Nelly Furtado plays dress-up in the new video for single Bajo Otra Luz. The song is the third single to be taken from her Spanish language album Mi Plan.
I really loved the two previous singles Manos Al Aireand Masdespite not understanding a word of Spanish so I’m glad to see that the label have finally allowed Nelly to release one more single from the album (six months later) before putting the finishing touches to her next English language album Lifestyle.
The video is a low budget affair but is actually rather entertaining because Nelly and her featured artist La Mala Rodríguez don a number of costumes – such as a devil lady, cowboy, matador, clown, dog, demure lady, rabbit, fairy and Dorothy from The Wizard Of Oz. Put that in your pipe and smoke it, GaGa. The video omits the appearance and vocals of the song’s other featured artist and songwriter Julieta Venegas as she could not film the video due to her pregnancy.
The song is a joyous upbeat affair and while Nelly has been a little low profile for a while (apart from the odd “cut-and-paste-her-into-the-video” superstar collaboration), her Spanish language album Mi Plan has done remarkably well reaching Platinum status in the US and Argentina and twice Platinum in Chile. It was a risky move that paid off after Nelly hit superstar status back in 2006 with her Timbaland heavy third album Loose.
After Lady GaGa released her much discussed video clip for Alejandro about two weeks or so ago, it looks like some of the other artists in today’s music industry want in on the game and the last two weeks have seen an absolute onslaught of music videos float our way. Seeing as other areas of my life are taking over my blogging (despite me really getting into it lately), I’ve not been able to keep track of them all as soon as they’ve been released. However, never fear because I’ve combined them all into one humungous post. Here are some of the most notable (and not so notable) videos being released recently.
Adam Lambert: If I Had You
After getting off to a disappointing start with his dull as dishwasher ‘proper debut’ single For Your Entertainment, Adam Lambert has been very impressive lately. Not only am I mad about his current UK/Irish single Whataya Want From Me, released this July, but I’m also really loving If I Had You, Adam’s third single in the US (fifth if you count his American Idol runner up song No Boundaries and his soundtrack song Time For Miracles).
While Whataya Want From Me is a brooding P!nk penned rocker, If I Had You is a delightful electropop stomper that is sure to keep America partying all Summer. If I Had You is hugely euphoric, positive and massive and should ensure the larger than live vocalist and artist a massive hit. The video is a simple yet effective affair. Adam and a large group of people go out and party in a forest. The video has some fantastical elements to it with colourful fairies flitting about and Glambert resembling some character from either a sci-fi, fantasy, manga or anime movie/show I’d seen recently, I just can’t put my finger on who. Watch the video below, I hope this is released on these shores soon…although it is essentially a Summer single.
Basshunter: Saturday
The male Natalie Horler, Basshunter is back with a brand new single, Saturday, which will be taken from his currently untitled third album. *groan*
Not a huge groan though. Saturday is a minor improvement on some of the Sweedish DJ’s earlier work although it still remains generic, bland and soulless. Jonas has ditched the cheesy Eurodance for some pure Americanised dance-pop, á la Cascada with Evacuate The Dancefloor. Like Cascada, Jonas has definitely cashed into the Lady GaGa sound as he and some anonymous female vocalist sing over giant club beats. At least he’s ditched the repetitive soap storyline he used for previous videos and has gone for a full out club video.
B.o.B featuring Hayley Williams: Airplanes
After scoring a #1 hit with his Bruno Mars collaboration Nothin’ On You, innovative rapper B.o.B. is back with a new single Airplanes featuring Paramore vocalist Hayley Williams.
While the track is a certified smash and possibly even a future hip-hop classic, I’m a little disappointed with the video. Despite B.o.B.’s success, its clear that the label didn’t throw a huge amount of dollars at the video and I would have liked to see some interaction between B.o.B. and Hayley. Still the flashing lights look good and with a song so epic, with a simple yet effective chorus and having already cracked the Top 20, if not Top 10 across the World, clearly a below par video is the least of B.o.B.’s worries. Plus, I’m glad Hayley’s doing this collaboration. If Paramore ever go on hiatus or split, Hayley has the looks, talent and charisma to embark on a successful pop career, like No Doubt’s Gwen Stefani.
