical performance piece and although it is different to what is about, there is nothing to keep me entertained and involved. I feel like I'm watching some old film at the cinema, and I cannot stop fidgeting as I wait for it to finally end.

Overall a great song that is actually worthy of the chart position, but a music video that doesn't seem to involve the audience the way it should. I am balancing out my rating as this is what the band wanted to make and they have thought about the video massively, so much so that they didn't want to make a typical pop video, and that makes it go up in my books, even though the video didn't suit me.

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One Night Only - Just For Tonight

September 27, 2012 Critic Jonni 0 Comments

It looks like it's indie week on my blog this week, so think I'm going to stick with that genre. One Night Only is one of those bands who you don't really want to like but they seem to record songs that are irresistible for some very unknown reason. The band consisted of George Craig, Mark Hayton, Daniel Parkin, Jack Sails and Sam Ford. Since 2010 Sam Ford has left and was replaced by James Craig. They have since disappeared off the radar, but they will probably pop up again out of nowhere with a cracking new song and album, it's to be expected.

"Just For Tonight" was One Night Only's biggest hit and managed to secure a place in the UK top 10 at number 9. They have released better songs since, and I'm surprised they have yet to beat that chart position, let's hope they can in the next few years.

This music video really doesn't have much substance to it, compared to their other videos it makes you question what they thought of the song, clearly they didn't think it would do well or they would've made a much better video, this is lacking a lot and although it is a typical One Night Only music video, it's missing a lot we like from this band.

It looks like they are just strolling around Scarborough and although we have seen this happen a lot in their other videos, at least there is a hidden narrative, in this case there's nothing, it's just showing their typical strolling and that's just something I'm not interested in watching.

Overall the song isn't as catchy as their other songs, the music video that goes with it is lacking and doesn't draw me in at all, the only reason for watching this video is for the song, and maybe to find out how to stroll around Scarborough. However it's expected from this band and so it's on the way too safe side and at least it's not something worse.

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Green Day - Basket Case

September 26, 2012 Critic Jonni 0 Comments

Green Day is another band that Miss Moirae got me into, they also have never appeared on this blog yet, surprisingly and I know for a fact that they will pop up again at some point, MARK MY WORDS. Green Day are a three-piece band consisting of Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt and Tré Cool. They have been going since 1987 but didn't release their first album until 1990. Since then they have released a number of albums and singles but have never ever topped the UK Singles chart, but have come pretty close a number of times. They also have their own musical as well, where has this band got left to go? Clearly to the top of the UK Singles Chart, but how long will it take them?

"Basket Case" is one of these songs that never goes away and gets stuck in my head way too easily. It's a very good song to get those pesky annoying songs out of your head, although you will probably be stuck with this song for the rest of the day, which is fine by me. It was written by Billie Joe Armstrong and it's about his battles with anxiety, he thought he was going crazy however he was later diagnosed with panic disorder. Writing songs about it was the only way he could control it, and I know this sounds sinister but that is usually how great songs come about and this is definitely one of many of Green Day's signature songs and we, as fans, have a lot to thank these guys for as well as this song.

This music video always freaks me out whenever I watch it. It is a performance piece with a narrative intricately added in, which makes this music video very different as it's usually the other way around. It was filmed in an actual mental home due to the request of the band, which makes this video top notch! The institution is called Agnews Developmental Center in California.

I like how everything is constructed, you can clearly see the performance and you are worried that is all you'll going to get, but you see more as it progresses, and I like the ominous atmosphere, it's quite freakish but interesting.

Overall the song is a classic that is already embedded in history and I guarantee I will hear this song at least once a year, definitely for the rest of my life. It's music video still scares and worries me today, but the way it's been filmed and thought through makes it different and to be able to stand out from the crowd is something that is difficult to do, and even in today's market this music video stands out.

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Kaiser Chiefs - Everyday I love You Less And Less

September 25, 2012 Critic Jonni 0 Comments

Kaiser Chiefs were the first band I ever saw live thanks to my Auntie and Uncle. I kinda had this song in my head today and decided why not review it? They are a five piece band consisting of Ricky Wilson, Andrew "Whitey" White, Simon Rix, Nick "Peanut" Baines and Nick Hodgson. They were originally called Parva and managed to release an album called "22". However they were dropped and were subsequently known as "damaged goods" and no one would touch them, so they came up with a new name which was the "Kaiser Chiefs" named after the South African football team Kaizer Chiefs F.C. They have recently released a Singles Collection which got to number 19 which is quite low compared to their previous albums. Personally I think them working with Mark Ronson was the worst possible direction they could've gone through. They used to be good, but they lost their fans with their new direction, and unfortunately failed to pick up many new fans to make the numbers up. It's going to be extremely difficult to re-capture their audience, will this be a band to disappear forever? I doubt it, they seem to have been through a lot already, and one way or another I hope they do find a way to get all their fans back.

"Everyday I Love You Less And Less" was one of a few really great songs from this band! It was written by the band (obviously) and was released on their first album as the Kaiser Chiefs. It managed to chart on the UK Chart at number 10, making it their second top ten hit the first being "Oh My God (Re-Issue)". It also managed to get to number 52 on the MegaChart in the Netherlands.

Back in 2005 I was 12 and thought this music video was great, looking back now I'm shocked I thought that, this is a good idea but it seriously hasn't worked out exactly the way it should of, clearly some bits are meant to be comical but some things just aren't.

It's both performance and narrative, and it is done intricately, but I just don't see how it pans out that well, however I would fight for those x-ray glasses, who wouldn't, right?

Overall a very catchy song that I'll never get bored of, however the accompanying music video is lacking a lot, although it does get stars for the amazing idea and the way they have managed to film it. People can see it has a realistic side to it and a comical side. It just hasn't worked perfectly.

