Chart Mondays: ZAYN Featuring Sia - Dusk Till Dawn


Dusk Till Dawn (feat. Sia) - ZAYN |

Anyone who knows me, knows I'm not a fan of ZAYN, although I really do like his collaboration with Taylor Swift, titled "I Don't Wanna Live Forever". This is another new collaboration that has only been out for a couple of weeks and he's already made it into the UK Top 10, whether he'll stay inside, who knows. I'm not so keen on this song either, but it's time for my Chart Mondays review and Sam Smith is still at number one with "Too Good At Goodbyes" and I actually think this won't be in the Top 10 for very long; it's just not that catchy. Watch ZAYN and Jemima Kirke team up to steal a case from a gang and the police, in this music video for "Dusk Till Dawn" which features Sia.

ZAYN, full name Zayn Malik, is best known for being one-fifth of boy group One Direction; well he is mainly known for being the first to leave the group and head off on a solo career. All the boys from the group are doing amazingly well as soloists on charts all over the world. This song seems to be the second single from his to-be-released second studio album, the first being "Still Got Time" which features PartyNextDoor. This one has had much more success, probably with the help of Sia fans, since Sia features on this song. Sia, full name Sia Furler, is a phenomenal singer/songwriter who has a tonne of hits to her name. She totally brings it for her songs, so it's no surprise that this has done well. The song was written by Zayn Malik, Sia Furler, and Greg Kurstin.

As for the music video, that was directed by Marc Webb. ZAYN stars alongside Jemima Kirke; again, there is no Sia in this video whatsoever, although that is definitely something we're getting used to. It's quite a dramatic video but one that isn't easy to follow.

Drawing inspiration from movies such as Casinos and Goodfellas, this music video is completely in-depth; yet, it's difficult to follow due to them trying to pack too much into a five-minute and a half clip. Actually, I think they could've focused more on the narrative than the performance piece to allow viewers to fully understand what is going on.

The opening ten seconds of the song sees flash clips of the entire video, we pretty much know what to expect before it happens - waste of ten seconds in my book. ZAYN looks inside a briefcase before shutting it up and watching Jemima Kirke outside his window. He then goes out on the street with his briefcase, where men in suits are seen to be looking for him.

ZAYN avoids them by heading down a Chinese celebratory street, where he spots Jemima Kirke; they have a longing stare at one another, before the police show up, taking ZAYN. The police take him to a warehouse, where they intimidate him before realising there are only clothes in the briefcase.

As for Jemima Kirke, it turns out she and ZAYN swapped briefcases at one point - did we all miss it? - and now she's packing and ready to escape with ZAYN when he returns. The final scene sees them deceiving both the guys in the gang and the police, leading the police straight to the gang. Yet, we never do find out what's in that briefcase.

Overall, this music video is trying to condense a film-long action-packed sequence of events into just five minutes. It seems like a tall task, yet they waste so much time such as the ten seconds at the start and the police-with-ZAYN scene that it just leaves the viewers confused about the storyline. It really isn't that easy to follow. I'm also pretty sure the song doesn't relate to the video either, so I'm really not sure what to make of it. Regardless, ZAYN deserves to go into the acting business after this music video, it certainly suits him.
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Chart Mondays: Louis Tomlinson Featuring Bebe Rexha & Digital Farm Animals - Back To You


Back to You (feat. Bebe Rexha & Digital Farm Animals) - Louis Tomlinson |

Where did this one come from? Like, seriously? It's just crept into the top ten of the UK Singles Chart at number eight, which is its highest peak to date. This week's number one is Dua Lipa's "New Rules" which I reviewed last week, therefore opening the top ten today's Chart Mondays review. I'm actually surprised I haven't written about this video yet. My problem with this is that Bebe Rexha is only featured on the track, whereas her involvement makes it much more like a collaboration and so I feel like it should be Louis Tomlinson & Bebe Rexha, especially since they both appear in the music video as much as each other and she even starts the track off. Watch Louis Tomlinson walk around Doncaster showcasing his football skills and Doncaster Rovers Football Club's Keepmoat Stadium whilst Bebe Rexha acts as the sexy girl next door in this music video for "Back To You" featuring Digital Farm Animals.

Louis Tomlinson is best known for being one-fifth/one-fourth of One Direction, who are on hiatus as they all focus on their solo music careers. All the members have gone in completely different genres of music, yet they are all performing well when it comes to the charts. This is Louis Tomlinson's second single to date and it's done moderately well on charts around the world - it's certainly a grower of a song. He's also made his mark in the football world, having played for Doncaster on non-contract terms; he has also played in charity football matches. Featured on this track is Bebe Rexha, real name Bleta Rexha; she's an American singer who has been building up her career for a few years. She's definitely one who likes to impress and will continue to build her name and reputation. She's had quite a few hits to date in collaborations, but it's about time she had a solo hit. Also featured is Digital Farm Animals, real name Nicholas Gale, who is a British DJ. He has worked with a lot of big names so far; yet, this song is his biggest hit to date. I expect we'll be hearing more of him in the future. The song was written by Louis Tomlinson, Nicholas James Gale, Pablo Bowman, Richard Boardman, and Sarah Blanchard.