Gorillaz: On Melancholy Hill
Virtual band the Gorillaz have pushed back the release of second single Superfast Jellyfish in favour of new second single On Melancholy Hill. Superfast Jellyfish will be released later in the year, instead.
On Melancholy Hill was originally intended to be the third single from the album and it baffles me why the positions of this andthe much more sunnier Superfast Jellyfish were reversed around. I also feel that the underwater theme and the images of jellyfish floating around were originally for a Superfast Jellyfish but the song was changed at the last minute.
That said On Melancholy Hill is one of the highlights from the brilliant Plastic Beach. The video is characteristically stunning, combining 2-D and 3-D seamlessly. My personal favourite parts are where the Gorillaz finally discover Plastic Beach and the cameo from a 2-D Snoop Dogg (who appears in three videos this post). You can watch the stunning videohere.
Inna: Amazing
To inject a little Eurotrash into this post, the trashily sexy Romanian singer Inna is set to release her second UK/Irish single Amazing. As you’d expect, it’s anything but – but at least we get to see her flail around in a bikini and view some stunning Portuguese landscape in the song’s video. Plus the song is much better than her surprise #10 hit Hot which was released a while back.
Jessie James: Boys In Summer
To inject a little country flavour into this post, why not check out the new music video by American singer Jessie James. The sexy Georgian is expected to be country music’s next ‘it’ girl (watch your back, Taylor Swift) and while it’s not being released over here yet, the song is a fun track that almost acts as the country equivalent to Katy Perry’s California Gurls, capturing the sound of the Summer perfectly. The video’s a lot of fun too, showing plenty of eye candy for both men and women. The song is definitely more country than whatever Taylor Swift has put her name to. You can watch the videohere.
Justin Bieber featuring Usher: Somebody To Love
Self obsessed lesbian lookalike Justin “I Don’t Know What A German Is” Bieber and his mentor Usher have teamed up for a remix to new single Somebody To Love, which is bound to give Bieber yet another hit.
This time it’s deserved though as the song is a catchy little pop stomper with a stylish video to match. Clearly puberty is getting to young Bieber as his voice could be better on this track but thanks to a little help from Usher and some great choreography, Bieber has actually impressed me for once. Now if only he didn’t come across as a narcissistic little toe-rag pretending to act wholesome, I might actually start to like him.
Kat Deluna featuring Akon: Push Push
Flopstar Kat Deluna is back with her new single Push Push which features chipmunk voiced singer/rapper Akon. The reason why I’m including Kat in my post is because Ms. Deluna is in desperate need of a hit. Deluna has worked with RedOne long before GaGa ever did and while her combination of electropop, R&B and Latin music is extremely infectious, Deluna has never scored a hit. Maybe this song and its stylish video will help…though I doubt it. Shame because this is just ideal for Summer.
Katy Perry featuring Snoop Dogg: California Gurls
The much anticipated video for Katy Perry’s current US #1 California Gurls has finally surfaced. Rather than go with a literal video, Perry is thinking outside the box with a Candyland board game theme meets The Wizard Of Oz.
It’s no secret that I have a hard soft spot for Katy Perry so I naturally enjoyed this fun, cute video. Katy’s ‘quirkiness’, you’re either going to love or hate, and many will complain about her blatant selling off sex in this video (appearing naked on the cloud, whipped cream gun bra etc.) but as a red-blooded male I have no complaints. My personal highlight of the video is where Katy waves at the walking gummy bears, only for it to show her the middle finger, resulting in a hilariously camp over-exaggerated expression of offence from Ms. Perry. I also think the final scene with Snoop buried in the sand alongside the California Gurls would make a great desktop wallpaper.