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Cannibal Corpse - Make Them Suffer

September 24, 2012 Critic Jonni 0 Comments

I got a request today, from my uni flatmates. To be honest I'm glad I had a request as I wasn't quite sure what music video to review today. So this exact song and music video was requested. The band is called Cannibal Corpse, they came up with the name by putting two words together and it just sort of clicked into place. They are a five-piece band from New York that consists of Alex Webster, Paul Mazurkiewicz, Rob Barrett, George Fisher and Pat O'Brien. They are definitely not my sort of music and before I moved to uni I hadn't even heard of them, however I doubt it'll be the last time they appear on here. "Make Them Suffer" was one of two tracks from the album "Kill" that got a music video.

This music video is both a narrative and a performance piece, which is always a good thing in my books. However if you are going to include a narrative, I feel that you should see more of the storyline rather than the performance, on the other hand I don't really revel in seeing someone suffer, it's just not something I enjoy, and I don't think a lot of others do either. So, in this case only, it is suitable to have more performance than narrative.

There's not a lot to this video, but there doesn't have to be, the narrative shows a guy suffering, and he can't get out of the room he is in. It doesn't seem much of a storyline, but the hidden aspects behind it is what intrigues me the most as you haven't got a clue where he is, how he got hurt so much and why he can't get out. The main question that comes up for me is who would do such a thing? And why?

The performance piece is your typical metal performance, there's nothing special about it, however you can feel the energy they produce just from watching this video and that is exactly what you want from the performance side of things.

Overall the video is pretty good, I like the fact that not too much is given away from the narrative leaving you to fill in the gaps, or just make up your own idea. The reason I'm knocking off a star is because it leaves you questioning and even just a shadow of someone coming into the room or the click of the door becoming unlocked would've made this video great, it just needed that extra something to capture you entirely.

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New Release: No Doubt - Settle Down

September 24, 2012 Critic Jonni 0 Comments

No Doubt has to be one of the most influential bands I know, their music is something everyone has heard, and unfortunately they weren't around long enough, but then they reformed making a lot of fans extremely happy. They are a four piece band consisting of Gwen Stefani, Tony Kanal, Adrian Young and Tom Dumont. They all, funnily enough, have blonde hair in this music video, which is quite unusual. Their new song and album is amazing and I can't stop listening to them, I hope they stay together for a very long time now.

"Settle Down" was written by Gwen Stefani, Tony Kanal, Tyler McGowen and Tom Dumont. It is such a catchy song, and it's understandable why it was chosen as the first single to be released. It has charted well in a lot of countries, and it was supposed to be released in the UK last week, however it got pushed back so that it coincided with the album. Will it chart this Sunday? Who knows, I hope it does, I keep watching it crawl up and up on the iTunes chart.

This music video is really interesting. I like how it's more of a reformation and you can see how much they have missed one another. It's a performance piece, but not your usual performance piece, which makes this band stand out so much.

I like the whole idea of totally different dancing going on, it shows the versatility of this band and how they are able to sing different songs but still leave a wake in their mist. The two dance styles shown is moshing and line dancing, they are on two opposite ends of the scale (if there is a scale). And the fact that it shows that anyone can listen to this music and enjoy is something people have been trying to do for years.

My favourite bit of the video has to be when there's close ups of each of the band members as they tend to pull funny faces without even realising it, as this is much more a relaxed video than what we used to see in No Doubt videos, and that is too, something that is difficult to capture.

Overall one heck of a catchy song that I definitely cannot get out of my head, and an accompanying music video that is neat and relaxed and just works effortlessly, it's as if not much went into it, and watching it always makes me feel so much more relaxed. See music videos can effect people in strong ways.

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Justice - D.A.N.C.E.

September 23, 2012 Critic Jonni 0 Comments

Justice has become my Sunday Revisit, I previously reviewed "We Are Your Friends" and I really, really wanted to review this music video, so I'm glad I'm getting the chance. Justice are a French band consisting of Gaspard Augé and Xavier de Rosnay. They have had a few hits, and managed to hit the UK a couple of times. But only fairly recently people have started listening to them, and with new songs coming out soon, I cannot wait to see if they chart well, I presume they will.

"D.A.N.C.E." was written by Gaspard Augé and Xavier de Rosnay, it samples Britney Spears featuring Madonna's "Me Against The Music". It also recites a lot of Michael Jackson songs such as "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)", "Black And White", "Workin' Day And Night", "Whatever Happens" and the Jackson 5's song "ABC". It charted at number 48 on the UK chart, which is quite low considering.

This music video is incredibly different to what is about at the moment. I don't think I've seen anything like it, however some parts do remind me of videos I have seen before, but none of them come to mind. I also didn't expect it either.

There is a lot of t-shirts, and clearly a lot of editing went into this music video, it's hard to believe that we actually don't see any heads at all, unless they sneak one in by accident. Some of the t-shirts are amazing, and it is really clever how they have done this video, I can't even describe it all that much.

There is a lot of words used in this video, which I always like as then I don't have to search the Internet for lyrics, but I can understand how others hate them as they are on the annoying side, and it's difficult to make them look appealing, however I believe Justice have tried their best with them, making comical animations that fit in with the words, which is quite risky, but actually works.

Overall a great song, a shocking video, and the most amazing t-shirts I have ever seen, my favourite has to be the zips when they zip up the t-shirt, that just makes me laugh and confused at the same time. I'm dropping a star off purely because it has very little link with the video, but that really is the only reason.

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Double Take - Hot Problems

September 22, 2012 Critic Jonni 0 Comments

I have officially never heard this song ever, one of the people from uni played this song and claimed it as the worst song ever, and yes it is pretty dreadful, but also it's annoyingly catchy too, just like Rebecca Black's "Friday". Double Take are a two piece group consisting of Drew Garrett and Lauren Wiley. They have released 3 singles thus far, announcing that they are not very good singers, and would like to become song writers. "Hot Problems" was written by the duo and failed to chart anywhere, however somehow they managed to release two more singles, will they release more? We'll have to wait and see.

This music video is a pure performance piece, which all takes place in the back of a limousine, for some unknown reason. The lip-syncing isn't that great either, and they definitely could've done a lot more with this video, it's not even that relatable to the song.