Directed by Craig Moore, this music video is a pure performance visual that doesn't add anything to the song - in my opinion. I feel that the video doesn't go anywhere and doesn't attract the audience in pressing that replay button.

Kicking the song and the video off is Bebe Rexha, she's in Doncaster with Louis Tomlinson, but they don't meet up until much later in the video. As for Louis, he's walking around the streets of Doncaster, showcasing the back alleys and the streets. He comes across a kid, they play football together and Louis kicks the ball into the goal - poor kid.

The video continues with some cute shots of these two singers together. From Keepmoat Stadium to them performing on a couch in an alley. There's also a café shot which is where Louis Tomlinson starts to sing; as well as a pool club venue, where you can see both singers with cues.

Overall, this video goes nowhere, it doesn't keep the audience interested and Bebe Rexha practically pulls Louis Tomlinson through this performance. He seems really down, which doesn't sit right considering the song is supposed to be a light-hearted track. There is down bits about the song but there's also nice bits too, and I just feel Louis Tomlinson fails to bring the emotion across for the song in the visual. It's slightly relatable though, and it showcases his love for football.
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Chart Mondays: Liam Payne Featuring Quavo - Strip That Down


Strip That Down (feat. Quavo) - Liam Payne |

Yet again, the number one of the UK singles chart has been claimed by Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee with "Despacito" featuring Justin Bieber - which still doesn't have a music video, yet; so this opens up my Chart Mondays review, and I have been dying to review this one. Another One Direction solo debut single, and this one is totally a jam of mine. I'm literally claiming it as my favourite solo material from the guys, and I'm totally looking forward to Liam Payne's future releases because I never expected that his musical route would be totally up my street. Watch Liam Payne perform his debut single "Strip That Down" alongside Quavo in a neon-lit room, segmented with an on-fire dance group who nails brilliant choreography throughout this music video.

Liam Payne, in case you didn't know, was one-fifth/one-fourth of One Direction before their hiatus. All five members of the group have gone solo, with Liam Payne being the last of them to release solo material. This single managed to peak on the UK chart at number three, but now it's slowly heading down the top ten, and will probably drop out completely by Friday, or the Friday after. Featured on this track is Quavo, real name Quavious Marshall, who is mostly known for being one-third of hip-hop group Migos, as well as featuring on DJ Khaled's "I'm The One" alongside Justin Bieber, Lil Wayne, and Chance the Rapper. This song is beyond catchy and works perfectly. It samples Shaggy's hit song "It Wasn't Me", which itself samples War's "Smile Happy" which explains the long list of songwriters. "Strip That Down" was written by Liam Payne, Steve Mac, Ed Sheeran, Quavious Marshall, Orville Burrell, Rickardo Ducent, Shaun Pizzonia, Brian Thompson, Sylvester Allen, Harold Ray Brown, Morris Dickerson, Le Roy Lonnie Jordan, Charles William Miller, Lee Oskar, and Howard E. Scott.

Directed by Emil Nava - another popular music video director - the music video is a pure performance visual. It has two main parts, Liam Payne and Quavo singing the song, and a dance performance from a dance troupe.

As for the performance visual, Liam Payne is trying to look sultry and sexy, but he just looks like he is not enjoying this at all - maybe that sunbed room is too hot for him? He seriously looks lost without his band mates beside him. In the song, he mentions how he is having fun, yet he fails to send that across the viewers; and, apart from the one smile that takes up a few seconds of this music video, there is no enjoyment from him in this music video whatsoever.

As for Quavo, he tries not to overshadow the ex-One Direction member, and he doesn't do half a bad job. Yet, it's this amazing dance troupe, with the killer choreography that grabs the music video entirely. However, I am not so keen on the black and white contrasting with the very colourful neon room. You can watch the full dance video below.

Overall, this just doesn't work. I feel there was an attempt to make this sexy in every way, but Liam Payne looks bored out of his mind, more than anything else. There is a very long silent intro, that definitely lined up the tragic music video. The dance troupe pretty much saves this disaster of a video. However, the song will still continue to be a jam of mine, and I cannot wait for Liam Payne's future music; it's just a shame about the video.
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Chart Mondays: Harry Styles - Sign Of The Times


Sign of the Times - Harry Styles |

Time to do my Chart Mondays music review, and Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee feat. Justin Bieber is still on top of the UK music charts with "Despacito". The Justin Bieber version doesn't have a music video, unfortunately, therefore opening up the UK top 10 to my review and it looks like Harry Styles will be dropping out next week. The last time I watched this music video was when I had to review it for Outlet Magazine. I am not that into this song or its music video; actually, I don't really like Harry Styles or any of the other One Direction members, and I usually stay away from their music as a whole. But here he is now, making his solo debut on my blog. Watch Harry Styles take to the skies in his solo debut music video for "Sign Of The Times".

Harry Styles is best known for being one-fifth, or one-fourth of One Direction, who came third on the seventh series of The X Factor. He launched his solo career with this song and soon followed it up with an album and promotional instant-grat singles. His sort of music is very different to those of the One Direction days, and it really isn't my thing. This song did reach number one but didn't have a music video at the time. As of now, it's sitting at number ten on the UK Singles Chart. It was written by Alex Salibian, Jeff Bhasker, Harry Styles, Tyler Johnson, Ryan Nasci, and Mitch Rowland.

