Tag Archives: Music Video

Christina Aguilera ‘Your Body’ Music Video

Posted on by

Can I just stop you for a second to inform you that this is the greatest Christina Aguilera music video since ‘Fighter’?

CHRISTINA AGUILERA YOUR BODY MUSIC VIDEO

F’Aggies all over the world are probably still cleaning up the glittery discharge in their panties left after watching their queen slay – in every way – on screen.

Acclaimed director Melina Matsoukas – who is quickly becoming a solid authority on music video visual excellence – returns to us the sexually aggressive, untamed Christina Aguilera we love – but with a whole new look.

CHRISTINA AGUILERA YOUR BODY GIF

In ‘Your Body’, Aggie is pitching a thrilling collision of vintage Americana fashion with edgy trailer park trash glam.

We’ve never seen the Voice vixen combine youthful colours with old school prints and textures like this before. The excess, the hoarder-style approach to the styling, suits the popstar incredibly well. Subtlety is not an approach Xtina is known for.

Thematically-speaking, the music video sips on essences of Beyoncé‘s Lucille Ball-referencing ‘Why Don’t You Love Me?’ – which was also directed by Melina – and Lady Gaga‘s hi-camp ‘Telephone’ mini-movie.

CHRISTINA AGUILERA YOUR BODY EXPLOSION

Here we see Christina step out as a man-targeting, serial killer who terminates her suiters after casual sexual encounters.

The best part about this concept is how the director has – pardon the pun – executed it with such a playful tone.

Aggie gets to dress up in different guises each time she pulls: there’s the hitchhiking Aubrey O’Day-esque look, the pub-crawling vixen in braids and beanie, and couture mama in a figure hugging black dress.

CHRISTINA AGUILERA YOUR BODY CUBICLE

The use of colour as a euphemism for her harsh acts of violence is cute and clever.

When Aggie blows up the car, the flames burn a Barbie hot pink. When she slaughters the man in a toilet cubicle, there’s baby blue paint splattered all over the wall instead of thick warm blood. When she takes a bat to some poor convenience store bloke’s head, it explodes glitter.

It’s precisely the kind of tongue-in-cheek tone we want to see for a song that could have so easily settled for a standard, sexually-charged video treatment.

Trust. We’ve seen Xtina do X-rated a thousand times before, for over a decade, in fact. This direction is actually kinda refreshing – and it looks like something that would speak to old fans and new ones alike.

Watch Christina Aguilera’s ‘Your Body’ music video:



The arresting Max Martin and Shellback-sculpted ‘Your Body’ is arguably the best lead single Christina has launched in 10 years, putting her squarely back in the game as a serious chart contender once again.

Do y’all reckon this new era could fare better than the sorely underrated Bionic?

Footnotes:

Christina Aguilera‘s ‘Your Body’ just debuted at #34 on the US Billboard Hot 100 this week. The song has yet to make a significant impact on Australian radios, failing to make our ARIA Top 100 in its first week.

Xtina‘s new album Lotus drops locally on Friday 16 November.

According to Billboard, this record will be a smattering of dancefloor-ready pop like ‘Your Body’ with some titan piano-driven ballads, and even a few rock-driven anthems.

Leona Lewis ‘Trouble’ Music Video

Posted on by

I see some of y’all are prematurely wrapping a bow on the proverbial coffin of Leona Lewis‘ career.

LEONA LEWIS TROUBLE MUSIC VIDEO

It’s hard to believe that the top-selling British X Factor diva who once put a wrecking ball to the charts with ‘Bleeding Love’ is now struggling to get an inch of anyone’s care factor.

Leona‘s latest single ‘Trouble’ – co-written by Emeli Sandé - is the first sign of life from her forthcoming third studio album Glassheart, which was presumed dead when it was abruptly pulled from the release schedule last year following the lacklustre results of her dance single ‘Collide’.

‘Trouble’ takes Leona back to where she fits best: making moody ballads. The song is something of a slight masterpiece with nods to Massive Attack. For the kids playing at home who prefer a more present-time reference, ‘Trouble’ stirs the soul in a similar fashion to Emeli Sandé‘s own single ‘Daddy’ – which was also produced by Naughty Boy.

LEONA LEWIS TROUBLE VIDEO

The music video for ‘Trouble’ – which stars Teen Wolf adonis Colton Haynes – feels like a whole lot of smoke but no fire. For a song that bears such descriptive and emotive lyrics, you would expect for the video’s narrative to not just reflect its themes but take it to a whole new level.

The song’s retelling of a tumultuous relationship with a troubled individual was not fully realised in the video. What was so dark about Leona’s character in this video? You see her repeatedly dropping her head to her hands, singing she’s a “whole lot of trouble” – but there was no real indication that she was.

