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A high brow look at pop music foolery.

Tag: Music Video

3 April 2012

Ricki-Lee ‘Do It Like That’ Music Video

You don’t really wanna rain on Ricki-Lee‘s parade, do you? Not when it’s looking so festive and radiating so much confidence and video vixen realness.

The fierce-as-fuck Aussie popstar is serving a little old school RLC realness with ‘Do It Like That’. I know we’re not exactly knee-deep in her discography as yet to warrant the term but when I say “old school”, I do mean circa ‘Can’t Touch It’ and ‘Can’t Sing A Different’ song.

‘Do It Like That’ was written and produced by  Brian Kierulf and Joshua Schwartz - the same American guys behind ‘Can’t Touch It’ and not to mention Britney‘s ‘Anticipating’ and Lady Gaga‘s ‘Summerboy’.

Everything about ‘Do It Like That’ feels like a sensible update on the sassy, rhythmic pop style Ricki-Lee is best known for. In fact, the very idea of her singing, “you like it when I do it like that! You watchin’ when I do it like that… you want-want-want me when I do it like that,” might even suggest that she’s deliberately giving the public what they want.

The video comes for all the familiar elements – see: hair flicks, strut-and-thrust choreography and a flash of her irrepressible smile. In a way, it’s comforting to look back on her signature clips like ‘Can’t Touch It’, some five years ago, and see that she was serving the same confidence even when she was shimmying a couple of dress sizes bigger.

Here are three highlights of Ricki-Lee‘s ‘Do It Like That’ video:

1) Bottoms up.

I love how the bitch managed to pull moves to shame even the hungriest of power bottoms. Seriously, there isn’t a day that goes by where I don’t feel like RLC and I are becoming the same person.

2) The triple-action thrust.

Are you also living for the uterus thrust happening in the “want-want-want” bit? Say yes. Queens, make sure you secure your tuck before you attempt this or any moves adjacent to this.

3) The massive Ricki-Lee sign.

It’s looking like something you’d expect at Nightclub Barbie in L.A. when they’re doing a burlesque theme. This indoor studio scene actually works quite well in contrast with the summery carnival location shown at the start of the video.

It’s probably plain reductive to point out that ‘Do It Like That’ draws tired references from Beyoncé but there’s probably some truth in the ennui expressed.

For me, ‘Do It Like That’ was most exciting and refreshing when we first heard it blasting out the gates as the Fred Falke remix. It was a proper revelation because it sounded like nothing we heard Ricki-Lee do before and that’s precisely the kind of effortlessly cool, next-level shit she should aspire to.

See, the single version is like the “paycheck look” – the one that’s most likely to gel best with the masses - but the Fred Falke remix is the one that leaves everyone gagging for more.

Don’t get me wrong ‘Do It Like That’ – the single mix – is adequately fun but it’s kind of thrown me off a little, especially following the wig snatching, dance/pop direction of ‘Raining Diamonds’.

If these two new singles are the corner posts of what we can expect from Ricki-Lee‘s forthcoming album then it’s gonna be really interesting to see how she mingles her European dance material with the more kinetic, rhythmic tracks like ‘DILT’.

Watch Ricki-Lee‘s ‘Do It Like That’ music video:



Footnotes:

‘Do It Like That’ debuts at #69 on our ARIA Top 100 this week.

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22 March 2012

Madonna ‘Girl Gone Wild’ Music Video

Well I don’t know about you, but Madonna‘s new video has certainly changed the way I share an apple with another man.

“Girls they just wanna have some fun, get fired up like a smoking gun!” exclaims Madonna over pushy synth-powered beats. This single is perhaps the most succinct expression of our Material Girl‘s notorious streak since 2009′s ‘Revolver’.

By now you would’ve seen and read enough about the ‘Girl Gone Wild’ video to recognise its throwback to Madonna‘s ‘Erotica’, but really, what probably hit me first was how vastly different the reaction has been towards the homoerotica in both videos.

