I had quite a few options for my Thursday Revisit today but decided to go with a bit of Carrie Underwood since she hasn't appeared much on my blog, and this is another awesome song from her. I don't understand how her songs don't quite make it on the UK chart; they're incredibly catchy with a hell of a lot of promotion she could chart internationally. Country music is just difficult to sell to the UK, but I'm sure she can get there if she pushes just a little bit harder. This should've been an international hit. Watch Carrie Underwood save herself from a tornado, but let her drunken father get taken by the storm in the "Blown Away" music video.
Carrie Underwood won the fourth season of American Idol in 2005. Since then she has established herself as a country music female artist. She's at the top of her game but hasn't managed to crack the UK market, just yet; not lack of trying, though, she even performed on The X Factor. This song is one of three singles that has charted in the UK, but none have been in the Top 100; this one in particular charted at number 155. This song was written by Chris Tompkins and Josh Kear. It won a GRAMMY award for 'Best Country Song' in 2013.
Directed by Randee St. Nicholas, the music video is, once again, a brilliant translation of the lyrics, completely developing the storyline of the song into a brilliant narrative; all of which is set amongst a Wizard of Oz theme. There is also a killer performance piece throughout, which totally knocks this video out of the park. It has got it all. The video won 'Female Video of the Year' at the American Country Awards and 'Video of the Year' at the CMT Music Awards, both in 2013.
The opening scene sees Carrie Underwood working on some homework, whilst her father pours alcohol into his coffee. He imposes on her work, and says that he can help, then grabs her arm. All before saying: "I am your father, young lady." He is played by actor Pepper Sweeney. The opening scene was completely unscripted and, apparently, very intense. Carrie Underwood's arm was left bruised afterwards.
The first scene is displayed in black and white, showing that it is a part of her past. The song starts up and we return to full colour. Carrie Underwood and the viewers watch a storm start to brew. Which links in with the opening lyrics, right from the start. She also walks through a graveyard, where we're to presume her mother is, due to the lyrics at that point.
She runs into the house, in an attempt to wake her abusive drunken father, but he has drunk too much and is asleep on the couch. She's not sure what to do; considering her options, she then decides to hide out in the basement, just as the lyrics suggest. We see flashbacks of how her father has treated her, and how this all leads to revenge; karma if lack of another word. When the storm is over, she comes out the basement and walks away in the beautiful sunshine; now free from her father.
Throughout, there are references to the 1939 Victor Fleming-directed film The Wizard of Oz; which can be seen on the TV inside the house. There are also yellow bricks embedded in the road, leading to her house; and at the end, there is a dog, although it looks nothing like Toto.
Not only that, but the music video is segmented with a performance piece, which Carrie Underwood nails throughout, as expected. The narrative also becomes part of the performance when she is in the basement, upset about her father being taken by the storm and yet it's much-needed karma. She is one of these singers that I need to see live and anyone who does get to see her, are definitely in for a treat. She puts so much heart into every song she sings, it's no wonder she's one of the biggest female country stars in the world.
Overall this music video has got it all. Once again, Carrie Underwood stuns us with her visual performance. "Blown Away" is out-of-this-world incredible. It blows the audience away and totally hits home with everyone who watches it. Amazing, Brilliant. Stunning.
My Halloween Special isn't all about the new Halloween songs, old ones have to totally be included as well. Although I am more of a fan of the more recent version of this song by Beatfreakz, which is also called "Somebody's Watching Me", there is just something more haunting about the original. The song features Michael Jackson singing the chorus, with Jermaine Jackson provides backing vocals. Rockwell arrives home thinking that "Somebody's Watching Me" inside his house. He envisions items and people, turning it into a very paranoid music video.
Rockwell, real name Kennedy Gordy, is the son of Motown founder Berry Gordy. He had a short-lived career in the 80's, releasing three albums and ten singles. This debut single is his biggest hit, possibly because of the featured vocals of Michael Jackson as well as the backing vocals from Jermaine Jackson. The song hit the UK charts at number six, but Beatfreakz did better by hitting number three in the UK. In the US, Rockwell hit number two with this song. But got to the top spot in Spain and Belgium. The song was written by Rockwell.
The music video is low-budget and directed by Francis Delia. It's a complete narrative with a short performance piece embedded within.
Rockwell arrives home to discover his house has become haunted. He envisions various things, from his dog being a mutant pig, to someone watching him in the shower. It's relatable from start to finish.
The star is really not having the best time in his house. Even the people on the TV come up to the screen and watch him. There's also this freakish butler who appears in the background of the thumbnail. He also envisions himself buried in the graveyard, as well as various other spooky things.
This is inspired by the film 'Psycho', but the visions is reminiscent of 'The Dead Zone'. The haunted house theme is a classic Halloween storyline that always manages to scare. Michael Jackson, unfortunately, doesn't appear in the music video, regardless of the fact that he provides the vocals for the chorus, neither does Jermaine Jackson.
The ending of the video leaves it on quite the cliff-hanger, maybe his visions were all leading up to this point. It's a great low-budget music video that has everything we could possibly need. The singing in the shower performance piece isn't so engaging and feels a little too fake and Rockwell is totally not comfortable being filmed in the shower.
This song is at number one hence why I am reviewing it today, catchy and euphoric. It mixes different genres together, and even though this is a hit, and this group has done well in their home country of Denmark, I feel that their other songs will be similar, too similar and so may not chart as well as this one has. This is a similar case with Hozier, who's song "Take Me To Church" got to number one but he's other singles failed to make as much of an impact. Even though Lukas Graham is one to watch, I don't see the band making a constant global success. I just don't. Lukas Graham are showing us the beginnings of song writing, explaining and just plain singing, the video is a bit tongue-in-cheek and it works to a degree.
