Rihanna - SOS


SOS- Rihanna |

There wasn't much choice for my Thursday Revisit, I had planned to do a donkeyboy music video review, but they're all meaningful which will mean I'd have to go into great detail; and, since I am on a catch-up spree for this blog, I need easy visuals to review. So, taking that on board, I chose "SOS" by Rihanna as it isn't really a memorable music video, and certainly one that allows me to keep detail to a minimum. Watch Rihanna dance through these visuals as she acts sexily in some of the scenes in this music video for her song "SOS".

Rihanna, real name Robyn Fenty, launched on the scene in 2005. This song was her first single from her second studio album in 2006. It charted well globally and continued her success. She's now one of the top female artists in the industry with a whole host of chart hits, notable singles, incredible albums, and amazing awards; she truly is unstoppable. This song is such a jam now, still to this day, which shows that she really can release some incredible tracks. The song contains a sample of "Tainted Love", which was written by Ed Cobb, and was made famous by Soft Cell. It was originally given to Christina Milian, who turned it down, so it was later given to Rihanna. "SOS" was written by J.R. Rotem, E. Kidd Bogart, and Ed Cobb.

Directed by Chris Applebaum, the music video is a pure performance visual, which showcases Rihanna in various scenes and locations. She certainly knows how to give fuel to the song in the visual, giving an infectious energy that was definitely needed for the song.

We start off with her in a low-cut green dress that matches the tropical plants behind her. This scene later becomes iconic from Rihanna's back-catalogue of music videos - everyone remembers what she wore. The other scenes get lost, there's the one where she's wearing a glittered skirt and a ripped white vest as she dances flirtatiously with a man.

Then there's the mirrored room, which was certainly all-the-range back then. In this scene, Rihanna gives legs for days. Mirrored rooms have been used so many times in the past, it's no surprise to see it in one of Rihanna's videos. There are also other dance scenes that show that she can really move and follow choreography perfectly, yet there isn't enough emphasis on those scenes since they're short and sweet. Clearly, they decided to show off her sexy shots more than her dance technical ability.

Overall, the music video isn't all that memorable apart from the green dress scene. It could have been so much better. I can't help but laugh at the Nokia 3250 that she uses - why did I not know about that phone? And, why did I not have one of those when I was younger? I thought I had seen it all, but I was not expecting Rihanna to twist the bottom - I so would've had this as a child if I had known about it. Still, it's an okay music video, but I expected something so much better.
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Rihanna Featuring Jeezy - Hard


Hard - Rihanna & Jeezy |

I recently heard this song in a movie trailer, the film in question is titled "Breaking In" (which just goes to show that this blog is backdated, since the trailer, which can be viewed here, was released on 11 January 2018, and this blog is backdated to 24 December 2017). It has been stuck in my head ever since, and to be fair, so has the visuals from the movie - since that film does look epic! In comparison to this music video, this visual certainly falls short. What I wasn't expecting was the military couture, Rihanna's style is on point throughout and she certainly knows how to work these outfits! Watch Rihanna commanding her troops as she brings high-fashion to the military and the desert while Jeezy raps a segment in this music video for "Hard".

Rihanna, real name Robyn Fenty, has definitely established herself as one of the top female artists in the music industry. She has had a number of hits although my favourite era was certainly the Good Girl Gone Bad era and I still consider "Don't Stop The Music" a total jam. Her recent releases haven't quite hit their mark single wise, and it'll be interesting to see where she goes from there. She is currently working on her ninth studio album, so expect new music from her pretty soon. The song features Jeezy, real name Jay Jenkins, who was previously known as Young Jeezy. He was in rap group Boyz n da Hood, and has gone on to have quite a few hits, his biggest solo hit to date is "Soul Survivor". The song was written by Terius Nash, Christopher Stewart, Robyn Fenty, and Jay Jenkins.

Directed by Melina Matsoukas, this music video is a pure performance piece set in the desert, drawing inspiration from high fashion and combining it with the military.

As I previously stated, Rihanna totally works all the fashion items, to the extent where she really put her own stamp on the fashion industry with her military couture. Some of the clothes aren't typical, yet she works them as if they are everyday wear. Her spiked-shoulder tight-fitting dress became an iconic look for her and this video really established that.

The theme relates greatly to the song because the song is all about being strong and fierce - hard, for lack of a better word - and Rihanna styles that out with the theme and her confidence. Jeezy doesn't add much to the visual, but his words are needed to break up the song.

Overall, this is a completely unforgettable music video - there's even a bright pink tank, which is pretty memorable. Rihanna brings it and her gladiator look is totally on-point, well until she decides to get muddy. With this female singer being strong and powerful, Jeezy kind-of falls short.
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Chart Mondays: DJ Khaled Featuring Rihanna & Bryson Tiller - Wild Thoughts


Wild Thoughts (feat. Rihanna & Bryson Tiller) - DJ Khaled |

We have a whole new number one guys! Once again, it's DJ Khaled, only this time he didn't need the help of Justin Bieber to rise to the top; instead, this is a collaboration with Rihanna and Bryson Tiller. However, it is set to be a one-week number one as "Despacito" by Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee featuring Justin Bieber plans to climb to the top once again - summer is truly here. Rihanna totally shines on the track but in the video, she doesn't have her star quality and something is certainly missing. Watch DJ Khaled, Rihanna & Bryson Tiller perform "Wild Thoughts" in Little Haiti, Miami, Florida, amongst the streets and up in the sky in this music video for the song which is the current UK number one.

DJ Khaled, real name Khaled Mohamed Khaled, has really turned into an international star after "I'm The One" charted all over the world, and now he is continuing his success with hit single after hit single. DJ Khaled is seriously becoming someone everyone wants to collaborate with and I am excited to see what killer songs he is going to release next. On this track is Rihanna, real name Robyn Rihanna Fenty, who needs no introduction... You'd have had to be living under the biggest rock in the world to not know who she is; however, her latest songs haven't impacted the chart that well and aren't all that catchy, in my opinion. I do miss her club hits from years ago, nothing can top "Don't Stop The Music". Then there's also Bryson Tiller on this track too. This is the first time he has charted inside the UK Top 40 and at the top too, opening the UK public to his music, although his albums have charted well to date. The song incorporates a sample from "Maria Maria" by Santana, hence the long list of songwriters; who are DJ Khaled, PartyNextDoor, Bryson Tiller, Rihanna, Raul Rekow, David Mcrae, Marvin Moore-Hough, Carlos Santana, Karl Perazzo, Wyclef Jean, and Jerry "Wonder" Duplessis.