Times have certainly changed and while it’s still fucking hot and somewhat censorable to depict two men getting nasty together, ‘Girl Gone Wild’ is a marker of how far Madonna‘s videography have travelled from the days of shocking the bloomers off mainstream media.

I mean, fuck, bitch. The uncensored version serves up raw nekkid ass for a second or two, and somehow I don’t think the entire first world is going on meltdown over the manscape.

Like a gay gone wild.

The absolute Adonis-fest of near naked men pressing peen up against each other and worshiping her Madgesty is such a glorious celebration of hedonism – a theme we’ve seen Madonna execute with defining audacity in her hey day.

That chapter in M‘s iconography has been written and read from end to end. However, I actually think ‘Girl Gone Wild’ presents a more interesting and modern reading of how men are unleashing their inner bad girl.

This might mean absolutely nothing to a large population of the male species but to me – I think there’s something incredibly fierce, empowering and sexy about seeing women strut with confidence and own a room in a pair of devastating stilettos. Therefore, to see Madonna bring in Kazaky and have a troupe of male dancers do just that is nothing short of amazing.

Growing up in a generation well exposed to female-fronted pop really shaped my perception of beauty and sexual liberation. Studying pop music sirens like Britney and Christina Aguilera, I’ve always been fascinated with and inspired by how they straddle the fine line of virgin whoredom – mix nice with naughty, soft femininity with a bit of grit and dominance.

These girls were going wild in ways no male artist could. They were pushing boundaries, they were shocking the status quo and they were breaking inhibitions in ways I never saw any man do.

I’ve come to equate that particular style of female sexual energy with enviable fierceness. So much so that now when I see Madonna‘s troupe of dancers popping their hips and serving the same video vixen silhouette in stockings and heels, I see a symbol of strength and freedom.

Is it so wrong for a boy to identify with these strong female imageries?

Amen fashion.

Director and acclaimed fashion photographers Mert and Marcus - who have done bank-breaking campaigns for Louis Vuitton, Giorgio Armani and Gucci - really delivered editorial elegance that matched the song’s runway ready beats.

The appropriate visual effects playing with static and distortion really works with the meticulous editing. Talk about a stark contrast to the seemingly seamless action shot happening in Madonna‘s last video ‘Give Me All Your Luvin’‘.

There’s probably not a great deal of life changing choreography happening in ‘Girl Gone Wild’ but the way it has been juxtaposed with a myriad of different scenes and shots just makes it such an deluxe visual experience.

Totally helped that we are staring at some of the world’s most famous male models here too, including Sean O’Pry, Jon Kortajarena and Simon Nessman. Trust me, any young gay with a Tumblr account would’ve reblogged at least one photo of these guys at some point.

Watch Madonna‘s mad new video ‘Girl Gone Wild’:



Footnotes:

Madonna‘s ‘Girl Gone Wild’ was released in Australia on Monday. Could we see an ARIA Top 100 entry by the end of the week?

2 comments
21 March 2012

Sneaky Sound System ‘Really Want To See You Again’ Music Video

Snaps to the Sneakies once again for delivering another visually delectable music video.

‘Really Want To See You Again’ sees the always on-point Aussie dance/pop duo channeling some familiar 90s music video references.

London-based film director Price James – who did Friendly Fires‘ ‘Paris’ music video – rendered a stylish, graphics-driven production that complements the modern pop song’s own textures.

Think clean cut geometrics, think flashes of bright colours like reds, yellows and blues that kind of remind me of Connect Four or other popular games played in our childhood.

In terms of fashion, it’s thankfully a tasteful side step away from happy pants and overalls. It’s a respectable combination of black and whites for the first half to go with the clean cut backdrop.

You can’t fault Ms Connie here. When she’s not serving her swerves and curves in those figure hugging dresses and catsuit – she’s letting you have Hungry Jacks couture in that yellow jacket and red dress combo. Then right behind her you have two back up dancers who won’t quit bringing sexy back with them long bike shorts.

A pleasant treat that’ll be sure to take over screens all over your local gym shortly.