A narrative would've worked a lot better, and there is even scenes where they show the city in which they are driving around, again it doesn't fit in. The only thing I like about this video is that Old Bailey Productions has written in the description of the YouTube video: "Old Bailey Productions did not create any of the audio or lyrics for this video." However they must have been a part of the video, and the video is just as bad, clearly they're embarrassed about the song, maybe it was their way to try and make a fortune, clearly it failed.

Overall an annoyingly catchy song with a music video that is totally out of place. However there are worst videos out there, and this is more of a safe easy video hence why I haven't chosen the lowest rating. The 1* music videos can be found on this blog, if you look hard enough!

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PSY - Gangnam Style

September 21, 2012 Critic Jonni 0 Comments

PSY has quickly became extremely well known and it's all to do with this video. His real name is Park Jae-Sang and he is from South Korea. It is the first time he has appeared on this blog and I so hope this isn't the last as he has made me laugh lots with this music video. It is also the first K-Pop song to appear on this blog too. "Gangnam Style" was written by Yoo Gun-Hyung and PSY, it's so catchy you can't help but sing a long, but the video always cracks a smile on people's faces. He also taught Britney Spears and Ellen DeGeneres how to do the Gangnam Style (check out the video below). This song has charted all over the world, and even managed to get to number one in South Korea, Finland and Denmark, it just missed out on getting to that top spot in Belgium. It is also climbing high in the UK Chart, it is currently number one on the iTunes Chart, but he has stiff competition, but can he score his first ever UK number one?

This music video is a fist full of laughs, it's performance based with elements of a narrative hidden between. There are some quite awkward moments, but it suits K-Pop. It's a whole different genre to certain countries, and PSY has managed to show the world what it's all about I would definitely call him the leader of this type of music, however will he be a one-hit wonder? I so hope not.

There are some really surprising scenes such as the elevator, however I usually try to ignore that bit, but I really do like the big choreographed section where they are all dancing together, and then that dance battle is amazing too, I can't help but chant "go PSY, go PSY".

The music video has quite a few special effects too, there is an explosion at one point, and there's so much going on that I definitely can't comment on it all. For those of you who are wondering what the sauna bit is, I'm not sure either, but PSY is straight, he has a wife and 2 twin daughters.

Celebrities are commonly found in K-Pop music videos, and there is quite a few of them, never mind how minor a celebrity they are. There is 4minute member Hyuna, BIGBANG members Daesung and Seungri, Hwang Min-woo (from Korea's Got Talent), Yoo Jae-suk and No Hongchul.

The video was only released for fans, however the fans were the ones who managed to share this song and video with the world, creating a "snowball effect".

Overall, this song is amazing and should get the number one spot this Sunday on the UK Chart, as for the accompanying music video, it's groovy, different and has got the whole world giggling, not only that but it has also introduced a lot of people who had never heard of K-Pop top a whole different genre. There are surprising scenes, but what PSY has managed to achieve in such a small space of time has definitely made up for it, clearly there is no other rating for this music video!
Buy on iTunes
 

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Justice Vs. Simian - We Are Your Friends

September 20, 2012 Critic Jonni 0 Comments



Justice is a 2 piece band who seem to have released amazing songs but we are only slowly realising how great they are currently. The duo consists of Gaspard Augé and Xavier de Rosnay. They sung the very popular song "D.A.N.C.E." which also samples Britney Spears Featuring Madonna's "Me Against The Music". Again it's their first time on this blog (it's been like that all week so far, how weird is that?). But I'm sure their new releases (whenever they are) will definitely start to chart high, and I cannot wait for their new music. The song also features Simian, before today I had never heard of who that is, however after some research I find out that they were a four-piece rock band consisting of Simon William Lord, James Ellis Ford, Alex MacNaghten and James Anthony Shaw, surprisingly they have split up which is such a shame, however they also won best video award at the MTV European Video Awards 2006, which caused conflict as Kanye West believed he deserved the award more (What is it with Kanye West? Always getting into arguments at award ceremonies).

"We Are Your Friends" is definitely one of my favourite songs at the minute, purely because I've moved into uni and made loads of friends, I'm forever going to think of them whenever I hear this song! The song charted at number 20 in the UK chart, but clearly it was ahead of it's time. It always makes me feel good, and the lyrics are so easy to remember you can't help but sing-a-long to them.

Now was the video worthy of that MTV video award? In my opinion: YES YES and more YES! I watched it for the first time tonight and I was sooooo shocked, but I also got quite worried right at the start as I wasn't quite sure what these words actually meant: "WARNING the following video features stunts performed by professionals under very strict control. We insist that neither you or anyone else attempt to recreate or perform anything you have seen" which sounds quite cynical and violent, but the violence doesn't come in at all. What they are in fact talking about is being hungover from the night before, since that's not very nice either.

The music video is definitely a narrative based music video, it also looks quite low-budget, which just makes it so much better as it is the exact look and feel that this sort of video needs, it kind of reminds me of the start of Ke$ha's "TiK ToK".

There's a lot to like about this video, if anyone of my friends did any of this, I'd wake up in hysterics. I'd love a cat being thrown at me while being in a drunken sleep, it would be so amazing, or everything piled on top of me while sitting in a chair, imagine the laughs they all had constructing this brilliant idea.

Overall a very catchy song that has just started to be listened to more often, as for the music video, well what can I say? It is much more worthy of additional awards, I really don't think I can safely say that there is a better low-budget music video around! To be totally honest, it actually beats most high-budgeted videos. Whatever Kanye West was on about, he clearly hasn't watched it yet!

0 comments:

Fall Out Boy - Sugar, We're Going Down

September 19, 2012 Critic Jonni 1 Comments

Fall Out Boy has never made my blog before, I can actually imagine all your shocked faces! They were introduced to me by Tink09 and Miss Moirae, who couldn't believe I had never heard of them (at the time). They're currently on a hiatus due to the band wanting to explore different musical projects that they couldn't do with Fall Out Boy. The band consisted of Patrick Stump, Pete Wentz, Andy Hurley and Joe Trohman. Will they get back together? Who knows...? But one thing is for sure, their music will never stop being liked and listened to.