Kelis: 4th July (Fireworks)
Kelis is back with the second single from her Flesh Tone album – the US holiday anthem 4th Of July. The video was done on a low budget but like her previous hit Acapella, Kelis does not disappoint, giving us a visually delicious video which displays plenty of the song’s namesake fireworks and explores the four elements of air, earth, fire and water.
While I’m not loving the song or the video as much as Acapella, I’m hoping it will grow on me and become another hit for the deceptively intelligent artist. Who would have known Kelis had so much creative vision when she released Milkshake all them years ago.
MGMT: It’s Working and Congratulations
Before the release of their second LP Congratulations, New York hipster band MGMT had stated that they planned to release no singles from the album as they wanted to stand on its own as its own “collection of work”. Two months on and the band have released music videos for the third and fourth single from the album It’s Working and the title track. Neither songs are exactly mainstream or radio friendly but the videos are a lot of fun so hopefully they get some airplay on the music channels.
N*E*R*D* featuring Nelly Furtado: Hot ‘N’ Fun
Hip-rockers N*E*R*D* make a return to the World of music, with new single Hot ‘N’ Fun from forthcoming album Nothing. Featuring Nelly Furtado, the video was directed by Telephone director Jonas Åkerlund. You can watch the video here, seeing as its being pulled down everywhere else.
While I do enjoy the feel good groove of the song, the video is very reminiscent of Ke$ha’s Your Love Is My Drug video as well as Lady GaGa and Beyoncé driving around a desert in the Pussywagon for Telephone. The blond lady in the Indian headdress, the Californian desert and the animated sequences recall Ke$ha’s most recent single. Not to mention Nelly Furtado being copy and pasted into the music video with some amateurish special effects. This isn’t the first time Ms. Furtado has had to be copy and pasted into a video – having done so already in Timbaland’s Morning After Dark as well as clearly not filming alongside James Morrison in his Broken Strings video. Don’t even get me started on her CGI presence in Flo Rida’s Jump. Surely she isn’t that busy that she can’t show up for a video shoot alongside her co-stars every now and then.
OK Go: End Love
Quirky indie rockers OK Go are also back with another mad video for new single End Love. Depsite its low budget, OK Go have taken their usual DIY approach to making music videos with some genuinely funny shots of them running about, posing with great camera work that speeds up and slows down the video. I love when the goose joins them. I really want these guys to be successful.
Plan B: Prayin’
Following the success of the toe-tapping She Said, rapper/soul singer Plan B continues the gripping storyline from his music videos of imprisoned soul singer Strickland Banks in new single Prayin’.
With the song’s gigantic, expensive and rousing production, I think this should be another hit for the London singer who avoids rapping on this track. The videos which have been a huge draw to this era have me wondering what will happen to our down on his look protagonist next.
Snoop Dogg: Oh Sookie
True Blood mega fan Snoop Dogg is definitely not stopping Alan Ball’s rejection of a Snoop cameo on True Bloodwithout a fight. The pervy California rapper has now released a promo single where he confesses his love – or rather lust – for telepathic waitress Sookie Stackhouse. Snoop Dogg rapping about my favourite TV show and proclaiming his lust for the show’s stars Anna Paquin and Rutina Wesley suggests we have much more in common than I thought. This video, with its Sookie Stackhouse back-up dancers, isn’t going to sway regular listeners but this is a must see for any True Blood fan.
I think Alan Ball needs to stop being so unfair and fulfill Snoop’s dream of appearing on the show. 😀 Maybe, Snoop could be killed in the True Blood world and come back as a mentally disabled vampire who helps out the Louisiana vampires á la Bubba in the Sookie Stackhouse books (read: Elvis). It would be authentic and if stars like Anna Paquin and Evan Rachel Wood can appear in the show, then why not Snoop.
Uffie featuring Pharrell: ADD (SUV)
Finally, Miami singer/rapper Uffie has teamed up with Pharrell for her first proper single ADD (SUV), the video which surfaced yesterday. The electropop song with an alternative edge is quickly becoming amazing to me but the video seems randomly put together with Uffie and Pharrell driving around the city at night with some animated sequences throwing in, probably as a tribute to her favourite star Ke$ha. 😀 Check it out below.