Watch Sneaky Sound System‘s ‘Really Want To See You Again’:



Footnotes:

‘Really Want To See You Again’ is the third single lifted from Sneaky Sound System‘s From Here to Anywhere album.

The song managed to peak at #47 on the Australian airplay chart while the remixes sashayed all the way through to the ARIA club chart Top 20.

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21 March 2012

Lana Del Rey ‘Blue Jeans’ Music Video

The idea of launching ‘Blue Jeans’ as Lana Del Rey‘s third single feels reductive to say the least. I mean, y’all remember how this track was originally launched as a b-side way back in the way back when ‘Video Games’ first came out, right?

The masses definitely need to experience at least one of Elizabeth Grant‘s less string-soaked and melancholy tunes from the album so, in a way I can see why ‘Blue Jeans’ was launched. However. Word of advice. If your LDR experience up to this point’s only limited to ‘Video Games’ and you’re content with playing in the kiddie pool then feel free to wade in ‘Blue Jeans’, but if you’re ready to dive into the deep end with the big boys, get ‘Off To The Races’ right away.

The thrill of discovering ‘Video Games’ last year was so next level that I’ve come to crave that excitement again in LDR‘s music. With the exception of the obvious future single ‘Dark Paradise’ – I would be interested to hear more gangsta Nancy Sinatra material from the bitch now.

In any case, friends,  ’Blue Jeans’ era isn’t a complete waste of time. The modern blues and hip hip clash boasts some choice lines like “you’re so fresh to death and sick as kept cancer” and much like most of the Born To Die album, it’s serving this unrepentant naivety about love. Nobody does addictive, destructive love poetries like Lana Del Rey. You could hear her falling deeper and deeper in desperation every time she sings, “I will love you till the end of time. I would a million years…”

Director Yoann Lemoine, who did Lana‘s ‘Born To Die’ video, renders the track against a chic black and white production. There’s a sense of continuity here with the same actor – Bradley Soileau – returning to play Lana‘s love interest but on the whole, it couldn’t be more different from the feel of their last music video.

Film noir pour moi.

What I do like about the ‘Blue Jeans’ video is that it returns LDR to the more arthouse screen siren feel we fell in love with circa ‘Video Games’ – y’know, as opposed to the opulence and excess she was flaunting with her big label budget in the ‘Born To Die’ video.

The black and white film and gentle pace of the video complements the song’s tone. There’s a good deal of beauty in the detail here. Everything from the pool water reflection on her skin to the distorted images all flesh out what’s really a very basic storyline of this couple kissing in the pool into something far more engaging.

Baby, there’s a croc in the water.

I love the sense of danger and doom in Lana Del Rey‘s videos. If it’s not a car accident, it’s swimming in a pool of crocs. I think there’s something very symbolic about how the couple continues to passionately make out and caress each other in the pool, while these predators lurk beneath the surface. In a way, it reflects the tragedy depicted in ‘Blue Jeans’ where LDR sings about being so fixated on this guy knowing well that it was always going to end. “I know that love is mean, and love hurts but I still remember that day we met in December.”

Watch the music video for ‘Blue Jeans’:



Footnotes:

Lana Del Rey‘s ‘Blue Jeans’ is set to arrive on 9 April in the UK. The singer revealed last month that they had finished editing a video for album track ‘Carmen’ – expect to see that soon.

5 comments
11 March 2012

Sam Sparro ‘Happiness’ Music Video

Our boy Sam is giving you all that in this nifty little production he calls, ‘Happiness’.

Put away the widescreen effect and HD pristine sharp images. Sam Sparro‘s brand new music video is taking you all the way back to the 50s.

However, it must be said that ‘Happiness’ is not breathing the kind of Mad Men eleganza we’ve seen back in fashion lately. It feels more like an 80s interpretation of the 50s, if that makes sense. I love the camp musical-esque routine he’s rocking with the ladies and – love it or loathe it – those baggy oversized pants are a statement in itself.