Directed by Woodkid, the music video was set in Isle of Sky in Scotland. It doesn't exactly relate to the song, but seeing Harry Styles soar into the sky is something new and interesting.

There are various stunning imagery used throughout. There was a green screen used, as well as a stunt double; both of which is fairly obvious and unexpected.

Favourite scenes especially include when he runs on the water, and when the invisible helicopter creates the ring around him, on the water. It was clearly thought out well, and they made it totally work in more ways than one.

Overall, it's extremely simple but was risky. It stands out from other music videos as it's not at all typical. Yet, there's no substance to it, he doesn't look that eloquent up there in the sky; he should've been like the people who fly on Dancing on Ice; instead, he's just floating in the sky, doing nothing spectacular.
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Chart Mondays: ZAYN & Taylor Swift - I Don't Wanna Live Forever


I Don’t Wanna Live Forever (From "Fifty Shades Darker") - ZAYN & Taylor Swift

With Ed Sheeran totally dominating the UK Singles Chart, with three songs in the top ten at the moment, of which, "Shape of You", is still chilling at the top; ZAYN and Taylor Swift will be my Chart Mondays review today, instead. To me, this is an unlikely pairing, and yet the collaboration is total fire from start to finish. ZAYN and Taylor Swift's voices work totally well together and I sure hope this isn't the last song they collaborate on. This song was done for the Fifty Shades Darker soundtrack, although the music video isn't an obvious soundtrack video. Watch ZAYN and Taylor Swift perform this very sultry song in a hotel during this music video for "I Don't Wanna Live Forever".

ZAYN, full name Zayn Malik, is mostly known for being one-fifth of boy group One Direction before he left the band to focus on a solo career in music. He wanted to release music authentic to him, and he's definitely done that. His "PillowTalk" is still one of the most incredible debut singles that people are still talking about and covering today. As for Taylor Swift, she's brought country music to the world, and then made giant leaps into pop music, ones we totally forgive her for because they're amazing songs. She has a new album coming out sometime in the future, and I cannot wait for it to drop. This collaborative effort has had global success, as we expected. It was written by Taylor Swift, Sam Dew, and Jack Antonoff.

Directed by Grant Singer, the music video sees ZAYN step out of a car in the rain and enter a hotel, this is where he starts to sing and where the rest of the music video takes place.

The start of the video shows the problem stars face in their everyday lives. Paparazzi. These people have always been a problem for celebrities, and there are a lot of songs that cover this from Britney to Lady Gaga. Many stars have hit out at how annoyingly ruthless paparazzi are, and there have been several hundreds of music videos showing this. Now it's time for ZAYN to hit back at them.

Performing in their separate hotel rooms, Taylor Swift and ZAYN deliberate on their relationship, getting angry and smashing things up, while also having subtle lost moments. It really shows how powerful each of these stars are. They're meant to perform, they're meant to sing, and here they are doing just that. It's a great music video but it's just missing the wow factor.
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Chart Mondays: Zayn - Pillowtalk



Zayn is back from leaving One Direction last year, and his debut single has got everyone talking, no wonder he flew straight into number one and managed to become my Chart Mondays review. Sporting a totally new look, Zayn sings a sultry song that makes him look quite sexy, in my opinion, which is surprising for me as Zayn was my least favourite member of One Direction. Zayn's debut blasted him to the top of the UK chart, but does this music video do the song justice? Visualisations are played to the maximum, visually defining sexiness to an entirely new level.

Zayn Malik was one fifth of British group One Direction. He broke away from the band citing creative differences, although his first single seems to be in a similar style to One Direction's recent singles, so much so that it's no wonder that their fans are in favour of this song. He has definitely come a long way from that young boy in The X Factor who cried during bootcamp. It was written by Zayn Malik, Anthony Hannides, Michael Hannides, Levi Lennox and Joe Garrett.

The music video was directed by Bouha Kazmi, and features the wonderful Gigi Hadid, who has been popping up in various music videos, recently. I hope this isn't her last.

Sexy and sultry, Zayn is giving Nick Jonas a run for his money, however this doesn't quite match up to the powerfully gorgeousness of "Levels", although it isn't quite far off.

This is extremely artistic, enough to make me in awe. Zayn is in a dreamed visual, imagining his deepest desired mixed in with pain and blurred lines. Again, it reminds me of Windows Media Player's visualisations, this seems to be a common theme in recent videos, especially after Diplo & Sleepy Tom's "Be Right There". However Zayn's video is much more modern.

Gigi Hadid plays a much better role in this, than her previous role in Calvin Harris & Disciples' "How Deep Is Your Love", however she is definitely getting recognition all around the world from these videos, so I hope to see her appear in more music videos in the future.