Directed by Colin Tilley - one of the top music video directors around at the moment - the music video was filmed in Little Haiti, Miami, Florida. It's mainly a performance piece as Rihanna is fierce throughout whilst DJ Khaled takes the spotlight at times and Bryson Tiller remains in the background in some interestingly visual profile shots.

The start sees DJ Khaled and Rihanna walking down the street; interspersed with shots of people at an event, enjoying the music. She acts confident and sassy during her walk and even does some dancing with DJ Khaled.

Next, we see her wearing a floaty blue dress which certainly doesn't flatter her at all, in a bedroom. Her clothing for this music video is very relaxed and chilling; it doesn't scream high fashion and probably explains why she doesn't shine throughout the video.

For his part, Bryson Tiller brings it in the song, but he also doesn't shine enough during his visual. Bryson Tiller and Rihanna do bring wild thoughts but it's just not enough there to entertain the audience. Apart from the gorgeous performance ending, that sees all three artists on a block as fireworks light up the sky behind them - which is a brilliant scene although that's to do with the concept and not the artists themselves - the music video just doesn't keep the audience interested and this just feels like another music video to mix in with all the other average ones out there.
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Rihanna - Disturbia



A bit of Rihanna's "Disturbia" for us all! It fits in nicely for my Halloween Special! This was possibly the turning point that put me off Rihanna. I didn't like the direction she was going down with this song and her subsequent songs never matched up to the love I had and still have for "Don't Stop The Music". Besides this entire music video freaked me out back in 2008. Rihanna is pretty much possessed in this "Disturbia" music video. Freakish dancing, disturbing themes and it still chilling to this day.

Rihanna, real name Robyn Fenty, is a worldwide global superstar. Everyone practically knows who she is and at least one of her songs. She's iconic and has really built a name for herself. She's at a point in her career, much like Beyoncé, where she can create the music she wants to and it'll still be a hit, regardless of whether it's likeable or not. She's worked her way up to this level and she isn't coming down from it whatsoever. This song was released on a reissue of her 'Good Girl Gone Bad' album, titled 'Reloaded'. The song hit number three in the UK but became another number one hit single in the US for Rihanna. It was written by Brian Kennedy, Chris Brown, Robert Allen, and Andre Merritt.

Directed by Anthony Mandler and Rihanna, the music video is extremely haunting, it freaks me out. It makes me think Rihanna is possessed by something.

The whole concept is intriguing with various scenes depicting the same idea. If anything, it really proves Rihanna's acting ability, because she pulls this off perfectly.

There are many scenes that will take me ages to comment on, although there is something freaky about the blonde wig and the contact lenses she is wearing when she is behind the bars. I also love the chamber where she's tied up via handcuffs; the way she struggles to get out is full of panic.

The spider scene is spine-chilling, I don't like spiders all that much, but those are tarantulas. I don't know how Rihanna kept her cool. Well, she was possessed.

The dance scene is flawless; great, relatable choreography that is totally on point throughout. The only problem I had was that not enough of the dance sequence was shown.

This music video is jam-packed full of everything. It's so disturbing, it works effortlessly and as much as it freaks me out and as much as I don't like it, the music video is relatable, brilliant and total perfection.
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Chart Mondays: Calvin Harris Featuring Rihanna - This Is What You Came For



The amazing dance duo is back, this is exactly the sort of songs that I love to hear from Rihanna as dance music suits her voice perfectly and it's clear she loves singing these sort of songs. With Drake still at number one with "One Dance" which marks it's twelfth consecutive week at number one, my Chart Mondays review is open for the top ten again, although a music video for "One Dance" is on it's way, it has yet to be released. This one is currently sitting at number four on the UK chart. Rihanna performs perfectly in rag-like clothes that she easily pulls off, loving her life in a visual cube box as well as out of it. Calvin Harris' This Is What You Came For shows the Rihanna we all know and love.

Calvin Harris, real name Adam Wiles, is an inspiration to us all. He's one of those rare acts that have built his name from scratch. This Scottish DJ has worked and worked and worked to become this international star, and it has definitely paid off. Calvin Harris will always be setting the charts alight. He collaborates, once again, with Rihanna, real name Robyn Fenty, who has also worked hard to get to where she is now, yeah she may have had a few hit singles when she started, but she made a name for herself by working hard, she wouldn't be here if she didn't. This song was written by Calvin Harris and Nils Sjöberg.

Directed by Emil Nava, the music video is exciting after seeing the cube box and hoping for an extremely visual music video much like Sergey Lazarev's "You Are The Only One"; yet it doesn't work as perfectly and what could have been amazing, falls flat.

Some perfect projected images and video used works really well, and at times it is visually amazing, but the cube fails to work the way we all had hoped, so they switch it up, focusing on Rihanna alone.

Rihanna shines throughout, she clearly loves EDM, house and dance music. She's having so much fun recording the music video, this is the sort of music she enjoys. It's enlightening to see her so happy performing.

Her style is somewhat disappointing, yet she seems relaxed in this rag-like costume, like it's something she wears around her house and pulls out of her wardrobe often. She pulls it off as if it was meant for her, it probably was to be honest.

Overall, the cube fails to work out the way we had hoped, and Sergey Lazarev's "You Are The Only One" really puts this music video to shame in comparison. However, Rihanna's performance is infectious and some visual scenes are on point. They made it work, but it is somewhat lacking.
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Rihanna - Sledgehammer



The video and song everyone is talking about, this is the lead song from the Star Trek Beyond soundtrack. Rihanna has been working on it for at least two years as far as we know, and this is the outcome. She claims to have been a fan of the Star Trek franchise since she was a child and it's a part of her childhood, so it's no wonder that she would want to become involved in the new film in one way or another. Rihanna becomes an alien or extraterrestrial up in her own planet, creating small magic that has us wishing we had her powers. This hypnotic music video for Sledgehammer puts us all in a trance-like state.