The track is wonderfully joyous and it’s giving some summer sheen funk sensibilities that just complements Sam‘s voice to a tee. He’s been rocking this song for a good eight to nine months now? And it’s brilliant to see it finally ready for worldwide consumption.

Daddy cool

Let’s open up the forum to discuss Sam‘s stylish new look because in ‘Happiness’, the man has sort of developed his own thrift store interpretation of 50s dapper. It’s a bit “50s dad” fashion, if you will [Editor's note: his words, not mine].

This is quite an interesting approach to me because we’ve seen practically every fashion blog hail the comeback of the “tailored suit gentleman”, but really which one of us dime store whores can afford a $5,000 Armani suit for the races? Not everyone here can do GQ perfect looks at the drop of a Mastercard so I’m liking that Sam’s showing us a more economy class interpretation of that look with slightly oversized blazer and pants, and achievable Brylcreem slicked hair.

It’s kinda like the time when Wynter Gordon arrived with her op shop chic 80s and 90s style that was giving a similar impact to the colour and boldness that Katy Perry had served on an upscale couture level.

Popstars create a fantasy with their clothes, image and videos but we need to acknowledge that there are varying degrees of fantasy. You can speak upmarket and runway fresh designs, or you can also do something closer to home – either way, it’s a statement that should be worn in the same regard.

Homo with a mo.

Gurl, I watched the most spectacularly awkward interview when this guy – bless his heart – asked where Sam’s moustache had come from and the Aussie popstar just said very frankly, “it just grew out of my face”. We can spot the Freddie Mercury reference from a mile away, can’t we? But the truth is, not everyone can pull off that look.

I’m personally loving the mo’. Right now, it’s very much the look with a certain subspecies of trendy gays in their mid-20s to early 30s. You know, I feel like there’s such a cohesive cross-polination of hipster and flamboyant retro fashion now that young men are boldly playing with styles our parents had adopted in their 20s and making it their own.

Since only one man in my family has ever successfully rocked a moustache, my own personal style right now is more of a clash of hairstyles Mama Lim and her sisters worked in the 90s. You gotta play with your strengths – am I right, ladies?

Watch the video for ‘Happiness’:


 
Footnotes:

Sam Sparro‘s ‘Happiness’ is out now. The long awaited sophomore album Return To Paradise hits Aussie shelves on 25 May and it’s bringing a promise of brazen disco, funk, dance and garage-blended pop.

Listen to one of Sam‘s new album tracks, the equally magnificent ‘The Shallow End’.

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10 March 2012

Stan Walker ‘Music Won’t Break Your Heart’ Music Video

I am convinced that this single choice is the right move for Stan Walker. It’s yet another example of why the Australian Idol star’s got the right material to be competing on an international level, but first, can we get this past the Top 40 mark Down Under?

Stan‘s Let The Music Play album is so sorely underrated for a body of work that flaunts this many potential hits. The first single ‘Loud’ sold like crazy and it set this raised level of expectation for me. I was ready for Stan to serve consecutive chart smashes of this calibre.

But after the second single ‘Light It Up’ failed to flare up, Stan‘s team issued that beige ballad he did with Jessica Mauboy, ‘Galaxy’, which to me never felt like a genuine representation of this era in Stan‘s discography. I mean, sure it sold heaps and kept him relevant, but I’m more interested in hearing his more current sounding tracks like ’Music Won’t Break Your Heart’ or even ‘Forever I’m Yours’.

‘Music Won’t Break Your Heart’ – as an uplifting modern dance ballad – should have no problems making daytime radio rotation, especially following the success of similarly-styled works like David Guetta/Usher‘s ‘Without You’.

Who run this mountain?

I can’t even begin to tell you how much more engaging and visually stimulating it is to watch a dance music video that isn’t set in a club with strobe lights and all that shit. ’Music Won’t Break Your Heart’ taps into the same breathtaking scenic extravagance we had in the ‘Galaxy’ video, except this time Stan‘s out in the spectacular Queenstown bush in New Zealand.