So, the couple had a fight, and pillows and glasses were thrown. Isn’t that a pretty typical outcome when two people squabble over possession of the TV remote?

The whole time you’re sitting here with your bowl of Coco Pops, spoon suspended before your lips in anticipation of something more, you get no insight into her character.

I would’ve loved it if they threw in shots of Leona collecting her possessions after getting bailed out of jail, sitting in a brightly lit room in a support group circle, perhaps even revelations of a vanity cupboard full of prescription medication. Y’know, the kinda gritty shit a vanilla-fairy floss-and-unicorns popstar like Leona wouldn’t be expected to do.

LEONA LEWIS COLTON HAYNES

Snaps where snaps are due – the styling and cinematography here is looking well on point. Director Raul B Fernandez - who has done music videos like We The Kings‘ ‘We’ll Be A Dream’ and Port O’Brien‘s ‘My Will is Good’ – draws out the heavy mind games behind the characters with great finesse.

This was probably best depicted in the party scene with the couple’s knowing glances and forced interactions, followed by the chilling disconnect when they are alone in the lift. Man, did that hit close to home for me.

Watch the music video for ‘Trouble’:



Footnotes:

Leona Lewis will turn out ‘Trouble’ in the UK on 5 October, a week before her Glassheart album arrives there.

She is set to perform that weekend on the UK X Factor to promote the single’s arrival, so strategically-speaking she should get a decent Top 5 debut out of it.

The Veronicas ‘Lolita’ Music Video

Posted on by

This track has already been proclaimed by yours truly as one of the finest moments in Aussie pop this year, so can The Veronicas now slay ‘Lolita’ in a whole new dimension?

THE VERONICAS LOLITA MUSIC VIDEO

Here we see Jess and Lisa back on our screens in their first music video in three years, looking deadly as ever with firearms and fuck-with-me-not facial expressions.

The sinister dance/pop track naturally calls for a femme fatale-esque narrative but you won’t find the Aussie twins in a compromising position, caressing themselves in burlesque outfits and patting tired Marie Antoinette wigs rescued from some sex shop bargain bin.

Instead, here we see reimaginations of sci-fi/action movie themes that pitches The Veronicas as leaders of an alien bounty hunter gang.

THE VERONICAS LOLITA VIDEO

Director Spencer Susser, who co-directed Lana Del Rey‘s ‘Summertime Sadness’ video, brings to life visuals fit for a blockbuster smash. Everything from the shootings in smoke-filled abandoned streets to the hectic juxtaposition of shots conveying torture has been executed with great style.

Can anyone say, fuck yeah milk bath?

In terms of The Veronicas‘ visual presentation, I’m actually really glad they didn’t go to over-the-top measures, brandishing leather catsuits with metal spikes protruding from shoulder pads.

Because, y’know, that’s exactly the kinda blatant shit I would go for as a queen who still idolises Victoria Beckham‘s ‘Not Such An Innocent Girl’ evil twin character.

THE VERONICAS LOLITA FASHION

Jess and Lisa’s grungey and believably ‘street’ looks feels more like the real deal here. I only wish their stylist had stolen some inspirations from Korean super girlband 2NE1‘s ‘Ugly’ music video and given their appearance a sprinkle of fantasy.

Watch The Veronicas kick arse in the ‘Lolita’ video:



Footnotes:

It’s a crying shame that ‘Lolita’ has yet to crack the ARIA Top 20. In fact, it left the Top 30 last week just after a month. Fingers crossed the video and more promo will help move it in the right direction.

The Veronicas‘ new album Life on Mars is due in the coming months. It’ll feature productions by Toby Gad and Nellee Hooper (hit maker behind No Doubt‘s Rock Steady album and Holly Valance‘s irresistible single ‘Down Boy’).

Mariah Carey ‘Triumphant (Get ‘Em)’ Music Video

Posted on by

You have to hand it to this divine empress of song. Nobody straddles the fine line between luxurious and tacky quite like Mariah Carey. You don’t need to check the receipts to know that she’s legit.

MARIAH CAREY TRIUMPHANT MUSIC VIDEO

Mimi’s empowering urban jam didn’t exactly get everyone moist with excitement when it premiered a few weeks ago, but just like a lot of my fellow Lambs, I waited for the video before passing final judgement.

The age-old boxing match theme applied to ’Triumphant (Get ‘Em)’ really hits home the song’s message of overcoming adversity. However, rather than letting you experience it in a raw Rocky Balboa-style treatment, the music video is rendered with a golden 1960s touch.

The opulence, the cinematic frames, the fucking yards of gold lamé that seem to disappear to nowhere on Mariah’s body – these are all signifiers of a typical Mimi clip where excess is celebrated and modesty scoffed. And you gotta love her for that!