The film hasn't even been released yet and this music video is out, but Rihanna, real name Robyn Fenty, as ever, surprises us all. The film is expected to be released at the end of this month, which is when I expect this song will rise quickly in the charts, much like P!nk's soundtrack single "Just Like Fire" did when Alice Through The Looking Glass got released. Rihanna's new single doesn't interest me all that much, she has stepped away from the style of music I loved from her, "Don't Stop The Music", "Umbrella" and "Shut Up And Drive" seem like light-years away, especially in comparison to this which definitely has a Beyoncé 2016 feel to it. It was written by Robyn Fenty, Sia Furler and Jesse Shatkin.

Directed by Floria Sigismondi, the video really captures the loneliness of a person on a planet all by themselves. It was shot through IMAX cameras, the first music video to entirely be shot using these cameras, it probably looked amazing at IMAX cinemas and theatres.

Rihanna transforms herself into some sort of alien, some out of this world being that has magical powers that I'm pretty sure we would all die for. However, she isn't looking all that appealing, but I guess we're used to that with anything from Star Trek, it's more geeky than sexy, and Rihanna pulls it off perfectly.

There isn't much else to add to my review of this music video, there are some magnificent visual concepts and scenes, but none defining or developed enough for us to fully embrace it. This is one of those videos that you will either love or hate, and it totally relates to Star Trek, something I've never managed to get my head around.
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Jennifer Lopez - Ain't Your Mama



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Recently released, this just puts J Lo back on the music radar. Jennifer Lopez is back! But is she here to stay, that is the main question. She's forever dipping in and out of music like dolphins porpoising in water. She releases hit after hit and then takes a break. She has taken up a residency at The Axis auditorium located in the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino, where Britney Spears' residency 'Piece of Me' is, in Las Vegas. Titled 'All I Have', the first leg, consisting of ten dates, were completely sold out. This song is extremely catchy. Jennifer Lopez sports different looks and characters in this upbeat video for Ain't Your Mama. A women empowerment theme, dancing, acting and visually amazing, this video has it all.

Jennifer Lopez in 'Ain't Your Mama'
Jennifer Lopez is probably the only artist I know of who has had a music career spanning more than a decade and not released a greatest hits album. Amassing an amazing amount of global hits, this singer needs to release a greatest hits album filled with all her high charting singles. Instead she just comes back stronger and harder every time, with perfect songs that impacts the charts around the world. This song, however, has yet to chart in the UK, but with the video just being released, and the slow popularity on radio, it might be a brilliant climber. This song was written by Meghan Trainor, Lukasz Gottwald, Jacob Kasher Hindlin, Henry Walter, Theron Thomas and Gamal Lewis. Completely sassy the song is about men finding their girl incredibly sexy at the start of the relationship and then expecting them to do everything for them further down the line.

Jennifer Lopez in 'Ain't Your Mama'
The song caused controversy when released with many Kesha fans urging people to boycott its release. The problem comes from the song being written and produced by Dr. Luke. If you don't know about the Kesha vs. Dr. Luke court case then surely you've been hiding under a rock. The song was written and recorded in 2014 by Meghan Trainor and planned for her debut album 'Title', however it didn't make the cut. Two years down the line, Meghan Trainor gave it to Jennifer Lopez. Dr. Luke was not involved in J Lo's version, but has to be credited as he was part of the original. Regardless of this, it's an amazing song and was definitely made for Jennifer Lopez, her vocals work perfectly for this, I can't imagine Meghan Trainor singing this, but would like to hear how different it is.

Jennifer Lopez in 'Ain't Your Mama'
The music video was directed by Cameron Duddy, both performance and narrative, Jennifer Lopez stuns us as six different characters, all with their own style inspired by different eras. It reminds me slightly of "Papi", and is added to her collection of amazing music videos. There is frequent product placement throughout, just like Avril Lavigne's "What The Hell", it's quickly becoming normal within music videos. Vogue magazine, Beluga vodka and Lavazza coffee are some of the most obvious.

Jennifer Lopez in 'Ain't Your Mama'
Jennifer Lopez starts off as a news anchor, she's in a phone booth having a heated conversation. Next she's at the desk, ready to give a special announcement, whilst Hilary Clinton's 'Women's Rights Are Human Rights' speech is heard followed by Patricia Arquette's Academy Award speech and finally Gloria Steinem's 'Address to the Women of America' speech. She then tells the women at home to get out of their seats and shout out the window 'I Ain't Your Mama'.

Jennifer Lopez in 'Ain't Your Mama'
Various characters are then shown. She plays 1950's house wife, a secretary, a factory worker and a 1980's business woman. Lastly she is shown wearing her thigh-high boots by Rihanna for Manolo Blahnik, gifted to her by the Barbadian singer.

Jennifer Lopez in 'Ain't Your Mama'
The final scene is my favourite, Jennifer Lopez dances with a group of women pulling off complex choreography proving that she can sing, dance and act, Reminiscent of "Papi", only with a group of women instead of men.

Jennifer Lopez in 'Ain't Your Mama'
Jennifer Lopez is the epitome of a triple threat, a trifecta. However it comes at a consequence. She has established herself in singing, dancing and acting, but she isn't on top in any of those areas. But no one can deny that she is on form. J Lo is back, she's still "Jenny From the Block", but she's the triple threat you don't want to clash with. I expect to see 'Ain't Your Mama' climbing up the UK chart soon enough.
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Chart Mondays: Sia - Cheap Thrills



Breaking my own rules once again, this song looks like it's going to be in the chart for sometime and it doesn't have an official music video, but this 'Performance Edit' is probably the closest we're ever going to get to one. Currently her highest charting solo single, Sia has been on quite a journey, now she's one of the top female singers in the world. Sia hides in the corner of this performance edit video, as Maddie Ziegler once again takes centre stage in an incredible dancing performance proving how professional she really is.