The real star of the video is 15-year old Sydney b-boy, Josh Moore, who is bursting with energy from the get go. I love that Stan assumes the role of invisible narrator slash Touched By An Angel-type holy presence in this video? Like, it’s really about the kid and his liberating experience with music – Stan’s just in it.

It’s great to see street-style dancing juxtaposed with wide open fields, clear skies and mountainside. It’s stuff you’d expect in a Nike commercial, so major kudos to Aussie director Benn Jae – who’s the same man behind home grown videos for Matt Corby‘s ‘Brother’ and Natalie Bassingthwaighte‘s ‘All We Have’.

Watch Stan Walker‘s ‘Music Won’t Break Your Heart’ video:


 
Footnotes:

Stan Walker‘s new single is out now. Y’all can also watch the behind the scenes reel for the music video.

2 comments
9 March 2012

Monica and Brandy ‘It All Belongs To Me’ Music Video

There’s probably still a wet patch on my seat from the first time I watched this video and lost control of them basic bodily functions. I’m glad no one paid me any mind in the office on Wednesday when I exploded with excitement, watching the full ‘It All Belongs To Me’ video. Please remember, some of us waited 14 years for this reunion.

I am well aware that I’m the only bitch up in my friendship group – better make that even in my extended networks – to be wild about Monica and Brandy‘s reunion duet ‘It All Belongs To Me’. I have previously waxed lyrical about why this grown ass woman song might fall on deaf ears, but I hope that after viewing the stylish video, some of y’all might bend over and start picking up some sense.

Some folks are only here for ‘The Boy Is Mine (Part II)’, but believe me when I say, this song fits Brandy and Monica circa 2012 better than any kind of Glee cover-ready pop single you might have in mind. So with that out of the way, can we all just fast forward to the eleganza these 90s R&B queens are serving?

“It’s all been loaned to me…”

I read on some fashion Tumblr blog somewhere that a certain designer silk blouse Brandy was rubbing carpet in for this video costs north of $1200. Bitch, don’t even pretend to sign that cheque you already know is gonna bounce. I am living for both of their deluxe diva looks here – the designer gowns, the leather and heels, and the sophisticatedly styled weaves.

It was very satisfying to see both Brandy and Monica looking so classy and impeccably styled – pitching them on the same wavelength as great modern soul artistes like Mary J. Blige and Jennifer Hudson.

Honestly, I’m glad that their label RCA has pumped some proper funds into this video – everything from the stunning visual presentation through to the video concept and of course, explosives – helped create a buzz that definitely wasn’t there before.

Top shelf music video director Chris Robinson - who did Alicia Keys‘ ‘You Don’t Know My Name’ and Monica‘s own ‘Anything (To Find You)’ – has definitely fulfilled the brief to present these ladies at their finest in this hour.

You mad? Stay mad.

I can’t wait to see Tumblr spout off a thousand Brandy and Monica “U MAD?!” gifs for the above.

Y’know, they could’ve played this out as some nine-minute mini-movie extravaganza with multiple scenes and dialogues. Trust me, the drama and sass served in ‘It All Belongs To Me’ could build whole seasons of the Real Housewives - but it’s just not necessary to go through all that when the story’s already told so effectively in song.

For songs with so much vocal excellence on display like ‘It All Belongs To Me’, you don’t need complex choreography and mind-bending visual effects to drive the project. In fact, you don’t want to do anything to detract focus from the song and the singer’s performance. Simple sheer elegance is enough.

Watch Monica and Brandy’s ‘It All Belongs To Me’ music video:


 
Did the video upgrade your appreciation for the song?

Footnotes:

‘It All Belongs To Me’ continues to climb the US Billboard R&B/Hip Hop song chart, peaking at #41 in its third week. The single will be included on Monica‘s New Life, which is due 10 April in the States, and Brandy‘s long awaited album Two Eleven, which is slated for a June drop date.

‘It All Belongs To Me’ is yet to be released in Australia.

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