Okay single reviews for this week are all a little blah. Nothing amazing yet nothing awful either. Here we are, third time’s the charm.
Singles Reviews Diary 7 – 19th March 2010:
01. 12 Stone Toddler: This Suit
I actually decided to review this track because clinically obese toddlers make me LOL! I wasn’t expecting this song to be so good though. Like nothing on the radio at the moment, this fun bouncy song is like a grandson of Madness’ House Of Fun. Really enjoyable stuff. 4.5 STARS
02. 50 Cent featuring Governor: Do You Think About Me
After hassling Kelly Rowland to have his babies on terrible last single Baby By Me, 50 redeems himself somewhat with this subdued rap track that sees him acting all vulnerable and such. With chipmunk backing vocals, this sounds like a less irritating version of Ironik’s Stay With Me. Fiddy has clearly lost it though ‘cause this is no In Da Club or my personal favourite P.I.M.P.. 2.5 STARS
03. Arctic Monkeys: My Propeller
A decent enough third single from their good but not great album Humbug. There is a hidden power behind this downbeat track and the last minute in a half of the track sounds like classic Monkeys. 2.5 STARS
04. Audio Bullys: Only Man
Not feelin’ this one at all really. I love some of Audio Boys tracks but this is a poor choice of lead single from forthcoming album Higher Than The Eiffel. Minimal electronica with Britpop is the best way to describe this song. 2 STARS
05. Boy George: Amazing Grace
Sadly this isn’t Boy George doing a cover of the famous hymn. Instead, this is a very ‘90s and very gay friendly dance anthem than many should embrace with open arms but it’s really not my cup of tea. Give meKarma Chameleon anyday. 3 STARS
06. Classical Artists For Haiti: The Prayer
Yet another Haiti charity single. I’m all for the support the country’s being getting but were there this many charity events for the likes of the Tsunami, Katrina and Africa. Anyways, all of the top classical musicians such as Paul Potts, Natasha Marsh, Faryl, The Priests, Rhydian Roberts and…um…Darius gather together to bring us this rather pleasant classical track. Glad it isn’t all overblown and melodramatic and not too depressing either. It does sound like it should be soundtracking some Disney film though. 4 STARS
07. Fionn Regan: Catacombs
The Irish singer-songwriter sounds like a young Neil Young (pardon the pun!) on this retro little number. Can definitely see this one becoming a grower after a few more listens. 3 STARS
08. Florence + The Machine: Dog Days Are Over
A pointless re-release as everyone’s heard this song and its since firmly become ingrained in European culture with all the times its been heard on TV and radio. Unless you’ve been living under a rock in the Gobi Desert with earplugs in, curled up in a ball, it’s likely you’ve heard this. Not to say its bad as I would consider it one of Florence + The Machine’s signature songs starting off all soft with tinkling harps before exploding in a cascade of percussion, handclaps and Florence’s celebratory, heavenly chorus. Now hurry up and release Cosmic Love I tell you…before it’s too late! 4 STARS
09. Glee Cast: Jump
The rock snob inside of me wants to sneer at Glee covering the Van Halen classic but in fairness this song is just perfect for them. With that joyous shouty chorus and those hyperactive synths, the Glee Cast completely shine on this track. Probably one of the best songs form the series so far. It made me go off and re-download the original anyway. 4.5 STARS
10. Glee Cast: Smile
Glee produce an Americanised version of Lily Allen’s debut single and breakout hit. Hot Social Outcast Girl does a good job of making the song her own but it’s completely ruined by Tall Jock Guy’s unnecessary and constipated backing vocals. 3.5 STARS
11. Glee Cast: Smile
Another Smile that Glee cover in this episode is the classic ballad written by Charlie Chaplin. Love this, but any version of Smile sang by a competent singer always gets me secretly teary eyed. But shhhhh! Don’t tell anyone. 4 STARS
STINKER OF THE WEEK! 12. Inna: Hot