Overall a great debut song, that is now stuck in my head, yet is it any wonder, Zayn had to come out with a massive hit, or leaving One Direction would have looked like a bad move. Will Zayn keep up his success? Only time will tell. The big question is whether he made the right decision. It worked for Geri Halliwell, for some time, before her music career decided it didn't want to exist any more, but with songs like this Zayn's career has only just started.
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Chart Mondays: One Direction - History



Well this is the end of One Direction, FOR A YEAR or maybe a little more, but this is not the complete end. One Direction is not finished, they are just on hiatus, and we all know that their comeback will be one of the biggest things in music. They are taking a break from the group to do their own things, hell the video proves they deserve this, and what a brilliant last music video, for now, they will come back, I'm telling you that now! One Direction says their goodbyes in this video, for now, the band is not over, and they don't want their fans to be done with One Direction, and this video is a great representation of that.

One Direction are a four-piece boy band who hit global success after coming third on the seventh series of The X Factor. They are currently on hiatus, if you haven't already guessed, and apparently will come back in 2017. They consist of Niall Horan, Harry Styles, Liam Payne and Louis Tomlinson. They originally had a fifth member, Zayn Malik, who pulled away from the group and has recently released his debut single. This song was written by Wayne Hector, John Ryan, Ed Drewett, Julian Bunetta, Liam Payne and Louis Tomlinson. The song is a fair well for now to their fans, in my opinion, and they promise to reform again.

The music video is amazing, directed by Cal Aurand and Fulwell 79, it contains clips of their journey so far. They look ever so young when they were first put together on The X Factor.

They are definitely the most successful act from The X Factor, despite coming third in the competition.

The video has a lot of clips of the boys, some surprising scenes that we've not seen before, or ones that are much older. I love the friendship between them all, typical brotherly love they all clearly have.

The performance side of the video is too similar to "Drag Me Down" for my liking even though the ending is extremely sad. However the ending was apparently cut too short as they rushed back together at the end, to signify that this isn't the end of the group, but if it wasn't shown then it's suggestive that this could well be the end for One Direction.

Overall, perfect video that looks back over their career and what they have done. They have included a few clips of Zayn Malik too, even though he has been hitting out lately about the group. He has become the Geri Halliwell of One Direction. I wonder where these boys will go next.
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Chart Mondays: One Direction - Perfect



Adele's "Hello" has finally been knocked off the number one spot... By Justin Bieber with "Sorry"... Only that has yet to have an official music video; leaving me, once again, with my chart Mondays open to the top 10. The top five, unfortunately, are either filled with videos I have reviewed or they don't have one. With little to choose from, I chose this one because I feel that One Direction have totally upped their game since Zayn Malik left the band. Classy and stylish, One direction shows what perfect means to them, which is trouble in hotel rooms, little rendez vous and going places you can't pronounce.

One Direction now consists of Harry Styles, Liam Payne, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson. Since becoming a four-piece they have definitely had much more catchy songs, so it's no wonder they chart so highly. This follow-up to "Drag Me Down" is a perfect ballad, that you can't help but sing-a-long to. Written by Jesse Shatkin, Jacob Kasher, John Ryan, Maureen Anne McDonald (MoZella), Julian Bunetta, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson.

Here are the boys in black and white... They come across classy, but it's rare for me to approve of this setting on a music video. It was directed by Sophie Muller.

The video shows the boys lives whilst on tour and what they do in their spare time. Links in well with the song in the aspect of the hotel corridors and they also doing things they shouldn't, like playing football indoors.

Relaxed and fun, the band really perform and proves that they are good to see live. They capture the essence of themselves, their own individualities and an attempt at a look-in of One Direction as a whole, some may say their lives are perfect.

Simple, easy, tiring; the black and white effect does not help this video at all, and has definitely taken one star off this video. All four guys are again singing to one girl, very similar to their debut "What Makes You Beautiful", however have to hand it to them, everything else is just fine, not great and definitely not perfect.
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One Direction - Drag Me Down



This has to be my favourite One Direction song thus far. I did like "What Makes You Beautiful", but their voices in this song are so powerful and emotional, this is exactly what I've been waiting for from these guys. A memorable video to boot too, although it only links in with the drag me down part of the song, since they're in a spaceship and creating a force against gravity. Maybe they're off to see Britney in "Oops!... I Did It Again" or maybe they're after Ariana Grande in "Break Free".

One Direction hit headlines recently as they announce they're splitting up, however it's only for a year, before they return as a band again. So can we get this straight, just like many other bands do, they're going on hiatus, they are not splitting up completely... So can we all stop using the words One Direction Are Splitting Up, because they really aren't. They deserve this break, and they will get back together after a year.

They are now a four-piece band consisting of Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Liam Payne and Louis Tomlinson. Recently, Zayn Malik left the band to pursue a solo career, however if this is the outcome with him not being in the band, then they're better off without him. Sorry Zayn fans, but every time I saw Zayn, I always thought of the day he cried at bootcamp on The X Factor, not a good look at all. They came third on the seventh series of The X Factor, behind Matt Cardle and Rebecca Ferguson. Other notable stars from that year includes, Cher Lloyd, Mary Byrne, Katie Waissel, Paije Richardson, Aiden Grimshaw, Belle Amie and Storm Lee. The song was written by Julian Bunetta, Jamie Scott and John Ryan.