"Sugar We're Going Down" was written by Pete Wentz and Patrick Stump.  It charted at number 8 in both the UK and US charts, which is surprisingly high, due to the genre of the song, however it does beg to question whether this music video helped with the sales.

The music video is both narrative and performance, which always makes a good music video, And the fact that there is a strong message about bullying and how people react to it and the reasons why bullying goes on.

The band performing is hilarious to watch, you have Patrick Stump being pretty serious, and you know that he believes in the song, then you have Pete Wentz doing stupid stuff that always makes me laugh, I just can't help it.

The ending for the storyline is surprising, although it does give a reason to why the father is so against them getting together. But this is what confuses me, as it's a bit like Shrek 2 and I have never understood why they have a vendetta against a certain someone because they are similar, maybe it's because they want better for their daughter, but I still don't think it's a good enough reason.

Overall a great song that charted surprisingly high, the music video has everything we need and more, I just can't help feeling sorry for the guy with the antlers, and then laughing lots at Pete Wentz, I just can't win can I? Anyhow this is a perfect music video so how could I not give it this rating?

1 comments:

LMFAO Featuring Lil Jon - Shots

September 18, 2012 Critic Jonni 0 Comments

LMFAO has finally made my blog, this is the first time I have reviewed one of their music videos, I very much doubt it will be one of the last.They are a 2 piece band who go by the names of Redfoo (Stefan Gordy) and SkyBlu (Skyler Gordy). This song was played a lot last night and since then it has been stuck in my head. The song features Lil Jon, real name Jonathan Smith. Both these artists have recently become well known, and this song in particular should be released in the UK, as they have been playing it a lot, and I'm sure it would definitely chart.

"Shots" was written by Jonathan Smith, Skyler Gordy, Stefan Gordy and Eric Delatorre. It's extremely catchy and you definitely can't help but sing a long to it (just like I am doing just right now), it has never had a proper release in the UK, although there is definitely a lot of hype around it and I can guarantee you'll definitely hear it sometime during a week.

This music video is definitely imaginative, and I can't help but laugh at some of the suggested imitations that is going on. However there isn't much of a storyline leaving us a little disappointed, although you can not help but laugh at LMFAO.

I like how they have used the wide range of people, as when you do stay at a hotel there is usually a lot of different people and I can't help but reference it as they could've have gotten away with just young people, but that isn't the case here.

My favourite part of this video has to be when the words "Later That Night..." comes up and you do expect something surprising, but their only clubbing and you're definitely like "few!".

Overall a great catchy song that gets everyone singing a long to. It's music video, on the surface, looks boring and simple, however when looking a lot more closely you realise that a lot of thought has definitely gone into this video and you can't help but appreciate all they have managed to do. So taking everything into consideration I believe this rating definitely goes with this video!

0 comments:

Kids In Glass Houses - Saturday

September 17, 2012 Critic Jonni 0 Comments

Kids In Glass Houses have been in my head for the last week, purely because I started uni on Saturday, hence the title of the song. They are from Wales and are a five-piece rock band consisting of Aled Phillips, Iain Mahanty, Philip Jenkins, Joel Fisher and Andrew Shay. I saw them live with Tink09 and Hollagram Star, but we were unaware of who they were at the time, they were supporting Paramore in 2008 and even greeted people in the line.

"Saturday" was written by the band, it paints the picture of being unsure of what is going on, and it's quite clever because it makes us unsure of what's happening too. Occasionally we might realise that 2 people are together, but then something is sung to make us think otherwise, and yet we are still confused towards the end. And this is exactly what we want.

This video takes place in many different eras, it is also both narrative and performance based. I like the idea as an overall factor especially since they portray the eras quite well, which makes us more intrigued. I also like the clothing, and the lyrics of the song matches perfectly at times, and I can't help but laugh.

I also like how it advances as we get near the end, and also the fact that the girl plucks up the courage to give him her number (had she been listening to Carly Rae Jepsen's "Call Me Maybe"?). It shows how much has changed and how. I also love the ending, it's slightly unexpected but you can't help but realise it was meant to be.

But does it relate to the song? Now that is a big question... It does and it doesn't, but it also depends how certain people interpret the song, me personally, all last week, I was thinking about uni and how the song would fit, and yes I did come up with this whole new idea for a video, but after going into more detail, it's made me think of different things. This may relate to some people's ideas, however others may think it's a misconception. At the end of the day, it depends on who you are and what you are currently going through, and in that case it just shows how great a song this is.

Overall a great song that I cannot fault, as for the music video... Well it wasn't what I pictured, but then again it may suit someone else's. However, taking it all into account, it must have been difficult to make, and there is probably a lot of out-takes as they look liken they had a lot of fun. So I'm stuck between two ratings, but since I was obsessed with the song last week, I'm going to choose the higher rating of the 2.

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New Release: Example - Say Nothing

September 17, 2012 Critic Jonni 0 Comments

I've been looking forward to this new release as it was frequently announced that No Doubt's song "Settle Down" was going  to be released this week, however it has now been pushed back to the 24th and so now I had a difficult decision on who's music video to review, but as this song is climbing up the charts I might as well review the most popular release this week.

Example, real name Elliot Gleave, has appeared on my blog a number of times, he is one musician who is going to be around for a very long time. He has had a number one with "Changed The Way You Kiss Me" and "Stay Awake". He has also achieved a 5* rating from me for his song "Natural Disaster" that featured Laidback Luke, will he get more 5*'s in the future... Well we'll have to wait and see!

"Say Nothing" was written by Elliot Gleave, John McDaid and Dragan Roganović. It is another club song that will definitely get remixed a lot, I also think I heard it last night while I was out clubbing. I think it works well and after just one play of it, it has embedded itself right into my head, I cannot stop singing to myself. Will it reach the number one spot, currently held by The Script Featuring Will.I.Am "Hall Of Fame"? It's definitely going to be a hard one.

This music video looks low budget, and it has definitely been done a few times, there is no narrative, only that something has happened and that they "don't have to say nothing". But I just feel like I'm watching so many other music videos as this has been done way too many times, and it kind of makes you question the director's thinking and his imagination.