Sia, full name Sia Furler, has had hit after hit, she's the one to watch, the one everyone keeps their eyes on because we all know that whatever she releases will not only be current, but completely change pop music entirely. Yet she only has one number one overall in the UK, and that was the collaboration with David Guetta on the song "Titanium". Her songwriting credits are substantial with many well-known songs by popular artists. Sia will always be the one to watch and look out for. This song is currently sitting at number two on the UK charts, just behind Drake's "One Dance". It was written by Sia Furler and Greg Kurstin. The song was originally intended for Rihanna, who rejected it, it was then passed on to Icona Pop, who also didn't fancy the song. Guess these things happen for a reason, since this is Sia's biggest solo single, in the UK, so far.

this was directed by Sia & Daniel Askill with Ryan Heffington as creative director and choreographer.

There's not a lot to this video, since it is a performance edit video and not an official one. Maddie Ziegler is an outstanding performer and dancer, to which we already know.

She is backed up by two male dancers, who's names were released by Sia's manager David Russell. They are Nick Lanzisera and Wyatt Rocker. It is doubtful whether these two will appear in any of Sia's future videos, however, this is Sia we are talking about, and just look at her continued relation with Maddie Ziegler, who has appeared in a total of four of Sia's music videos: "Chandelier", "Elastic Heart", "Big Girls Cry" and this one (although this is not an official video).

The choreography is nailed to perfection, which is unsurprising since all three dancers are clearly professional. They perform totally in-sync, there's not a line out of place. This is beyond perfect, there's just not a better word out there. This is near to impossible not to get wrong yet all three dancers are flawless.

Overall, this would never work as an official video, but as a promotional performance edit video it is faultless. The choreography is crazily amazing, performed superbly. I love the addition of Sia in the background with her wig on, and yet she takes the spotlight's shadow during a short scene of the video. Amazing, beautiful, perfect, exquisite. Although not appealing, it completely works. I've dropped a star, purely because it's not an official music video, however it wouldn't work as an official video. Broke my rules again, just like I did for Justin Bieber and his "Purpose" album's promotional videos: "The Movement". But so worth it.
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Rihanna - Shut Up And Drive



I love looking at Rihanna's old videos, she's so different and yet still popular today. This was the time I loved Rihanna, although my favourite song is "Don't Stop The Music", which I've already reviewed. "Umbrella" has been reviewed also, so let's go with this one, one me and my brother used to sing a lot due to a character saying it on The Simpsons: Road Rage game. Rihanna looks sexy as she cleans, fixes and buffs cars up in a junkyard before starting a street race.

This was released nine years ago, how time flies and how people change. Nowadays Rihanna is banging out chart hits but it's far from these days when I became a fan of her. Rihanna, real name Robyn Rihanna Fenty, brings out her rocker chick in this song and music video, probably inspired slightly by Avril Lavigne. The song was written by Evan Rogers, Carl Sturken, Stephen Morris, Peter Hook, Bernard Sumner and Gillian Gilbert. It samples New Order's "Blue Monday".

The music video is directed by Anthony Mandler, it is a slight narrative built in to a relaxed performance piece, you can really tell Rihanna loves singing this song.

This isn't anything new, but it's nothing old either, it has been done plenty of times before and after... Inna's "Clubrocker" and Taio Cruz "Dynamite" easily come to mind.

The choreography is slight, but well thought out and done to precision. Exactly what we expect from Rihanna.

The street race could've been more interesting, and a narrative could've formed, making Rihanna the prize, since the song suggests she's looking for a driver who's qualified.

The performance is perfect, if there wasn't so many different scenes, some come out of nowhere, such as Rihanna performing with a band, this would be fine if it was the main focus, but Rihanna being gorgeous is the main focus so the inclusion of the scene felt unnecessary. Rihanna performs sultry, she obviously loves this song, and you can't blame her because it is catchy with a hidden meaning to the song, it sure ain't about driving cars. Yet there's too many different performance scenes, it would've looked better with two, maybe three different ones.

Overall, a great simple music video, yeah it's nothing we haven't seen before, and a narrative could've come out of it, and yes there was many different performance scenes, but looking at the video as a whole, it's sexy, it's sultry, it's relatable, it's daring, it's hot. This may have it's errors, but it is gorgeous nonetheless.
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Chart Mondays: Rihanna Featuring Drake - Work



Rihanna, Rihanna, Rihanna. Gone are the days when I was actually a fan of hers. Now, I wasn't expecting much from her for this music video, but she actually surprised me, because we get two music videos in one. So now I'm going to have to review two music videos... It's going to be a long night! Both videos are sexual, the first one is less so than the second. Rihanna twerks. grinds and booty shakes to her new song, most of the time all over Drake, who is clearly loving every second of it.

Rihanna, real name Robyn Rihanna Fenty, is a worldwide superstar, let's be honest, the chances of her career spiraling downwards and ending is never going to happen. Although as she gets older she might not bang out chart hit after chart hit, just look at Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera and Madonna; there are plenty more that are superstars but are suffering in the chart world. I used to love Rihanna when "Umbrella" came out, but it wasn't until "Don't Stop The Music" was released that I fell in love with her music for a couple of years, until she changed style and then I went totally off her. Still, "We Found Love" was the closest she came to making me like her all over again, but it didn't take off in my world. No song from her will beat "Don't Stop The Music", that's my Rihanna tune on any dancefloor! As for Drake, real name Aubrey Drake Graham, he has yet to have a solo number one in the UK, and isn't quite as popular here as he is in other countries. However he is a chart success for a rapper, considering not many do manage to chart consistently well in the UK. This song was written by Jahron Braithwaite, Matthew Samuels, Allen Ritter, Rupert Thomas, Aubrey Graham, Robyn Fenty and Monte Moir.

There isn't a lot to comment on either of these videos, I definitely prefer the first one over the other, but none of them surprises me, or actually makes me want to watch them a second time.

