So, just hours ago, Miley Cyrus released the official music video (scroll down to watch) for her new track 'Wrecking Ball' and let's just say I had high hopes, but if you've seen the video, there's a few issues I have with it (and they're probably not entirely the ones you'd necessarily think of). I guess to summarise, I found the whole thing unnecessary and purposely provocative for the sake of garnering attention (which, to be fair, has been working for her so far).
I feel ultimately, as if the same effect could have been achieved by not be so outlandish, when it has no real meaning beside it. I tried desperately to think of the actual meaning behind the video and I do understand (some of it) but most of it was pure shock tactics which de-valueized what was and is, a relatively good song. So, if you're wondering what I'm talking about, or you want a more in-depth analysis of the music itself, then you can watch the review for the audio of the track below: http://scenesisters.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/miley-cyrus-wrecking-ball-official-audio.html
And now for the actual video:
So, without going into too much detail (as it's fairly obvious), the video opens with an emotional and visibly tearful Cyrus singing and facing directly into the camera. So far, fairly tame. Cyrus can be seen brandishing a sledgehammer before a wrecking-ball comes in and does the work for her. Before we know it, Miley has climbed aboard the wrecking-ball (safety first) and is swinging back and forth, whilst wearing a white ensemble. And then things get weird. Quicker than we can blink, Cyrus has licked the sledgehammer (all I could think of when watching was whether it was hygienic or not) and then suddenly see is completely nude on the wrecking-ball. Again, is this hygienic?
Because the ball looks pretty dirty (no puns intended). I'm sure this will no doubt shock some people but I have a feeling that may be the desired effect. It's a bit 'out-there' to say the least, and I refer back to my former points about it being fairly unnecessary and just maybe a bit too blunt. I get the fact that it's meant to show a vulnerable side to Cyrus and the idea of nudity can be referred to a state of vulnerability and the whole emphasise on walls and wrecking-balls as a destructive force, much like Cyrus herself. So, what are your thoughts and opinions on the video? Reviewed by Mel.
Released earlier today, the new music video (scroll down) for Iggy Azalea's track 'Change Your Life' (featuring T.I.) showcases Ms Azalea's talent for rapping whilst featuring a more commercial beat, no doubt to appeal to the masses and expand radio plays. Some will no doubt say that Iggy is changing, but it's pleasing to see a successful female rapper gaining headway in what is essentially a male-dominated area of the music industry.
Azalea, unlike some singers/rappers, possesses a unique sound and certain twang to her vocals, which can be very lucrative, in terms of putting in a memorable performance. Her previous tracks (more specifically 'Work' and 'Bounce') have been catchy and stylistic; 'Change Your Life' is no exception. There's no question in my mind that Iggy makes the track, which may have sounded a bit repetitive and tedious if in the hands of a few other vocalists. As expected, the video is sexy, confident and daring and Azalea struts her stuff in a number of ensembles.
For all of those who may say Iggy's lyrics in her tracks are a bit too, let's say 'risky,' I can almost guarantee you that if you have ever listened to previous rap/hip-hop tracks then you have definitely heard worse, (Robin Thicke, Eminem etc.) but for some reason when the artist is female, there's much more of a stigma to it; people notice more. Now, everyone's entitled to an opinion, but I suggest you give Azalea a chance and listen to a few of her songs, so why not start with this one right here. So anyway, back to the music video (watch below):
The video opens with a lavish setting complete with pool and various ornaments and material possessions, depicting the 'high-quality' of lifestyle, reflected in the lyrics. Iggy reclines against the diving board over the pool waters whilst rapping the opening to the song, wearing red bikini bottoms and gold top. The scene switches between the pool atmosphere and Azalea in a bedroom with a young white tiger positioned on the bed next to her (whilst most of us would be terrified, Iggy isn't phased).
The scene then cuts to Ms. Azalea performing in a Las Vegas-type show, complete with elaborate head-dress, neon palm tree lights & sparkly night-time themed background. Iggy and her accompaniment of backing dancers perform an energetic, sexy and fairly well-choreographed routine emulating something you might find in Las Vegas show.
Then begins T.I.'s cameo, which unlike some appearance from other artist's in songs (cough, Will.i.am) isn't pointless and actually adds something to the song, providing a nice break in Iggy's vocals. Iggy performs more dancing with her troupe with the different setting of a Volcano in the background, with the lighting changing to red.