There are some aspects that are always good in this type of video, and that's that the actors are so strongly emotional you really understand what the song is for and so it is relatable, but the music channels would definitely get boring if they only played videos like this.

Overall a great song, that becomes catchy immediately, but as for the music video it's more or less a copy of other music videos that have been around for the last 10 years. There's nothing new to this either, and so it does make this quite boring. But I'm giving it the benefit of the doubt, and it is obtaining this rating.

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New Release: Amelia Lily - You Bring Me Joy

September 10, 2012 Critic Jonni 0 Comments

Amelia Lily came third in last year's X Factor. And she releases this song this week, which is already climbing the charts. So this song will wrap up my X Factor Special. She was a favourite on the eighth series of The X Factor and it looks like she is going to have an amazing career in the future. The series also gave us a few artists so far, these are: Little Mix (winners), Marcus Collins (second), Amelia Lily (third), Misha B (fourth), Janet Devlin (fifth), Craig Colton (sixth), Kitty Brucknell (seventh) and 2 Shoes (joint thirteenth).

"You Bring Me Joy" is an upbeat track that is extremely catchy and will definitely get to number one. You can tell Amelia Lily has really connected to the song as it is full of emotion and you just know that the song is made for her.

This music video is.... To be honest I don't think there's a word for it. I like it but it could be better. It's performance piece although you can see scenes of a possible narrative, which makes me question: was there a narrative and it got edited out? Guess it's something we are never going to know.

There's not a lot to comment on, again it's reminiscent of Cascada's "Summer Of Love" (looks like a few people are creating something similar). As their first driving in a car and then there is a beach party. Amelia acts well, and we can really feel her words, but is she singing to the camera man, or just singing out?

Overall a great catchy song that is sure to be number one this week, but a music video that could've been so much better, however they've more or less copied Cascada's video. Not only that but this video is lacking in some respect, clearly they don't feel the need to go all-out on this video. Taking everything into account, this is definitely the rating it deserves.
Buy on iTunes

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Geri Halliwell - Look At Me

September 09, 2012 Critic Jonni 0 Comments



Geri Halliwell has been a guest judge twice now for The X Factor. So I chose her for my X Factor Special, since the only other guest judge who has appeared twice is Nicole Scherzinger, who is now a full time judge. Geri Halliwell has been in the spot light for quite a long time, she's quirky and fun and you can't help but laugh at the funny things she gets up to. She was one-fifth of girl group the Spice Girls, who have reformed and then disbanded a number of times. The other band members are Emma Bunton, Mel C, Mel B and Victoria Beckham. Geri Halliwell was the first to leave the band due to differences, she later went on to a solo career, in which this is her first single. The Spice Girls went on to release one more album before disbanding. They returned for a year with a new single and a greatest hits album but then disbanded again, they came together for the Spice Girls West End show, and for the London 2012 Olympics, and rumours have started again that it's possible they will reform again... Who knows? According to Geri Halliwell, she's going to be releasing a new album and single very soon.

"Look At Me" was written by Geri Halliwell, Andy Watkins and Paul Wilson. As expected it was a self-penned track from Geri, since that is what they did in the Spice Girls and it explains the whole meaning of the song perfectly. Geri wanted to get away from Ginger Spice, and this is what the song is all about, showing who she actually is. As for the chart number, it managed to get to number 2, Boyzone was her competition and they got to number one with "You Needed Me", they got to the top by selling 700 more copies which isn't much. However this song was certified gold, whereas the Boyzone song got silver. The reason they beat her to the top was because they released 2 CD singles of "You Needed Me" so fans could buy both and ensure they get to number one. Which is a shame because in theory Geri sold more, so some could say Boyzone cheated.

The music video relates to the song perfectly. It narrative, performance and dance choreography all in one, along with a sister, a funeral, a vamp, a virgin and a "bitch". The video is jam packed, and also in black & white giving us an insight into who she is, and who she isn't.

The funeral is for Ginger Spice, and it is the only bit of the video that is shown in colour. It gives us the last goodbye to the old Geri and helps us to understand who the real Geri is. I really like the start where there is just words saying "Image is just your imagination. Reality is rarely revealed." It shows that she wants people to know who she really is, and to be honest we all know she's done that, we definitely don't call her Ginger Spice any more.

There is 4 characters of Geri Halliwell, there is "Virgin... Sister... Vamp... Bitch..." Which makes me laugh as she clearly is a mix of all of them, well parts of them. And I bet she enjoyed playing each of the parts. I like what they're wearing as well, we can identify who is who and suggests she's a mixture.

There is also a lot of choreography, which is always a good thing as it shows she can dance and it also showed what was coming up, as she appeared on The Brits and Top Of The Pops amongst other shows to promote her songs. And from what I can remember they were big dance choreography routines.

Overall a great song and it what a perfect first single, the accompanying music video relates to the song perfectly, and I haven't got a bad thing to say about the video. It's more than what we expected and it is more or less a mini film that leaves you wanting more! I hope Geri's future music videos are just as good as this.

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Nicole Scherzinger - Don't Hold Your Breath

September 08, 2012 Critic Jonni 0 Comments

Nicole Scherzinger recently became the new judge on The X Factor. She was previously a guest judge a couple of years back as a stand in for Cheryl Cole then on the first series of The X Factor (US), she replaced Cheryl Cole as a full judge after Cheryl was fired. She was first in a band called Eden's Crush who didn't get much success, and then she went on to become the lead singer of the Pussycat Dolls. However it always seemed to be Nicole Scherzinger and some backing singers which is such a shame as all the other girls were great singers too. After the band broke-up she went on to a solo career (she did this a few years back and she didn't hit it off that well), recently she returned and topped the charts. She's definitely made it all on her own now.

This song gained Nicole Scherzinger her first ever UK number one, and it's possible it might be her only number one. It was written by Josh Alexander, Toby Gad and Billy Steinbeck. And I'm sure one of these songwriters have appeared on this blog before. This song is so emotional and Nicole pulls it off perfectly, she clearly connected to the song and I was surprised she hadn't written a bit of it herself too. It got to number one in the UK, and managed to chart high in other charts too.