The Director X Music Video



The first music video is directed by Director X, who has been mentioned on my blog multiple times, his videos are usually intriguing and definitely high rated by me, but it annoys me to know that this music video is directed by him, I could deal with someone less known, but why this video Director X, just why?

The music video invites us into a club called The Real Jerk, and it excites me slightly, thinking this music video might be inspired by "Don't Stop The Music". Unfortunately, we are in a totally different club, where twerking and booty shaking is the norm.

Not a lot to comment on, apart from Rihanna dancing in front of a mirror, which I'm pretty sure we've all done often, no? Just me then. I am not a fan of what she is wearing, although I guess it could be a lot worse, and at least she totally works it.

A lot of grinding in this club too, especially against Drake, who is obviously loving every minute of it.

Not a whole lot to this music video, and Director X actually disappoints me, but I guess he didn't have much to go on, especially since the song is inspired by Jamaican songs, and it is a club song and so he manages to relate to the song. Many people will be twerking and grinding in clubs to this song.
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The Tim Erem Music Video



The second music video is directed by Tim Erem. A director I am not aware of, as I haven't reviewed a music video from him, until now.

A solely performance piece in a narrative music video, Rihanna looks entirely uncomfortable, and can you blame her with what she is wearing? Going braless is nothing Rihanna hasn't done before in her music videos, she's been wearing even less in some of them, as well as being nude. Yet with this see through top, she might as well have done it totally topless as the top hides nothing, and although set in a home setting, she doesn't look happy at all.

Rihanna just dances little and sings the song, with no emotion, and no intention of performing like we all know she can. This is too exposed, too raw even for Rihanna, and it just fails completely. Drake doesn't help much either and the video doesn't flow quite as well.

I hope never to see this music video again, as it feels cheap, nasty and low budget. This isn't the Rihanna or the Drake that we know and this video shouldn't have been an option, let alone released.
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Miley Cyrus - We Can't Stop

Miley Cyrus, real name Destiny Cyrus, has finally got her first UK top 10, and not only that but it reached the top spot! Miley Cyrus has FINALLY got her first UK number one, and this song is what put her there. Her previous highest chart number was joint 11, three of her singles from her music career has reached that number and those are "Party in the U.S.A.", "The Climb" and "See You Again". She definitely had a destiny, and this is exactly it. I doubt she'll disappear, and at just 20 (the same age as me) she is very much in the limelight, and I can't wait to see what her album brings, it's bound to be good.

"We Can't Stop" was written by Mike L. Williams II, Timothy Thomas, Ricky Walter, Theron Thomas and Douglas Davis. It has an infectious sound, and apparently was made with Rihanna in mind, I bet they never guessed our sweet little Miley Cyrus would be singing it. But she is far from who we all thought she used to be. I hate to admit this, but I wasn't into it that much the first time I heard it, but the more I've been hearing it, I just can't help but love it as much as everyone else. It really is infectious.

The music video, on the other hand is not what I was expecting. This has a first music video written all over it. But I guess it can be seen as a directional change and so will let it off. Other critics have compared it to Lady Gaga's first music video which features Colby O'Donis "Just Dance" as well as Christina Aguilera's directional change music video which features Redman "Dirrty". And I have to agree.

The song is about being young and having fun and drinking and clubbing and everything that contains, as well as Miley's new favourite dance: 'Twerking'.

There are a few fun bits in the music video, such as the pool and where the water gets splashed over Miley, it is fun fun fun, and what more should you expect. It relates right?

Well it does, but it's not something that I'd go out of my way to watch, the Teddy's are something I would have liked to have seen more of, but it's pretty much crazily fun which makes me realise I'm missing out on stuff at this current moment, and I just feel the video doesn't keep me entertained.

Overall an amazing song that I can't stop listening, well we all can't stop can we? And a music video that does relate but fails to keep me eager to watch it. Leaving me stuck for choice on a rating. But I've finally chosen a rating, and I hope you all agree. As I've previously said, if it was down to the song I would be giving this top stars, but since it's purely music video only, this is my rating. I cannot wait to see what her album brings, and I've heard there's a Britney Spears collaboration on there too...

Rita Ora - How We Do (Party)

Rita Ora has captured the UK in one sweep gaining 2 number ones in a few months, she is definitely the girl who's hitting the UK hard, she is being compared to Rihanna all the time, but could she shake that comparison in the future? This is her second single to be released in the UK and everyone is talking about it, could it be her third number one in a row? It's quite possible, although it is difficult to do nowadays, especially with the number one changing every few weeks, it's just rare to always expect an artist to top the UK chart, but if anyone can do it it's got to be Rita Ora. But she has competition on her hands as the week she releases this song, a number of popular artists also releases the same week and they could potentially grab that top spot, it sure will be an interesting week.

"How We Do (Party)" was written by a huge range of songwriters because it samples "Party and Bullshit" which was a single released in 1993 by Notorious B.I.G. So here goes nothing. The people involved in writing the song were Alex Delicata, Andrew Davidson, Jermaine Jackson, Andrew Harr, Berry Gordy Jr., Bob West, Bonnie McKee, Christopher Wallace (Notorious B.I.G.), Hal Davis, Kelly Sheehan, Osten Harvey Jr., Sean Davidson and Willie Hutch. It seems the more songwriters that collaborate the bigger the hit, I can so see this going straight to the top just like "R.I.P." and "Hot Right Now".

This music video isn't the best, it's basically a huge party that Rita Ora is a part of, and it's showing exactly how they do. There's so much going on, but then also there isn't and this is exactly why I've been finding it difficult to review as there's so much I could comment on but there's little going on.

So let's keep it short and sweet, I like the cut off bit in the middle where you here her say "On that note party and bullshit". I also like the bit when she hits the balloon, that looks like a total unexpected, unrehearsed clip but done so well they kept it in. Other bits such as when the guy throws paint over "God save the queen" seems a bit stupid and doesn't relate, it felt like they were showing off. The UV lighting was unexpected, again doesn't relate exactly but makes this video more interesting.