The colours and imagery are exciting and interesting, and you will certainly be entertained watching. Afterwards, we can see Azalea playing around with fun hats and talking to her dancers in the backstage dressing room whilst the chorus for 'Change Your Life' plays in the background. To close the video, Iggy can be seen dancers in front of a neon sign, whilst simultaneously a video of the cops taking Ms. Azalea away mixes in. Things begin to take a turn for the worse as the singer attacks the car she has been sitting on with a briefcase full of money and smashes the windscreen - and then sets the car on fire.
Well, that escalated quickly. The whole compilation of video imagery is then covered in fire as the video cuts out. The video is in a similar style to her previous MV's, with feisty, entertaining and fun imagery mixed with some interesting elements and a lot of colour. So, what do you think of the Australian recording artist's latest track and music video? Reviewed by Mel.
So, in for Part 2 is the South-Korean girl group f(x), with their video (scroll down to watch) for their track 'Electric Shock', taken from their second EP of the same name. The song itself is an electronic/dance-pop mix, and the lyrics focus around an 'electric' type of feeling that occurs when falling in love (emphasised through the repetition of 'Electric Shock').
The aforementioned element creates a hook for the song and the varying electronic tones and beats in the track give it that something extra, making it easily memorable. It's an interesting sound and is fairly easy to bop (or dance) along to, and the video is well-matched for the narrative of the lyrics. So, what makes this one of the best (in my opinion) K-Pop videos? That's easy - it's not just the track which is so catchy and clever, it's the video; focusing around the electric theme, it incorporates a fusion of colour, 'shock' and dancing, which make it highly memorable. (Video below)
Ok, so the video itself opens with dimmed lighting, featuring a few spotlights accentuating the empty dance floor/set, whilst the girls hide away in the shadows. This creates the sense of atmosphere and the contrast in lighting help set the scene for the electrical display to follow.
Suddenly the lights kick in and we're met with a infusion of pink, white and purple, as the girls formulate a circle, walking round and facing the camera in turn. The first person we see clearly is Krystal, who's wearing a skull jumper, patterned shorts and her hair in her usual style, whilst she sings in the 'Electric Shock' lyrics.
Next up is Amber, who joins in and has similar attire consisting of a long, graphic print vest, long black and white shorts and gold jewellery. After her is Victoria, Amber and Sulli, in similar attire. The girls then break off and out body-pops Krystal who sing the first full length lyrics, and then the girls go back into a group formation and start their electric dancing. The girls switch between different outfits whilst they sing their verses, and then we're transported to a crystal white and blue room, adorned with quadric shapes.
The choreography is slick, dynamic and exciting, reflecting the music beautifully. We then are treated to the first proper break and the tone and beat with a solo from Luna as the other girls explore their new surroundings. Then, as quick as a flash, we're back to the original room and Krystal is brandishing a electric 'tazer' complete with obvious sparks.
Wild hopping and arm pumping ensues as the scene switches between the icy and pink room, featuring close-ups of all the members in turn. After the chorus, Luna then begins to sing again, and Victoria joins her. Then, Amber, Sulli and Krystal begin to harmonise and join in, but break off to allow Sulli her solo.
After a while, Amber performs her verses again, and then all the girls brand their electric weapons like some sort of vigilante group and a similar break to the tone and melody as before occurs. Now it's Krystal who takes centre stage and performs waves of dance and rhythmic movement with her fellow members.
After a while of highly choreographed and strong dance sequences, Victoria can be seen laying on the floor of a different room and she sweetly looks towards the camera and sings softly, whilst the floor pulsates beneath her. More repetition of 'I'm in shock, Electric Shock' repeats and the girls shake and bounce their way through the rest of the song, playfully brandishing their electric weapons and various points. Overall, it's a high energy routine featuring fun and driven dance moves, it's sung well and the sounds are aesthetics of the video are entertaining and pleasing.
The video isn't as crazy as some that are out there (or in this special segment of Best K-Pop videos) but it's fun, memorable and clever. The song itself was of course highly successful for f(x) and garnered them critical acclaim from critics and audiences alike, and really put them on the map in terms of K-Pop music and videos, so it's only suitable it feature in this segment. So, as always, are you a fan of the video? Had you heard of the f(x) before now, and if so, which is your favourite video (or song) by the girl group? (More Parts coming soon, keep checking back for new additions.) Reviewed by Mel.
If the title of the post hasn't given you enough of a clue, Coldplay have a new single out, specifically made for the soundtrack from the motion picture The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. As expected, the track is suitably cinematic in it's construction; providing airy and whimsical vocals, with dramatic changes in pace and melody.