The video is emotionally great, it's both a performance piece with a main narrative behind, clearly we know something has been going on and we can presume someone wants her back, but she's telling him "don't hold your breath" meaning it probably isn't going to happen.

The song is showing that she's powerful and all-knowing, and that she's struggling a bit. I love the very start in the taxi cab (or London Hackney Carriage as it's also known), I bet the cab driver was definitely happy. I also like the rain (pathetic fallacy as it is known) because the weather is a direct reference to her feelings.

There isn't a lot going on, and that is the only downfall of this video, but it's stripped back and emotionally perfect that it links in with the song like you wouldn't expect. This is exactly why it works so great as Nicole Scherzinger has obviously connected to this song.

Overall, a great pop song which makes you understand how it got to the top of the UK chart. It's accompanying music video works great, and I feel emotional watching it, as I think many others do, so I think it's pretty obvious what rating I'm going to give it, and it is definitely well deserved!
Buy on iTunes

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Tulisa Featuring Tyga - Live It Up

September 07, 2012 Critic Jonni 0 Comments

Tulisa, real name Tulisa Contostavlos became an X Factor judge with Kelly Rowland and Gary Barlow, they replaced judges Simon Cowell, Dannii Minogue and Cheryl Cole. Tulisa used to be in a band called N-Dubz which also included her cousin Dappy and her then boyfriend Fazer. Now she has embarked on a solo career in dance music and she doesn't really get along with her ex-band members. This is her second year as a judge for The X Factor, she won last year with group Little Mix. This song features rapper Tyga, real name Michael Nguyen-Stevenson, who has been trying to hit the UK, but hasn't been doing well lately, this sure will be the song that will help him, hopefully.

"Live It Up" is Tulisa's second single after gaining a number one with her first song "Young". This song was written by Rico Love, Pierre Medor, Paul Love, Barrington Levy and Michael Nguyen-Stevenson. This song is more R&B/dance than the pure dance first single. It is more urban, and you can tell that Tulisa is finding herself in the music industry. I have to admit I didn't like it at first, but now I've played it a few more times, I really do like it, and I tend to be singing along to it without realising. It is released next week, will it chart well? Who knows? But she has difficult competition especially since Amelia Lily releases "Bring Me Joy" on the same week.

This music video is stripped back, and it's got a performance side to this along with the usual party on the beach that is so reminiscent of Cascada's "Summer Of Love". However they are on the same record label, so you sort of expect some similarities.

I haven't got much to comment on, I like the party on the beach but it has been done so many times, and the same with her kneeling in the water, didn't Geri Halliwell do the exact same thing in one of her music videos? Unfortunately this reeks of copies from various other videos, and there really isn't anything that sets this music video apart from the other similar ones that is out there.

Overall this is one catchy song that the more I hear it the more I want to hear. But it's video is something I wouldn't go out of my way to watch again, there's just no substance to it and seems more like a bunch of copied videos put together. However it does look like they enjoyed filming it and they look like they had a lot of fun too.
Buy on iTunes

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Gary Barlow - Here Comes The Sun

September 06, 2012 Critic Jonni 0 Comments

Okay so this hasn't been officially released so instead I've used the advert. This is the second advert to get onto my blog, the first being Channel 5's Big Brother "When Bruv Takes Over". I chose this as it's my favourite Gary Barlow song, and there isn't many to choose from either. Gary Barlow became an X Factor judge with Kelly Rowland and one other person (to be reviewed tomorrow). He has also stuck on for another year but will this be the last year? Who knows. He is one-fourth of a boy band called Take That, the other members being Mark Owen, Jason Orange and Howard Donald. They used to be a five-piece and most recently the fifth band member: Robbie Williams reformed with the band for one album. Now it looks like he has gone back to his solo work.

"Here Comes The Sun" is a cover version of the original version sung by The Beatles, who hasn't appeared on this blog just yet. It was written by George Harrison and it is a great song. The Beatles only released it on one of their albums and never actually gave it a single release. Gary Barlow included it on his album, and thanks to album downloads only the track sailed to number 59. If only it got released as a proper single, then it would've soared to the top spot!

The advert is for M&S and contains a lot of celebrities, there is Twiggy, Jamie Redknapp, Dannii Minogue, Myleene Klass, and Gary Barlow, just to name a few. They are all taking part in various activities, some of which might reference the London 2012 Olympics, as well as the British spirit and a camp-fire (which is more American than Britain).

I really don't have a lot to say, it's nice and I like how they are all getting along, but there's just something missing, maybe it's because it's not an official music video? I'm not sure but there is definitely something wrong, as I haven't got much more to say, which is very unlike me.

Overall a great song that Gary Barlow should've released as a single, the video/advert is all summery and interesting with a lot of celebrities, but there isn't much to comment on and something is definitely missing. Hopefully this will be the last advert to appear on my blog, but guess there will be more to come.

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David Guetta Featuring Kelly Rowland - When Love Takes Over

September 05, 2012 Critic Jonni 0 Comments



Kelly Rowland, along with two other artists, became judges after Simon Cowell, Dannii Minogue and Cheryl Cole left The X Factor. Kelly Rowland was only on the show for one year and so I thought I'd review one of her songs now for my X Factor Special. This song is originally David Guetta's song, and Kelly Rowland provided vocals, however it is her best hit in the UK, and it is still played today on some radio stations and music videos. Kelly Rowland was part of a girl band called Destiny's Child, who went on to release some very great, chart worthy songs. The other band members were Beyoncé Knowles and Michelle Williams, there were more band members but they never returned to reform.

