Chart Mondays: Liam Payne Featuring Quavo - Strip That Down

July 03, 2017 Critic Jonni 0 Comments


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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