It's so hard to think of this group as a band, especially with a name as their band name. Anyhow, Lukas Graham consists of four members, these are Lukas Graham Forchhammer, Mark Falgren, Magnus Larsson and Kasper Daugaard. The band have been getting number ones in Denmark since 2012, and have been a total success over there. They caught the attention of Warner Bros. Records who co-signed them. This is the reason why they have become an international sensation with this song. However it begs to question whether they will have hit after hit much like in their own country. Lukas Graham Forchhammer is an amazing vocalist, possibly Denmark's answer to Adele, but whether the success will continue is the question on everybody's lips. The song reminds me of Hozier's "Take Me To Church", but whether they will follow Hozier's downfall is something we'll be keeping an eye on. The song was written by Lukas Forchhammer, Stefan Forrest, Morten Ristorp and Morten Pilegaard.
The music video was directed by René Sascha Johannsen. It is in black and white, which is an instant turn off for me, unless a certain reason is established in the first few scenes, which there isn't apart from making the scene with the trees lined up look detailed and magical, which it does yet I'm sure it would've also looked just as great in colour.
It is mainly performance based, with Lukas Graham Forchhammer singing his song. I love how his story is practically told, through both the lyrics of the song and the music video, it's like he goes back in time and becomes his seven and 11 year old self in which he visits the scenes where he smoke herbs and is drinking liquor according to his lyrics, is that what happens in Denmark? Although it's probably unsurprising as you could probably find that happening anywhere in the world.
The song continues with the story of his life and his future life and so does the music video. It includes a guy much older than him, who has a slight resemblance, so we presume it's his dad, but more of an on-screen dad as his father passed away a few years ago aged 61, as the song tells us.
There's explosions, fire and a performance on stage where they have their tops off, which isn't appealing all that much, but the band has the confidence to do just that, which is exactly what we need in the world, everyone isn't perfect, slim supermodels.
Overall, a great song full of emotion; it's unsurprisingly catchy, no wonder it's at the top of the UK charts, however they will need to follow-up with an amazing song and album to keep their international success, although it seems doubtful. The music video is in painstaking black and white, although it can be considered because of his dad dying and the lyrics about his dad, although it still doesn't make complete sense. The performance seems okay, although emotions aren't displayed as well, and it doesn't encourage me to see them live. The slight narrative is all right, I got totally confused when there was two people lip syncing to the song, it just messed with my head as there is only one singer, hence why I found it slightly tongue-in-cheek. Then it ends and I feel sad, and I have no idea why. I think Lukas Graham has hypnotised us all, now it depends how long for and when we wake up, will we still like their music?
It's my birthday today, and what a way to start it off, finding a whole new duo that is currently exciting me, and being able to promote them as my New Release this week. I have not been this excited for a duo song since Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello collaborated on "I Know What You Did Last Summer". The Girl and The Dreamcatcher proves that Disney isn't who they are when it comes to their music. Catchy and meaningful, this duo is one to watch out for, with a spooky video to boot.
The Girl and The Dreamcatcher is currently my favourite duo. They have everything we want out of Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello's "I Know What You Did Last Summer", yet them two probably won't be collaborating again, whereas this duo is an official group. I'm fully excited to see where their journey will take them, hopefully many brilliant songs like this one, an amazing album, and a global hit, because they definitely deserve recognition. The duo consists of The Girl, who is Dove Cameron, and The Dreamcatcher, who is Ryan McCartan. Dove Cameron is known for playing twins Liv and Maddie in a Disney show of the same name, Ryan McCartan also stars in the show as Diggie. Disney is hitting these stars here, there and everywhere, and hopefully these two will follow the footsteps of Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez and Demi Lovato. Their first single was "Written In The Stars", and this song is their follow-up single. They also released two Christmas singles last year. Keep you're eyes open for these two, I'm calling it, they will be the next big stars, if not this year, it'll definitely happen next year. They just need more recognition.
The music video is pure brilliance, filled with Pretty Little Liars vibes as well as Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello's "I Know What You Did Last Summer", the video pretty much starts with us all thinking it's going to be an amazing cover version. However the song is totally different.
A full narrative and performance piece, Dove Cameron visits the grave of Ryan McCartan, and drops a rose, which falls into his grave. His grave consists of a stage and I can just imagine him singing all day long to other dead people. Can I be buried in that graveyard in the future please? I want to hear his voice all day long, every day; but Dove Cameron has to be eventually buried there too so we can hear her amazing voice too, their harmonies are better than perfection.
The video continues and Dove Cameron envisions Ryan McCartan wherever she goes, she imagines him wherever she goes. It's his ghost or spirit coming back, wanting to see her, dance with her and obviously sing with her again.
The choreography scene is magical, The Girl and The Dreamcatcher shows us exactly what they've got, these two can dance, no doubt about that, and they prove themselves as credible dancers and singers as their emotion flows perfectly, I really would like to see these two live, it would be a show I wouldn't want to miss.
Overall a perfect song that has Eurovision vibes to it, can't we get them to represent the UK in this year's Eurovision? Especially since duos seem to do well in the competition, and this song is exactly what is doing well in the contest recently. The video is on point, perfect and although gives vibes of other things we may have watched, it doesn't matter, everything is a copy of everything no matter which way we look at things. Nothing's completely original even if we originally come up with the idea, with no inspiration. I can't wait to see where this group will go. The future is more than bright for these two.