The song was written by Miriam Nervo, Olivia Nervo, Kelly Rowland, David Guetta and Frédéric Riesterer. Kelly Rowland first heard the track on holiday at a David Guetta gig, and she loved the song very much. At that point the song was in the instrumental version only (which probably sounded very much like Coldplay's "Clocks"). Kelly Rowland asked David Guetta for the track so she could add vocals and write lyrics with various other songwriters. And that's what she did, they went as far as recording it and everything, but the label wasn't happy with the song and it got shelved. A few years later David Guetta stumbled across the song and decided to use it in his new album, and BOOM! It hit the UK and various other countries like a storm and shot straight to the top spot. Big Brother UK did an advert using this song, in which I reviewed, check out "When Bruv Takes Over".

The music video was described by David Guetta as "Kelly Rowland doing her thing and me doing mine and we come together". And that is exactly what they are doing in the video, doing their own thing, but it does lead it into quite an uninteresting music video that fails to capture me.

There's not a lot to comment on and not a lot going on either, there is professional dancers dancing in certain scenes which looks like they are attempting to make this video street-wise but I don't see how it works with Kelly Rowland looking quite posh and then she does her own dancing, which isn't choreographed and just doesn't fit in after seeing the professionals.

Overall, it's quite a catchy song and it's understandable why it managed to get to the top spot in the UK, but the music video is lacking quite a bit, it's not what you expect and it looks like they were left to do what they wanted, which leaves the audience feeling disappointed.

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Cheryl Cole - Fight For This Love

September 04, 2012 Critic Jonni 0 Comments

Cheryl was the second artist judge to appear on The X Factor and so it's only right I use her for my X Factor Special. She has also already released a song this week called "Under The Sun" and so has given me the chance to spread this special over two weeks, and luckily for Cheryl she gets to appear twice. She wants to now be known as Cheryl, however when this song was released she was known as Cheryl Cole and so for the title for this post I decided to stick to her name to which this song was released. She appeared as a judge for 3 years and then left to appear on The X Factor US, but was soon fired not long after. She is one-fifth of girl band Girls Aloud, the other members being Nicola Roberts, Nadine Coyle, Sarah Harding and Kimberley Walsh.

"Fight For This Love" was written by Wayne Wilkins, Steve Kipner and Andre Merritt. This was Cheryl's first single and it soon became an international hit gaining high chart numbers across the globe, however it was never released in the US, although I reckon it would've charted high there too. Cheryl has recently expressed her interest in cracking the US, and plans on doing so soon, with the help of Will.I.Am. I hope she manages to do just that.

This music video is low budget, and it looks like they spent a lot of the money they had on backing dancers and the editing team, but that is fine and perfect because this music video is stripped back, and just great. Although there are little bad things, it works out good and you see Cheryl right there exactly the way she is.

There is a lot of choreography used and she's such a great dancer that they sort of needed to include it. I like the use of the words and suggesting that she's fighting for something, although there is one annoying thing, and that is when she salutes, she uses the American salute instead of the British salute. I understand that it is a common misconception, but it should start to be corrected about now right?

Overall a catchy song that charted well, it's accompanying music video is stripped back and you see the real Cheryl, however if they had used a bit more money they could have made this music video out-standing, but guess they didn't expect Cheryl to do as well as she did.

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Dannii Minogue - I Begin To Wonder

September 03, 2012 Critic Jonni 0 Comments

Dannii Minogue has finally made it onto my blog! She became a judge of The X Factor in 2007, and she was the first judge to also be an artist, she also became a judge on Australia's Got Talent. Since 2007 no more singles have been released so far, although there have been numerous rumours of new recorded songs, including Dannii mentioning it in her own show called "Dannii Minogue: Style Queen" in which she met up with one of her X Factor acts and recorded a song with Ruth Lorenzo. However no sign of any new release as of yet, but we're all still hoping! For those of you who don't know, she has a famous sister called Kylie Minogue.

"I Begin To Wonder" was written by Jean-Claude Ades, Dacia Bridges, Dannii Minogue and Olaf Kramolowsky. I was worried about reviewing this judge as I didn't think I would recognise any of her songs, but I was so very wrong, as I remember this song, and others very clearly. It got to number 2 in the UK, just missing out on the top spot. However it would've been difficult to knock Christina Agulera's song "Beautiful" off that all important number one. However Dannii managed to get to number one on the UK Upfront Club Chart, making it her 6th number one on this chart. I have my fingers crossed that Dannii decides to return to music, as she has become extremely popular over the years thanks to The X Factor and I'm sure she'll finally get that all important number one!

This music video is a big performance piece and it is the typical music video you expected at that time. I like the start where she is walking down the street and when she is dancing and the title of the song in many different languages swirl around her. But I have to comment on her hair, at times it looks greasy and horrible, and I bet that when she sees this video now she cringes, especially since she's big into style at the moment.

The other scenes are quite interesting, especially the bit when she is in the ventilation shaft. But what I really don't get is why she is cutting her hair, I'm not sure it works with the song, however I can understand how it's possible since she wants to recreate herself, according to the song.

Overall a catchy song that is even catchy today, however it feels like it is trying to build up to something, only that something never appears. The video on the other hand is okay and sort of what we expected during that year, however it is missing a narrative that would definitely make this video amazing.

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New Release: Cheryl - Under The Sun

September 03, 2012 Critic Jonni 0 Comments



Cheryl! She became an X Factor judge in 2008, she also had a stint on the X Factor US as a judge but was soon fired. This is her new release, which is unlikely to chart in the top 10 and it's pretty understandable since it isn't as catchy as her other songs. We now have to call her Cheryl since she has divorced her now ex-husband Ashley Cole. So is she Cheryl Cole or Cheryl Tweedy? Who knows? And who cares? We all have to adjust to calling her Cheryl and that's perfectly fine with me. She rose to fame in 2002 on a show called Popstars: The Rivals, in which both a girl band and a boy band were created, the girl band managed to chart ahead of the boys, and the boy group soon disbanded. However the girl group is still going strong, and after a 3 year hiatus, Girls Aloud are apparently reforming. They consist of Cheryl, Nadine Coyle, Nicola Roberts, Sarah Harding and Kimberley Walsh.