Directed by Ben & Gabe Turner, the video is set at NASA, and features One Direction as astronauts, I have to admit, this has not been done before, and the idea that a spaceship defies gravity and there for even gravity can't drag them down is a great link.

Their performance piece looks good, purely because of the setting and the camera angles as well as the way the cameras are used. However, it works exactly the way you expect, as it makes you want to go and see them live. I saw them live at The X Factor Tour, but they have a lot more energy now than back then, and you can see it in their music videos.

Overall a video that doesn't disappoints, but doesn't give us the wow factor. However the song makes up for that entirely as the song is so heartfelt and emotional, even though they didn't write the song personally, you know they've connected with the song and they mean what they're singing.
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UK Entry: Engelbert Humperdinck - Love Will Set You Free

Engelbert Humperdinck was a big star in the 60's and 70's along with the legend that is Sir Tom Jones. But lately he hasn't been doing that well, and when we all heard that he was going to be our UK entry into the Eurovision, most of us, of the younger generation, went "who?" Last year, the UK tried to appeal Eurovision to the younger generation with Blue's "I Can" and it worked, but for some reason that people have no clue as to why, they picked this person. I had to research a lot about him before I really knew who he was. But before he had been selected I wouldn't have had a clue who it was. I give him ten out of ten for doing perfectly well at the Eurovision with this song, he has an amazing voice that you can't help but like, and with this catchy song, you could tell we might grab a few points, but unlucky for us, he had to sing first, so most people forgot this song since all the amazing acts had followed. We grabbed 12 points, and placed 25th, just ahead of Norway. I just hope that next year in 2013, we get to either have our say, or we get a upbeat song as for the last 5 years we've had ballads, that really aren't for the Eurovision, in my opinion.

"Love Will Set You Free" was written by Martin Terefe and Sacha Skarbek. I'm sure I've wrote Martin Terefe's name before. Sacha Skarbek has produced and wrote quite a few well known songs and albums, I can see him appearing on my blog a few more times in the future. This song kind of reminds me of the sort of song a boy band would sing, such as One Direction. It's the sort of song you could sway to, but also understand all the lyrics. I loved what Engelbert Humperdinck has done with it, and he makes it really catchy, but it is missing this spark, that was apparent in quite a few other entries.

The music video is a pure performance piece. There's not much going on, so I don't see me commenting much, although I loved the lighting and it was really clever how they recorded it. It's quite laid-back which works well with the song.

I like the fact that there is a guitarist that we can see and it allows the camera to focus on him as well. There was more going on in the performance on the stage. There were two dancers who was choreographed by Arlene Phillips. I would have liked to have seen them appear in this music video.

Overall, I think it's a pretty good song, it's something nice and relaxing, however the music video is lacking a lot, and I think the staging was in Baku, Azerbaijan. I have my fingers crossed that next year we shall do well, but I'm not holding my breath.

One Direction - One Thing

Okay, so I'm not a fan of One Direction and usually skip over their music videos, but I was struggling today to pick a video for this blog, and I decided to look at the TV, spontaneously, I just picked it.

One Direction came Third on the seventh series of the X Factor. The band members are Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson. It was one of few series that released quite a few artists into this world, they are: Matt Cardle (winner), Rebecca Ferguson (second), One Direction (third), Cher Lloyd (fourth), Mary Byrne (fifth), Katie Waissel (seventh), Belle Amie (eleventh), Storm Lee (fourteenth) and Nicolò Festa (sixteenth). One Direction has had quite a few hits here in the UK, and have recently took over America, winning a lot of hearts out there, and creating "One Direction Infection". Not only that, they have become the first British Group to have their first album go straight to number one on the Billboard chart. I have previously reviewed "What Makes You Beautiful" on this blog. They will be one of the biggest acts around the whole world, but my question is... Why is there a winner of the X Factor, when other positions clearly do better... Where is Matt Cardle now?

"One Thing" is the third single to be released in the UK from this band. It was written by Rami Yacoub, Carl Falk and Savan Kotecha. Obviously only the best writers for this band, they have all worked with big names in the past, and also created What Makes You Beautiful. This is another great and catchy song, and again it looks like a bright future for these guys.

The music video is performance based, which is usually not my favourite type of music video, however, it's done differently and it puts a great spin on things, and definitely stands out from other performance videos. Which is extremely difficult to do.

There is a lot of One Direction fans involved in this music video. They were invited to join the video, but on one condition only... And that was that they had to find out where it was being filmed through a series of clues, which may be the reason why they are all very excited, although, I bet that is usually what their fans are like.

The music video is basically a tour of London, with One Direction singing here and there, such as on some steps, in a park, on a bus, and in front of fans.

Overall, it's definitely a different kind of music video, with a great song to go with it. It charted at number 9 here in the UK, but has done a lot better elsewhere. These boys are going to be a worldwide success, if they aren't already, and it looks like they've come out on top from that series of the X Factor.