The video’s director and Mariah’s full-time boo – Nick Cannon – thoroughly did ‘Triumphant (Get ‘Em)’ justice by honouring his wife’s fondness for extravagance. We’ve all seen Mariah try to do pedestrian-realness with ‘Through The Rain’ and, frankly, it scared the shit out of me to see her try to dress like us mere mortals.

MARIAH CAREY TRIUMPHANT

Mariah Carey should never try to destroy the illusion of her grandeur – no, not even to get some “universal message of hope” across in one of her own videos. I think at this stage of her career, Mimi and her Lambs know how it works.

The formula for her videos are more or less: one part skimpy two piece, one part mega wind machine and fluttering of fingers, and some misguided portions of looking like Miss Universe parading evening wear like her life depended on it.

Seeing rappers Meek Mill and Rick Ross take up significant screen time in the first half of the video concerned me, just like their prominence on the track did.

However, you more than get your money’s worth towards the end when confetti’s raining on Mimi’s pageant queen diva pose and she’s steady punching the air like there was no Laila Ali.

This video is magnificent in every sense imaginable for a typical Mariah production. The only thing missing was a pair of giant flaming butterflies scorching up behind the boxing ring.



Footnotes:

Mariah Carey‘s ‘Triumphant (Get ‘Em)’ has to date charted at #97 on the US Billboard Hip Hop/R&B Songs and #144 on the official UK Singles chart.

The much-favoured remixes (see Vintage Throwback Mix, Pulse Remix, Danny Verde Club Mix, Laidback Luke Extended Mix, The New Iberican League Club Mix) have scaled up to #42 on the US Billboard Dance Club Songs chart.

Delta Goodrem ‘Dancing With A Broken Heart’ Music Video

Posted on by

I am not sure how I should be feeling after watching Delta‘s new video ‘Dancing With A Broken Heart’. I mean, should we be feeling empowered by the song, aroused by the sexual faces she’s serving, or feeling sorry for the crestfallen characters sharing the clip with her?

DELTA GOODREM DANCING WITH A BROKEN HEART MUSIC VIDEO

The Australian pop princess keeps falling short of ‘excellent’ when it comes to this new single. I’ve noted in my review that it’s not so much about her so-called foray into dance music that’s causing me to shift uncomfortably in my seat, but rather the basic-level effort that has gone into the song. I was half-hoping that the video would help pick up its grades but sadly, I’m left furrowing my brows even harder than before.

Director Hannah Lux Davis – who has done videos like Anjulie‘s ‘Stand Behind The Music’ and Breathe Carolina‘s ‘I.D.G.A.F.’ – fires a fast-faced juxtaposition of Delta serving various modes of ethereal elegance with flashes of three different story lines of characters overcoming brokenness.

DELTA GOODREM DANCING WITH A BROKEN HEART

There doesn’t appear to be a cohesive connection between Delta and these characters, which is generally not a problem because we understand that popstars need to focus on serving modelesque beauty in music videos, not come for Oscars. However, in the context of ‘Dancing With A Broken Heart’ and the “empowering message” I think it is trying to deliver – it is concerning when you have such a drastic visual contrast between Delta’s magical world and these characters’ grim, pedestrian-looking lives.

On the whole, this great disconnect between Delta – who you see basking in her symbolic elements of water, wind, light and fairy sparkles – and these poor suffering folk really renders a whole new level of awkwardness to the story.

Is she singing for them or for herself? Is she shown as being able to relate to these characters? If so, how can we believe her?

Perhaps right now you’re giving me the side eye for over-analysing a pop music video, but you can’t say that this wasn’t the intention of the clip.

If Delta had simply filmed this video with her just doing graceful movements in the water and floating around with various new age symbolisms, we wouldn’t be here discussing ‘Dancing With A Broken Heart’ at such length.

BATHING WITH A BROKEN HEART

Visually, I think there were some real keepers in this reel. Delta looked especially stunning in the scene where she is rocking a ponytail and that burgundy bedspread – it’s no wonder they chose that to be the single cover artwork. It’s a shame that the video’s rapid-cut editing and blurring of shots denied us the pleasure of taking in more of her beauty.

Between her leaning against the door frame looking sexy/despondent in a blast of red and blue lights, the disparate story lines, and the blatant lack of actual dancing, ‘Bathing With A Broken Heart’ has failed to give us a visually exciting and thematically appropriate Delta music video.



Footnotes:

Delta‘s ‘Dancing With A Broken Heart’ is set to make its ARIA Top 100 debut tomorrow. The single has interestingly also been released in the UK.

Brandy ‘Put It Down’ (feat. Chris Brown) Music Video

Posted on by

Never in all my years of being a Brandy fan have I come across an offering from her that made me want to not only bleach my eyes, but also my memory banks, clean of the fuckery just witnessed.