Overall an extremely catchy song, and it's accompanying music video fits nicely, I could talk about all the little things for ages, but we'll all just get bored as there is little going on, maybe they thought that they didn't need to do a great video because the song's amazing no matter what. But at least it isn't totally different from the song.

Rihanna - Pon De Replay

So I chose Rihanna as my Sunday revisit, purely because I have never watched this music video before, but I had heard the song many times. Rihanna, real name Robyn Rihanna Fenty, first released this song back in 2005, and she looks very different to what she looks like right now. She kind of reminds me of Christina Milian, and to be frank this is the sort of song Christina Milian would release.

"Pon De Replay" was written by Vada Nobles, Carl Sturken and Evan Rogers. None of which have been mentioned on my blog before, as far as I'm aware of. This is the song that made Rihanna, if she hadn't have released this song, would she be where she is right now? It's pretty doubtful, although with that voice, she may have gotten there. "Song Pon De Replay" translates loosely to "Put The Song on Replay", as Pon means upon.

The music video is one of the classic music videos you used to see in the late 90s early 00s. With artists such as Christina Milian's "Am to Pm" and Pink's "Get The Party Started", so it's quite surprising that in 2005 a similar music video popped up, but it failed to get to number one in the UK, only grabbing a number two. Would a different music video have helped to push it that little bit further?

There's not a lot to say about this music video, there is a lot of choreography, and it kind of reminds me of "Don't Stop The Music", that also had the non-music bit at the start, which I always like to watch in a music video. Also the DJ in the music video was played by DJ Cipha Sounds, there is also a cameo appearance from Kardinal Offishall. I also loved the human bicycle at the end, it's not something you usually see.

Overall, a great music video if it was released in early 00s but it was released in 2005, and it obviously got lost amongst the videos that were being released by other artists. This is definitely a catchy song that gets stuck in your head easily, but the music video is missing some sort of spark. If you're going to release a video like this, make sure that there's something extremely different about it.

Rihanna - Where Have You Been

Rihanna is definitely a global superstar, nearly everyone has heard of her (well except for that Irish guy that stopped her filming on his farm). Her real name is Robyn Rihanna Fenty. She has had a number of hits, and she will keep on going. She recently starred in "Battleship" which was amazing, and clearly showed how good of an actress she is. She will definitely get more film roles, which I look forward to watching. She also is planning on doing a TV show and teaming up with Nicola Roberts to find a UK fashion designer.

"Where Have You Been" was written by Ester Dean, Lukasz Gottwald (Dr. Luke), Calvin Harris, Henry Walter (Cirkut) and Geoff Mack. This is definitely a great writing team. Most of them have appeared on my blog in one shape or form, the others are fairly new, but with some big hits behind them. It's extremely catchy and reminds me a lot of "Only Girl (In The World)" and Flo Rida Featuring Sia's "Wild Ones". But I'm sure this wasn't the exact music video I saw this morning.... Could it be possible that they edited it for the UK? I'm not sure as I can't find the one I saw on YouTube, so I guess I'll have to roll with this one.

The music video is interesting, once again it's different to what is about, and there is a lot of choreography to handle in it. Sometimes this is good and sometimes it isn't, depending on who the artist is. We haven't seen Rihanna dance for a while, but here she is, and she does it perfectly. So there's nothing to worry about. The first time I saw it, I thought of "Disturbia", I don't know why, but some of the dancing made me think of that song and it's music video.

There are many different scenes and it's more of a dance music video rather than anything else. And it leaves you wanting more, and there's no narrative either. It's just lacking something, and it's not something I'd go out of my way to watch. If there's something better on another music channel I'd happily swap over.

Overall this song is catchy and it will definitely get a high charting position. But the music video is missing some sort of spark. I think we were all just expecting a little more from Rihanna, and it never came about. A lot of people have compared it to Beyoncé... But I don't see why, they are two very different artists, and although they are both great dancers I don't understand where the comparisons are coming from.

Rita Ora Featuring Tinie Tempah - R.I.P.

Rita Ora is definitely one of my favourite new artists, she sings so clearly and effectively I don't understand how some people don't like her. She was born in Yugoslavia (now known as Kosovo) but was brought up in Britain. She got to number one already in the UK on DJ Fresh's track "Hot Right Now", and this is her first single and it looks like it could go straight to number one. But with competition from Tulisa's "Young" (could be number one this Sunday) and Carly Rae Jepsen's "Call Me Maybe", Rita Ora has a fight on her hands. To help boost sales, this song also features Tinie Tempah, real name Patrick Okogwu. He is someone I'm not too fond of, but I do like some of his songs. This is the first time he has appeared on my blog, but I'm sure it will not be his last.

"R.I.P." was written by a load of people which is extremely surprising, so get ready for all the songwriters... Aubrey Graham (Drake), Farhad Samadzada, Mikkel Eriksen & Tor Hermansen (Stargate production team), Nneka Egbuna, Renee Wisdom and Saul Milton & Will Kennard (Chase & Status). So a very big collaborative effort. Drake made the song initially for Rihanna, but she didn't take to the song, but Rita Ora took an interest to it, and that's how Rita Ora got it. Not only that but it may also be the reason why Rita Ora is being compared to Rihanna a lot lately. The song is about being better than your boyfriend's ex.  It's definitely the sort of song you expect Rita Ora to sing.

This music video is only a performance piece, but this is what makes it so strong, you can imagine the camera as Rita's boyfriend, and it's like she's singing right at you. As for Tinie Tempah, I love his rap it fits perfectly with the song and it's like the other side of the storyline.

There isn't a lot to comment on, there's a car that looks like it's crashed into the ground, suggesting that car is over like his ex... I also like how she is dancing above the car and it's quite an open space as well.

Some of the things she is wearing though is quite surprising, to be honest I don't think you'll see anyone wearing some of those things on the high street, but for the music video, it kind of fits in.

Overall a great song that could be going straight to number one. But the video is lacking something, I think the fact that there isn't a lot going on and that there is no narrative, it just leaves you feeling disappointed, as if you expected a little more. However this is definitely worth this rating.