Big Time Rush Featuring Mann - Music Sounds Better With U

Big Time Rush has been attempting to hit the UK charts for a while now, and haven't been doing all that good. So while the UK's boy band: One Direction, goes over to the states; Big Time Rush releases a majorly catchy song that is worthy of a big chart position. This song is going to be big, especially since the music channels can't get enough of it. The band consists of 4 members, who are: Kendall Schmidt, James Maslow, Carlos Pena Jr., and Logan Henderson. This song is their best so far in my opinion, and I reckon that if they stick to these sorts of songs, they will be an international band. Mann features on this song, real name Dijon Shariff, and raps great to the song, I was expecting something different so when he started rapping I was really surprised. The song is very catchy and I know it will do really well here in the UK I think, depending on when it will be released.

This music video is really interesting  it's both narrative and performance, and it's very noticeable. It links in well with the song especially since they're at a party and having fun. I also like the fact that each guy has a girl, (think One Direction needs to take notes!)

There are 2 different parts to this music video, and it's edited well. There is the party scene, that links in with the song and they each have a girl they are with. I like the photo shoot as it's classy but funny and clever. I also like the fact that we follow each pair before they're all together.

As for the performance/choreographic scene, this is neat, tidy and really controlled, they have a set of choreography and repeat it at certain points, which is interesting and allows people to learn it and copy it, which is always the added bonus in music videos like this one.

As for the bit where Mann comes into it... Well to be honest I don't really see the point in it (pretty much the same with Travie McCoy in StooShe's new song "Love Me"), I think it could be done without, however I reckon these collaborations happen because they need more promotion and need to get more people to buy the single, therefore the sales from a collaboration allows 2 sets of fans to buy the single, rather than just the one. Although, I think this still would be a hit without Mann.

Overall, this is a great song and I'll be very surprised if it doesn't chart here in the UK. The music video is a good representation, and I'm not sure what else could have been done with the video. I'm trying to find a bad thing to say about the video, but there isn't one, so I have no choice but to award five stars. Can't wait for what's around the corner for these guys.

New Release: The X Factor Finalists 2011 Featuring JLS and One Direction - Wishing On A Star



This is the X Factor Finalists' charity released song, every single year the contestants create a single with all proceeds going to a certain charity, over the past few years it's always been the "Help for Heroes Charity", however this year they've changed the charity. Now all proceeds are going to "Together for Short Lives" charity.

Differently, this year the finalists have collaborated with One Direction and JLS, making this one of the most ultimate line-ups ever, and begs to question why Simon Cowell decided to make it a collaboration... Rumours suggest that he doesn't think this years finalists are good enough, however in my opinion I think he wanted to make sure the charity got the most amount of money possible, and in this case managing to get One Direction and JLS fans to also buy the single.

The X Factor Finalists include: Jonjo Kerr, James Michael, 2 Shoes, Nu Vibe, Sami Brookes, Sophie Habibis, The Risk, Johnny Robinson, Frankie Cocozza (doesn't appear in the video, or radio edits, but does appear in the single as he recorded his part before being ejected from the show), Kitty Brucknell, Craig Colton, Janet Devlin, Misha B, Amelia Lily, Marcus Collins and Little Mix. One Direction and JLS also feature on this single. But will it reach number one? With all those high charting positions and those incredibly talented artists right at the top at the moment, will they have a chance at getting to the top spot? We'll just have to wait and see.

The song is "Wishing on a Star", first released by Rose Royce, and it became quite a hit in the UK managing to get to number 3. It has been covered by a number of artists including: The Cover Girls, Jay-Z featuring Gwen Dickey (the most well-known version), Beyoncé and Seal. The X Factor Stars perform it amazingly, but I do feel sorry for the ones who were evicted early and who didn't have their own solo part, and I think it's a little unfair how some of the finalists who were evicted early got a solo part, whereas others who went further in the competition didn't.

The music video is definitely pretty good, it's nice to watch and I like how it's been edited, although sometimes I dislike it because of the editing. It's definitely one of those music videos you'll watch if there's nothing better on, and one of those videos you'll probably only ever watch once, I definitely wouldn't go out of my way to watch it again, and although it isn't rubbish, it's not amazing either. It's just your typical average multi-collaboration music video.

I like the idea of the video footage of "Together for Short Lives" in black and white, it makes it more emotional and you can feel what they want to get across. However black and white videos annoy me, purely because we have colour now and they can film in colour, so why not make it as emotional in colour. Personally I think they use this effect because they don't think they'll get the message across as clearly enough. So they try to make it sad and upsetting using the black and white editing tool.

The finalists in the music video are displayed really good, and you know that they mean every word they are singing, I like the fact that they went to visit some of the children, which makes it more personal to them. However the editing got on my nerves. During some points a new finalist would start singing, and the video wouldn't cut back to the finalist who was singing, and so at some points you haven't got a clue who actually sung a certain part.

Overall it's an average music video, and a really emotional song, but it's not much of a collaboration as each of the finalists do not have a solo part, which isn't their fault as they all deserve to be on the single. The music video is okay but I wouldn't watch it any more than I have to. I'm sorry to give this rating, but this definitely could have been a lot more.