BRANDY PUT IT DOWN MUSIC VIDEO

This whole minute with ‘Put It Down’ and its bad-tasting Chris Brown accompaniment has been steadily trying my patience from the beginning. I mean, I tried to be gracious and optimistic about the song when I first heard it - but now that I have viewed the full package and digested the kind of direction B Rocka is stooping down to in order to claim some desperately-needed hit – I’m out.

Fucking dial 13 CABS, open up Tram Tracker, search for the next available flight – anything – just get me the hell out of this place.

BRANDY CHRIS BROWN PUT IT DOWN

Director Hype Williams – who has an uncanny ability to cheapen almost everything he touches – should not have been behind Brandy‘s video. This hook up is one of those classic cases of guffawing embarrassment when you see somebody step out in an unflattering outfit but can just tell that they think they’re hot shit just because it’s designer label.

The prolific director may have had a few memorable videos over the past two decades but unfortunately for Brandy, ‘Put It Down’ veers closer to Hype‘s caca-soaked flops like Jessica Mauboy‘s ‘Get ‘Em Girls’ and ‘Saturday Night’ clips.

The dizzying collision of primary colours in cheap graphics and paint splattered backdrops look amateur. Tired and abused conventions of “young money” hip hop videos – like the sports cars, blue lighting on streets, and ostentatious bling – do nothing but breed ennui in the brains of the viewer.

How did Brandy‘s all important declaration of relevance back fire with such dated elements?

BRANDY PUT IT DOWN CHRIS BROWN

In terms of her appearance, Brandy is probably more stunning than ever and you really relish the moments where you’re fed close ups of her with proper lighting.

The brilliant return to her signature braids highlight how ageless her fine self has remained after all these years. It’s a crying shame that so much of the video was focused on her silhouette and movement when it could’ve delivered reels of tireless Covergirl material.

Now let’s talk about the choreography, which actually happens to be Brandy‘s fiercest effort yet, whether you liked it or not. Y’know, we gotta award some serious snaps for her execution and dedication here.

However, even though the dancing looked technically on point, there’s still something rather unconvincing about this whole set up. Perhaps the idea of her being some seductive siren of dance harks too much to the awkward sensual movements of her ‘Afrodisiac’ video when she was clearly trying to be something she wasn’t?

BRANDY PUT IT DOWN

At this point in Brandy‘s career, the respected R&B diva could go further by capitalising on her reputation as a legit soul/R&B artist and styling herself accordingly.

The classy editorial look she was rocking in her last video with Monica ‘It All Belongs To Me’ is precisely how it should be done - not dressing like Kelly Rowland circa Simply Deep and luring thugs like she was Nicole Scherzinger.

Team Brandy desperately needs to focus more on the wealth of natural qualities the singer already has and package it in a way that not only presents her a relevant R&B artist in 2012 – but one with integrity.

Watch ‘Put It Down’:



Footnotes:

Brandy‘s ‘Put It Down’ is currently at its charting peak of #23 on the US Billboard R&B/Hip Hop Songs. Looks like it’s a grower in the American urban music market despite the much-criticised, long-drawn campaign.

Remember, this song was released digitally in early May, then went to rhythmic stations in June, and now two months after, we’re copping the music video. Shaking my damn head.

Amelia Lily ‘You Bring Me Joy’ Music Video

Posted on by

I won’t lie. A big part of my delight in Amelia Lily‘s debut single is knowing that Xenomania is behind this. In fact, so strong was the hit factory’s governing influence over all matters pop that I knew I was going to approve of this song even before I heard it.

AMELIA LILY 'YOU BRING ME JOY'

‘You Bring Me Joy’ is a straightforward, pulsating pop track that glistens with subtlety, which is something I wouldn’t have expected from Amelia, who was quite known for belting the shit out of everything on last year’s X Factor.

As for the video, it’s a lot more low-key and at ease than other teen X Factor contestants’ outing. I mean consider the hectic production values in Cher Lloyd, Misha B and Little Mix‘s recent videos.

Amelia‘s video – which was shot in L.A. – seem to glow with an effortless summer sheen with a plot that conveys an idyllic teen summer outing: road trip with the top down, wind blowing through your hair, mucking around with your mates and finishing up at a beach party.

The blonde starlet herself looks stunning but I do have a serious issue with her overactive hands. I mean the excessive pointing and air grabbing makes me think that she’s lip synching to ‘Genie in The Bottle’ in her head rather than her own single?

Check out ‘You Bring Me Joy’:



Footnotes:

Amelia Lily‘s ‘You Bring Me Joy’ is due out in the UK on 2 September, just a week after series winner Little Mix drops their debut single ‘Wings’.