More Eurodance trash that’s only listenable when you’re off your face in a club. Why is Inna charting so well? What is she doing that’s so different from all the latest flops by Velvet or September?! 1 STAR
13. Favourites: Cheltenham (Downtown)
II don’t know what to make of this charity single for *dun dun dun* Haiti. It basically sounds like Petula Clark’s Downtown with the word ‘downtown’ being replaced by Cheltenham (a famous horse racing course in Ireland) sang by some unknown Irish singer Laura Cretchley and a bunch of random sporting pundits on backing vocals. So cringeworthy yet so good. Let’s make it an international hit! 4 STARS
14. Mr. Hudson featuring Kanye West: Anyone But Him
After failing to replicate the success of the infectious and sure to be pop classicSupernova, Mr. Hudson plays it safe by teaming up with Kanye West again. Sadly this second offering from the pair doesn’t live up and should of just stayed on the album. A mid-tempo minimalist electro track that doesn’t really go anywhere. Mr. H. wails in Auto-Tune about how some girl picked Kanye over him. At least, Kanye responds to Hudson’s singing rather than blabbing on about something completely out of sync with the subject of the song like the majority of guest rappers. Kanye also uses the killer line “Once you go black, you never goes back”. 1 STAR
15. Peggy Sue: Watchmen
I’m liking this girl. She sounds like a folky Amy Winehouse on this track. Hopefully, she gets herself a major record deal soon. 3 STARS
16. Stornoway: I Saw You Blink
A really good acoustic mid-tempo from the Oxford band. As Harry has said, these guys sound very much like Mumford & Sons. Hey, maybe folky tracks like this will replace electropop as the hot new sound. 3.5 STARS
17. Tiësto featuring Nelly Furtado: Who Wants To Be Alone
Tiësto must fancy himself as the new David Guetta as he works with more and more mainstream artists lately. I know I’d listen to Tiësto over Guetta anyday. This is a great club friendly trance track featuring the versatile Nelly Furtado on singing duties. I love Furtado’s vocals on this track, it sounds like how she sang on her Spanish album Mi Planyet this is in English. Perhaps not Tiësto’s best work ever but I think I’m gonna check out his Kaleidoscope album and can’t wait for Nelly’s album Lifestyle due out this Summer. 3.5 STARS
18. Usher featuring will.i.am.: OMG
A really poor lead single from Usher’s new album. I’m so sick of will.i.am. recycling beats from The E.N.D. and putting them on other artists’ albums. This sounds like an E.N.D. B-side with Usher’s trademark croon drowned in deadpan Auto-Tune and a bizarre football chant running through the verses. Perhaps this will grow on me but I miss the Usher who used to deliver flawless pop/R&B songs like Yeah! and Caught Up. Luckily there are much better songs on Usher’s forthcoming Raymond Vs. Raymond but this is a poor first offer to the international market. 1.5 STARS
TRACK OF THE WEEK! 19. Young Artists For Haiti: Wavin’ Flag
Canada’s finest artists such as Nelly Furtado, Drake, Avril Lavigne and the mighty Justin Bieber gather together to record this surprisingly enjoyable Haitian charity single. Unlike the hot mess that was We Are The World 25, this original song is anthemic, inspirational and globally reaching. It’s actually the best charity single I’ve heard since the original Band Aid’s Feed The World, that’s how good it is. 5 STARS
20. We Have Band: Divisive
This is a fabulous piece of synthpop, not Owl City and Lady GaGa style synthpop, a much more alternative sounding form of synthpop like Human League. 4 STARS
21. Wild Beasts: We Still Got The Taste Dancin’ On Our Tongues
Love this one actually. Sounds very fresh and original. Although I’d imagine Hayden Thorpe’s falsetto would get on my nerves if this track were overplayed. Thankfully, this is unlikely to happen. Definitely (legally) downloading their album Two Dancers though ’cause I’m liking what I’m hearing. 4 STARS
Phew! Finally done successfully. As usual, give me feedback and tell me what you think of this week’s singles. 😀
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