The piano accompaniment add the extra element of flair to a light and atmospheric track. The sort of feeling the track evokes is a sense of peacefulness; it's almost as if you are gliding along with Chris Martin's vocals. (watch the lyric video below)
This is suitably so, considering the context of the lyric video, which focuses around stars, constellations and archery (very Katniss-like). The simplicity of the colours, (white with varying purple tones) ties in with the overall strangely peaceful track, but still adds to the element of drama that occurs at particular points in the song.
The video itself is certainly high-quality and features intricate detail, despite being (as previously stated) a fairly simplistic idea, and this works well with the song. The 'lights' in the video increase in intensity and volume when the chorus occurs and this adds to the drama and atmosphere of the piece.
The shades of blue, green, pink and purple used just add to the whole video's 'out of this world' effect and theme, and set the viewer up for the motion picture the track is ultimately designed for. Reviewed by Mel.
I thought it would be nice to take a break from the latest K-Pop videos and look back on some of the best K-Pop music videos from way-back-when. Up today for Part I, is the South-Korean girl group, Girls' Generation. In case you didn't already know, the aforementioned group consists of nine members: Taeyeon, Jessica, Sunny, Tiffany, Hyoyeon, Yuri, Sooyoung, Yoona and Seohyun. The first track and video that we're going to be reviewing is the multi-colourful video for the song 'I got a Boy', the title track from the girls' fourth Korean album.
The track itself is an infusion of styles, from rapping to regular singing, with a mix of hip-hop, pop and electronic influences. The track would be best described as an eclectic, chaotic infusion of different beats, melodies and stylings which cater to all ranges of pop tastes. It's upbeat, sexy, ever-changing and could be classed as a K-Pop anthem. The accompanying video (watch below) is bold, bright and well-choreographed, but more on that below:
The video opens with a similar segment to the one present in the video for 'Dancing Queen' with the girls intrigued by a ring from the doorbell outside, as they all huddle close to see who it is. We are then transported in a POV shot through the eyehole in the door to an elaborate stage with a white, pink and blue shard background.
As the girls sass their way through the opening of the song showing off their mismatched and vibrant outfits, Sooyoung and Yuri perform the a rap segment of the song. And then we have lift off. The screen cuts to the a street filled with neon signs and kaleidoscopic patterns and colours. The girls raise their hats in the air and the whole fun affair starts. Tiffany struts her way up to the front and performs a type of spoken introduction in her bejewelled hat, pink top, black shorts and (of course) with a shed-load of accessories to boot.
The girls perform a high-choreographed dance sequence with plenty of attitude and well-executed footwork whilst we are treated to cut scenes of each member apparently flirting with the guy and featuring close-ups and individual segments from all the members. Just as we're bopping along to the music and enjoying the scenery suddenly everything changes: the music halts, the background changes and the girls all throw off their bejewelled and dazzling hats and break it down to the new music. This time, we're in a pink a gold patterned room with a mirrored floor.
It's elaborate, it's colourful and we're loving it. The girls are precisely in time with each other, complimenting the dance moves and highly orchestrated choreography and then, a giant white teddy bear appears. Cute. The girls shuffle, slide, sass, shake and strut their way across the floor, reminding audiences that they are back and bigger and better than ever. Then, once again everything stops and Tiffany waltzes up to the mic under a spotlight and blasts out notes in a orange wig and bright pink/purple parka.
We then see the bright diamond background and Taeyeon in a similar looking wig with a slightly darker trench coat and then all the girls in similar wigs and trench coats. Once again the music switches and we are back to the room (with pink and gold patterns) and then similarly perform more dancing whilst the track plays over with them singing and strutting their stuff. The video concludes with the girls posing in the street from the beginning in unison.
Love 'em or hate 'em, the Girls from Girls' Generation sure know how to put on a show and the video is a wonderfully turbulent, prismatic colourful infusion. The track is original and fresh and suits their girls' style and attitude perfectly. So, that's Part I in the Best K-Pop Music Videos, Part II coming soon! So, what's your favourite music video/track from Girls' Generation? Have you heard of them before or is this your first time, and do you like what you've heard? If you want to check out the other parts of this special segment, then click the links below (updated as and when they are released) Part 2 with f(x): http://scenesisters.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/fx-electric-shock-best-k-pop-music.html Reviewed by Mel.
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