This song was written by Alex da Kid, Mike Del Rio, Jayson DeZuzio, Steven Battey, Carlos Battey and Cheryl Cole. Personally I don't think it's a great song, it's one of those ones that you hear a lot on the radio but you wouldn't actually listen to it yourself. I just feel it's missing something and it's not the sort of thing you expect Cheryl to release especially after "Call My Name".

The music video takes you back to the 50's and it doesn't appeal to me, I never go out of my way to watch it, so in theory, today was the first time I'd seen it all the way through, and I wasn't impressed. It's got a narrative but doesn't really fit in with the song as it is more of a performance piece.

There's choreography that Cheryl pulls off perfectly, as per usual. But I don't see how this sultry sexy side of Cheryl works, it kind of makes you question if this is actually her or not. I see her as a great dancer, and she usually releases videos that connects to the audience who will normally buy her singles which is teenagers to 30 year olds, this 50's style just doesn't appeal to me and not to many others either.

Overall a song that the radio is playing quite often, which is exactly the reason why it's climbing up the chart, however, the music video is very unappealing to Cheryl's audience, she should stick to what she knows and what everyone is used to from her. So weighing up everything I think this is the rating it deserves.

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Belle Amie - Girls Up

September 02, 2012 Critic Jonni 0 Comments

Belle Amie was one of my favourites of the seventh series on The X Factor, after Katie Waissell who has not released any music videos thus far; Treyc Cohen who too haven't released any music videos, and Cher Lloyd, who has released music videos and all of which currently appears on my blog. So Belle Amie were my next favourite. They were a four-piece band during The X Factor, but Geneva Lane left to pursue a solo career in 2011, and most recently Rebecca Creighton (the red-head) has recently left to pursue an R&B solo career, she has also expressed her frustration at the little amount of support that was about for Belle Amie at the time. Since Rebecca has left, it leaves Belle Amie in an undetermined future, will Sophie Wardman and Esther Campbell continue as a duo? Will they recruit a new member? Or will they too leave Belle Amie? Who knows? But there is one thing for sure, girl bands are currently storming the charts and if Belle Amie were to continue, I reckon they will have a lot more support than what they think. The seventh series gave us a lot of great acts, these are: Matt Cardle (winner), Rebecca Ferguson (second), One Direction (third), Cher Lloyd (fourth), Mary Byrne (fifth), Paije Richardson (eighth), Aiden Grimshaw (ninth), Belle Amie (eleventh), Storm Lee (fourteenth) and Nicolò Festa (sixteenth).

"Girls Up" was written by Michaela Shiloh and Chad Dexter. The song is about girls thinking they have to be someone they are not to impress someone, such as slimming and changing ones appearance. It's good that this is their debut song, it means they can spread a message out to people, and hopefully help change the world. The girls look great together and I got excited that we could possibly have a new girl band on the block. But the song charted at number 25 on the UK Independent Chart, not even managing to hit the UK top 200, and then with Rebecca leaving I don't think we'll be seeing any more of Belle Amie, I just hope I am wrong, and they come back stronger than ever.

This music video was released on 17th June 2011, not long after I started this blog. I so wanted to review it back then, but something clearly stopped me, obviously this special clearly was going to happen whether I liked it or not, and I'm glad I waited so long. This video has everything it could possibly need and it relates to the song perfectly.

I like how they are dolls at the beginning, with Rebecca trying to eat some cake, proving that indulging isn't a sin. I like how the message of the music video comes across and you know that it's okay to be yourself. The second part of the video is them at a photo shoot and they are surprised at the editing software as they are clearly being changed to suit the people doing the photo shoot, this shows to people that what you might see in magazines might not be exactly real.

The scenes are full of choreography that works really well with the song and the whole meaning, it may not be easy to copy, which isn't exactly the plan, and it also shows the girls as a united force (which happens to be a little misguiding).

Overall a great song that becomes irresistibly catchy, and an accompanying music video that finally relates to the song. I haven't got a bad thing to say about this video, nothing, zilch, nada. So clearly I have to give it this rating.

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Rachel Adedeji - Follow The DJ

September 01, 2012 Critic Jonni 0 Comments

Rachel Adedeji came ninth in the sixth series of The X Factor, she wasn't my favourite, in fact Stacey Solomon was my favourite, who although has a record deal, has yet to release a music video, unless you count the Iceland adverts... So my second favourite was Rachel, one of the main reasons was the announcer: Peter Dickson, said her name amazingly, and I'd always copy how he says it. She is still currently unsigned, however she has released two music videos (all her own doing, with director Drew Cox), and released a EP which features this song on iTunes under R.A.M. Recordings. It apparently charted, although I cannot find any sources to back that up. The sixth series gave us a few artists, who are: Joe McElderry (winner), Olly Murs (second), Stacey Solomon (third), Lloyd Daniels (fifth), Jedward (sixth), Jamie Archer (seventh) and Rachel Adedeji (ninth).

"Follow The DJ" was Rachel's first music video, it was released on a 4-track EP called "Club Lights" following her second music video of the lead track and title of the EP. The song was written by Starley Hope, Maria Marcus, Rachel Adedeji and Versatile. It's extremely catchy along with her second music video. Personally, if this song was promoted more, then she would have definitely charted quite high. I hope she gets picked up as she clearly deserves it!

The music video is again low budget, it's something we have to expect from X Factor Finalists. However a low budgeted music video can be amazing too. This one is well edited and once again is a pure performance piece, however what is different is that it contains a few scenes that could be considered narrative. Not only that but there is even choreography included, this is clearly the full package, and tests the boundaries of low budgeted music videos.

Rachel Adedeji performs the choreography perfectly, I like the use of slow-motion, which could easily suggest the end of a club night in which you may have drunk that little bit too much, and everything starts to slow down a bit. The paint throwing definitely reminds me of Amy Studt's "Chasing The Light". There is a few questions such as why is she wearing that weird gold head-wear thing, I don't even know what to call it!

Overall, a very catchy song that needs to be listened to a lot more, and a music video that tests how far a low budgeted music video can go, this truly is amazing at what they've managed to pull off, however not everything fits as there are some weird costumes she dresses up with, that unfortunately I can't ignore so I'm dropping one star off, but that is all.

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