Avril Lavigne - I'm With You

This is the sort of Avril song we all miss. Avril Lavigne has been having trouble lately with her most recent album. It's extremely emotional and really good if people would give it a chance, but people aren't and so the album and it's singles didn't chart very high here in the UK. She is currently working on a fifth studio album, which I'm really looking forward for, and apparently she is exploring and combining her old sound with her new sound.

This song was released in 2002, making it 10 years old. It was written by Avril Lavigne, Scott Spock, Lauren Christy and Graham Edwards, the latter three making up the production team "The Matrix". Again this is another track penned by Avril, and suggests that she means every word she sings. It's definitely emotional as you can hear it in her voice. The song only got to number 7 in the UK charts (Avril has yet to gain a number one single here in the UK), and it re-entered at number 51 last year thanks to Amelia Lily singing the song on The X Factor.

The music video is similar to Losing Grip's music video, however Losing Grip was filmed after I'm With You, so they may have thought the songs were similar. Again the backing band appears, but this time they only get one scene each as Avril is walking down the road. At the time the backing band was (in order of appearance): Matt Brann (he's playing the drums on his legs...), Evan Taubenfeld, Jesse Colburn and Charlie Moniz. Recently they have all moved on and are currently doing their own separate projects.

I love the fact that it's very emotional and she's singing her heart out, it's subtle and interesting. But there are similarities between this one and Losing Grip's music video, which suggests the same footage? Or the same director, or Losing Grip was done quicker and from ideas of this music video.

The song has been used by Rihanna for her track "Cheers (Drink To That)", and Avril thought she did a good job with it and also featured in Rihanna's music video.

There isn't a lot more to talk about, I think it's heart-felt and interesting and something that Avril should consider when recording her new album, as this is definitely raw emotion. I like the music video, it's subtle but interesting at the same time, and I hope you all agree with my rating.

New Release: Britney Spears - Criminal


After being ill for the last week and a half, I'm back to reviewing, I'm sorry for being away so long, but I had next to no energy and rarely went on the computer. So kick starting this week off is New Release, and it's Britney Spears once again. Apparently this was released last week, but on other sites it says it is released this week. And I was going to do the X Factor Winner's single as new release, but I thought, since I have not yet seen this music video on UK music channels yet, due to it probably being banned, I thought I might as well as a little treat.

Over the years Britney has released a hell of a lot of singles. This one is definitely one of those songs that eventually grow on you, but thus far has yet to make the chart, and I doubt it ever will, it's such a pity as this song is really good, and has totally grown on me. This is her 2nd single off her latest album "Femme Fatale" that hasn't charted in the UK Chart. It has also been ages since she has had a number one hit in the UK, the last song being "Everytime" back in 2004. Will she ever  become the star we all used to love and like? Or will she end up having chart failures for the rest of her singing career. As long as she keeps releasing in the UK, I'm happy.

"Criminal" was written by Max Martin, Shellback and Tiffany Amber. The song is about being in love with a Criminal, a bad boy, an outlaw, and pleading to her mom that it's going to be alright and not to worry. The song was chosen as the Fourth single from her album via facebook, where Britney held a poll for which song her fans wanted to see as her next single, and "Criminal" won.

This music video links in with the song perfectly. I love a lot about this music video, and I'm a little upset that it isn't shown on the music channels often (if at all). I think that was one of the main reasons the song didn't chart here in the UK. The music video has caused a lot of controversy, especially in the UK, due to the fact that it shows the use of guns. Internet video sharing sites such as Vevo and YouTube has commented saying that there is explicit sexual scenes within the music video that shouldn't be there. Britney's director for this music video: Chris Marrs Pilero has commented saying: that it surprised him that it has a lot of controversy "because don't you guys have television shows out there that show crime? It's really strange to me. I don't understand why pop stars are put on such a high pedestal over other celebrities" (To see more of what he said click here)

I love the start of this music video, with it's opening sequence. Britney is seen with this guy, she doesn't really like. I think he's showing off and she's not smiling at all. He gets annoyed with her and she runs away with tears coming down her face. After putting some of her own perfume on called "Radiance". The starting theme is inspired by the film "Can't Hardly Wait". After coming out the bathroom she finds her boyfriend playfully chatting to this girl. Britney tells the girl "So you're not working the street corner tonight I see?" and this makes him angry. He then shoves her outside and slaps her across the face. Then this guy (a criminal played by Jason Trawick, Britney's real-life boyfriend), punches him and then they escape, but not after Britney does some damage of her own by kicking him in a certain place using the words "wait.... [kick] now I'm ready". I love this opening sequence and I could watch it over and over again.

There is another cross-reference with another music video, and that is Green Day's "21 Guns". Because Jason and Britney are kissing as bullets go through their apartment and somehow misses them in the middle. Also a lot of people has stated that it links in with Rihanna's music videos "Man Down" and "We Found Love".

Overall this music video links in perfectly with the song, and the controversy around the music video is fair enough, but it isn't as bad as others try and state it to be. Furthermore, the prevention of showing this music video at certain times in the UK (not sure if that's right, but I have yet to see it on the music channels), may have been the reason why this has yet to chart.

Rihanna Featuring Calvin Harris - We Found Love

I bet you all have been waiting for me to review this music video. I have to admit, it's been worrying me as this is such a big music video it is going to be difficult to review. But I will do my best and be as fair as I can be as I always am.

Rihanna, real name Robyn Rihanna Fenty, has recently became a very well known international star. She has worked very hard to get this far, and it looks like she will be keeping that crown for a little bit longer. She will be performing a song on the X Factor this Sunday, and we all know it is going to be amazing.

"We Found Love" is the first single taken from her new album Talk That Talk. It was written by Calvin Harris, who collaborated with Rihanna on this song, and further proves why this song features him even though there is no vocal performance from him. Rihanna has this strong, clear and powerful voice that makes any song she sings sound amazing. I like how she manages to connect to the song easily and that is shown throughout the music video.