New Release: Matt Cardle - Run For Your Life

Matt Cardle is the most recent winner of The X Factor in the UK. That series has possibly thrown out the most acts who have then gone on to release singles and albums, or are about to, these people include: Matt Cardle (winner) Rebecca Ferguson (second), One Direction (third), Cher Lloyd (fourth), Mary Byrne (fifth), Katie Waissel (seventh), Belle Amie (eleventh), Storm Lee (fourteenth) and Nicolò Festa (sixteenth). I did buy Matt Cardle's first single "When We Collide" as I rooted for him through out the whole of the X Factor, but I don't think I like this song and I definitely feel that he is going to be another male X Factor winner that is going to be dropped from the Syco label. But we'll just have to wait and see.

This song is written by, now X Factor judge, Gary Barlow. And to be totally honest this song definitely sounds like a song you'll find sung by Gary Barlow's band Take That. But further more Take That wouldn't even release this song as a single, and I really do feel sorry for Matt, he's definitely not with the right group of people at the moment. The song is about telling his partner to run off and leave him behind because there's better people than him in the world and she deserves better. I think it is a good meaning and Matt Cardle's voice makes it that little bit more special, however I really don't like the song and that's not at all Matt's fault.

The music video is okay, it looks really cheap and nasty though and compared to the various other X Factor winner's second singles, this obviously isn't the best, some may say it's the worse so far. The budget (if there was one) was obviously spent on those projectors, which is pretty stupid since there are much better ideas to create, and it just lets this song down even more. Matt obviously had little to say in it, and the camera shots used aren't that very good. I think this projector idea looked better down on paper, and it must have been too late to change it once they started filming it.

I don't really know what else to say, I can't really comment on the girl in the video because the video has been edited so there isn't a lot to say about her, although some may say that she could do a lot better than Matt, and that's probably what they planned on trying to show. I like the fact that they show her running as it definitely links in with the song. This song is very difficult to put into a video, and although lots of people can think of various ideas, would it really link in with the song as well as this does?

Overall, I really like Matt and I wish him the best on his future music career, however with the Syco record label behind him, it's going to be difficult for him to show off his real talents since he is very much an indie singer and that's not the classic pop that Simon Cowell is used to. I won't be buying this single or his album, but I hope that others will and I hope we'll be seeing him a lot more. I don't like the song that much although I like the meaning behind it, and the music video... I have to admit I avoid it at all costs, however it does link in with the song and definitely goes with it to an extent. Here's my rating and I hope a few of you agree with it at least.

US5 - Maria


Us5 - Maria - UK Version Video by darklibra

I couldn't find this video on YouTube, so I ended up using other video sites in search for it. I had no idea before now, who US5 were, and by the looks and sounds of things they sound like they are the US version if the UK's band "5ive" who did really well here in the UK and worldwide. This band has got great chart positions over the last few years in Europe, but failed to make an impression here in the UK. US5 was made up of 5 people from either the US or the UK or Germany, however they have had many changes in the band recently and some of the people in this music video are no longer in the band. The line-up in this music video are Christopher "Richie" Stringini, Izzy Gallegos, Tariq Jay Khan, Michael "Mikel" Johnson and Christoph "Chris" Watrin. The band was formed thanks to a talent show that was broad casted across the MTV station in the UK, US and Germany called "Big In America". This is their first ever single, and the only one to have ever charted on the UK charts.

This song is very catchy and it's a little disappointing that they failed to make an impact here in the UK, however some people may say that they were 10 years too late, and to be honest it is reminiscent of the cheesy 90's pop music that surrounded the likes of "5ive" "A1" and "D-Side", and there just isn't room nowadays for this sort of music, and as much as I like it and find it catchy, there will be people who would detest it and therefore it would never be a hit, and it also explains why none of these bands have survived, and this is most definitely just another one to add to the ever-growing list of failed bands. The song is about falling for a girl called Maria and she's supposed to be really pretty and so she's got them all wrapped around her finger and they'll do anything for her.

I really like the music video, I like how they each have their own Maria (as people's fantasies are all different unless you're "One Direction" with "What Makes You Beautiful"). I also like the idea that each Maria is from a different country, it creates a whole new spin on things and also suggests that this band planned on worldwide success, it's just a shame it never happened. Also I bet you a lot of girls at that time wanted to be Maria for obvious reasons.

I really like the choreography steps, it makes you want to join in and learn the moves too (but that isn't going to happen now is it?) The song is really catchy and so it's clever how the dance moves aren't as cheesy as the song, and so it actually works, in whatever way. This song is seriously stuck in my head, and it is one of those songs that you can't get enough of, and you don't care what others think of you as you're singing a long, because it is so catchy.

Overall the music video is clever, it definitely reminds me of something "A1" would've done. The song and the band both reminds me of "5ive" and "D-Side", and it's a shame there is no place for any of these bands in the UK music industry at the moment, would cheesy-pop ever be in the charts again? Or are we just going to have to face it, and let it live on in the 90's as a past-time? We'll just have to wait and see.

One Direction - What Makes You Beautiful


One Direction came third on the seventh series of the X Factor. That series is probably the only series to have the most live final contestants release singles and albums, or at least have signed to a record company. So far there is, Matt Cardle (winner), Rebecca Ferguson (second), One Direction (third), Cher Lloyd (fourth), Mary Byrne (fifth), Katie Waissel (seventh) Belle Amie (eleventh), Storm Lee (fourteenth) and Nicolò Festa (sixteenth). This is One Direction's first single, and it's bound to do well on the charts especially since mid-week has predicted number one for them. This song is catchy and heart-felt, it does sound similar to other songs, which I'll mention later, and it is one of those songs where you don't even realise you are singing a long to it until something drastic happens like the radio being turned off or something, and you're still singing. It's that catchy which would explain why it'll get a high charting position.