I like how the video starts off with an introduction, it kind of sets the scene and makes it more understandable to people who are watching it. Agyness Deyn is the person who talks at the beginning and this is what she says: "It's like you're screaming but no one can hear. You almost feel ashamed that someone could be that important, that without them, you feel like nothing. No one will ever understand how much it hurts. You feel hopeless, like nothing can save you. And when it's over and it's gone, you almost wish that you could have all that bad stuff back so you can have the good."

There is a lot to like about this music video, and I have to admit, I am surprised that it was all filmed in Ireland. Initially it was all going to be filmed in a field, but when Rihanna started taking her clothes off the farmer who owned the field asked for the filming to be stopped, at which point it did and filming then took place in Belfast. The farmer turned around to news reporters that he had never heard of Rihanna and had no idea who she was. Personally I think the farmer did us a favour as the music video could have turned out similar to "Only Girl (In The World)" and although the music video for that song is powerful, it is a bit boring after watching it more than 5 times, and I stopped watching it on the music channels. However for "We Found Love" the narrative is amazing and I think that is why this music video makes it one of Rihanna's best music videos to date.

Some bits are a little annoying and makes you wonder why they did that. The main one is when Rihanna is sick on the side walk, but instead of bringing up disgusting stuff, out comes pink and white streamers. At first I thought they had run out of budget and couldn't afford to buy some soup or whatever actors are using nowadays. But after a closer inspection, it could suggest a distorted reality, therefore some bits aren't real and suggests that Rihanna is imagining them, which kind of makes sense since at the start you see the amount of drugs, and the amount of smoking, and how sometimes Rihanna and her boyfriend (played by Dudley O'Shaughnessy) look totally out of it.

There's so much going on in this music video it is difficult to comment on it all. However there is a lot of comparisons between Dudley O'Shaughnessy and Rihanna's ex-boyfriend Chris Brown. There are some scenes that even suggest that the video was based on the ex-couple because on the evening of the Grammy Awards Rihanna was subjected to physical violence in a car by Chris Brown. One of the scenes in the video link exactly to that where Dudley O'Shaughnessy is driving recklessly and Rihanna is begging him to stop. She then gets struck around the face. There's definitely a link from Rihanna's past and this video.

There is also a link with Britney Spears' "Criminal" music video, because both contain bad guys, they were both filmed in the UK and they both contain scenes of sex, violence and crime. But also both videos have had a lot of controversial in the UK, with "Criminal" being banned from being shown in the UK based on the fact that the "Criminal" is holding a gun.

Overall I really like this music video and it links in with this song brilliantly. Some bits I don't like such as the distort reality, but that is not too bad. I like the narration, both the words that are spoken at the start and the storyline as a whole. I have no choice but to give this music video the rating it deserves. And this song is definitely worth the number on it managed to get here in the UK!
Buy on Amazon

Rihanna - Cheers (Drink To That)

So here I am again reviewing another Rihanna music video, only I think this song is probably my least favourite song by her. But maybe I'm a little biased, since I think it would have been a lot better if Rihanna, real name Robyn Rihanna Fenty, had decided to collaborated with Avril Lavigne, and although there was a report from Digital Spy, that announced Rihanna had planned on doing a collaboration, but when it was recorded they had already added Avril's vocals from the song "I'm With You". But at least Avril isn't upset by it, and also showed that she was happy because she even appeared in the music video. However I think it's chart success would have been a lot better if it was a collaboration because both artist's fans would've bought the single and therefore should have boosted up sales. Here in the UK this song managed to get to number 15, which is quite a low chart position for Rihanna since she has managed to gain a lot higher on many of her other singles.

This song is the seventh single from her album "Loud" and she is finally getting around to recording her sixth studio album. It was written by many people who are  Andrew Harr, Jermaine Jackson, Stacey Barthe, Laura Pergolizzi, Corey Gibson, Chris Ivery, Lauren Christy, Graham Edwards, Avril Lavigne and Scott Spock. It's nice to see that they included Avril in the writing credits, and I am surprised to see Jermaine Jackson there too (most notably known as one of the Jackson 5, but also came 2nd in the UK Big Brother 2006). To be totally honest the song does sound right up Jermaine Jackson's street. This music video now has over 29 million YouTube hits which is really good for Rihanna, although I do think her other videos may have gained a lot more. This song is a very party-drinking song, and imagine that you have shots in front of you and this song comes on and you have to drink a shot every time you hear "I'd Drink To That", I bet you you'll a) not be able to keep up, and b) you'll probably be having way over 10 shots with only one play. That would definitely turn this song into the ultimate drinking game.

The music video kind of annoys me, if you haven't already guessed. I really dislike music videos that has too many things going on, or if the editing of the clips is too quick, or when a crowd audience don't really know all the words to the song. Unfortunately this music video incorporates all three of my hates, yet the song gets stuck in my head, so another reason why I'm writing about this music video is to hopefully prevent it from getting stuck in my head ever again. However the lyrics are pretty difficult to craft into a storyline so they left any potential narrative out, and this is constantly used for many artists and bands when thinking up a good concept is difficult. This video reminds me of the "Black Eyed Peas" video of "Don't Stop The Party".

Many stars appear in this music video, first off you see Rihanna (obviously), she's on stage at times, she's on a boat every now and again, but the majority of times she is with friends having a fun time. The first star you see is Avril Lavigne, who's first shot is drinking from a cup, then someone pushes her into a pool while she is sitting on a skateboard, the last scene is her riding the skateboard into the pool. However the amount of times she sings "yeah, yeah" in this song, I would've thought she would have appeared more, maybe she sent a lot of footage, and it was edited down a lot. Cee Lo Green makes a quick performance, having a drink with Rihanna. And then you have Kanye West & Jay-Z who both performed on stage with her.

Overall, this song and it's accompanying music video doesn't wow me at all and it's one I watch on the music channels if there's no better videos on the other channels (yes there are worse videos out there). I have to admit, the editing must have been really difficult as they would have been unsure where they want to cut certain parts, and which shots were the best, I presume there was hours and hours of footage to try and reduce down to just under 5 minutes, this is probably the only reason that saved this music video from getting only 1 star, but also I like the fact that they did include Avril Lavigne, they didn't have to, but they did, so that was nice of them too.
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