One Direction is a 5 member pop band whose singing voices are brilliant on their own but even better together. The 5 members within this group are Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson. In the X Factor they all auditioned for the boys category, at boot camp some of them paired up and made friends to try and get through boot camp stage. By the suggestion of Nicole Scherzinger these boys were grouped up into a boy band, and now thanks to her, we have One Direction. I have to say that I really don't like Liam's hair, it used to be straight in The X Factor, however now he's tried to copy Harry a bit, and it definitely hasn't worked out for him, I don't think. One Direction are now storming YouTube with just over 8 million hits, with popularity here in the UK as well as America and Australia. This band could be the next big thing, and could be the first UK X Factor band to make it as global megastars.

This song is all about a girl who the boys think is beautiful only she is shy and is unaware that she is, but apparently "that's what makes you beautiful". I don't know whether the intentions behind the song is hat all 5 members want to go out with her (imagine that argument over who would get the girl) or just someone each of them have known in the past. The song was written by Carl Falk, Savan Kotecha and Rami Yacoub. Savan has once again popped up as the song-writer on this blog, the last time I listed him as song writer was for Britney Spears' single "I Wanna Go", so he is becoming more and more well-known in the music industry, and can definitely see more catchy song-writing coming from him soon.

The music video is a little weird, I am not totally sure what to make of it. The music video contains a lot of fun, which is what you naturally expect from this band, however it isn't what the story is about really, is it? One Direction are on a beach waiting for this girl and her friends to show up. I find it funny how they only ever show one girl when the band members are singing, it suggests that they all like this one girl which seems a little over the top, if you asked me. This one girl could be taking all five on a ride.... But I don't see why each member didn't have a girl of their own to sing the song to.

I really like the bit towards the end when you see clips of the band and they've just sparked up the sparklers and they are sparkling in the background as if all the bits of sparkle are showering the members, I know how they've done it but I think it's quite clever, it goes with the "Na Na Na Na Na Na Na" bit in the song, but that's all I can pair it up to, along with the fun element side of this video. I still don't get why they didn't make this video a bit better.

Overall I really like this first single from this band, I can so see them becoming really big, but could imagine that a split might happen in about a decade's time maybe, since each member did audition by themselves. But maybe I'm wrong, maybe they do have a strong bond between them all and that it will last until they are old, we'll just have to wait and see. However the video isn't that good, and it's quite average to be honest, with very little links with the song. So I'm sorry to give it this rating, but I have to be totally fair.
Buy on iTunes

New Release: The Wanted - Glad You Came

This is The Wanted's 5th overall single, but their 2nd single from the as-of-yet untitled 2nd album. The have been a big hit here in the UK, managing to already score a number 1 with their first ever single: "All Time Low", and their other singles have all managed to get inside the top 20. Could they get another number 1 from this single? We'll just have to wait and find out.

This boy band consists of five members who are: Nathan Sykes, Max George, Siva Kaneswaran, Jay McGuiness and Tom Parker.They all had their 15 minutes of fame before starting this group, but they wasn't in the lime-light for long. Now they are getting bigger and bigger, and people are becoming more and more aware of who these guys are. They will definitely become a well-known band. With boy bands such as JLS and One Direction, these boys have competition on their hands, but I think they'll stand their ground and get their worthy chart numbers.

So this song is called "Glad You Came", it's about having fun and being with the person you like and spending time with a party or out in the sun. They sing about being "glad you came" and "the sun goes down, the stars come out" giving the night-light appeal. However I like the fact that there is a hidden meaning to this song, the people who are old enough will know what I'm on about, and I really can't help but laugh whenever they say "Glad you came". Having two meanings is a really good idea, which will probably help boost this song to number one easily.

The music video has a lot of eye-candy in it, for both men and women. I definitely like the start, it's kind of like an introduction, this really represents the video, and although it was probably used to use up space on the video, it works neatly within the song as the song is slow-paced at the start. The editing from one shot to the next is dead on time to the beats in the background of the song, this gives it a fast paced feel that definitely represents the song.

I like how each band member is with a girl each, this way it shows they wasn't short on people, and it also made it easier to shoot, although some things are a little over-the-top considering children or kids may end up watching this, especially since it may turn out to be number 1 on the Singles Chart.

There is so much going on in the music video, it is difficult to keep up, and even though the fast-pace relies well on the song ad the music, it becomes difficult to follow, and towards the end you give up. But then it all slows down again, for the perfect little outro that suits the song and the music video really well.

Overall it's a catchy kind of song that will be hitting the clubs all over the UK. There are various scenes, from a club, to a house party, to the beach to the water. There are pillow fights and beach volley ball. But everything goes by so quickly that you only see some bits after watching it 3 or more times over. Which is probably intended to help raise the YouTube hits. Anyway this will almost definitely reach number 1 and I'll be surprised if it doesn't.
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