The Veronicas - Lolita

They're back!

After a long, long five year wait the coolest twins on the planet (yeah, that's right Olsen twins, up your game) The Veronicas have returned to the music scene with the first single from their third album Life On Mars.  I have to admit I was a little concerned the girls would be abandoning the dance pop sound they perfected on Hook Me Up in favour of a more rock-tinged sound.  Luckily for me, Lolita takes the frantic sound of Hook Me Up highlights Take Me On The Floor and the title track and makes it a whole lot darker and just a little fucked up.  

Obsession, desperation and addictions, lyrically the song delves a little deeper into the girls' minds than their music has before (they recently admitted the song dealt with issues they had come up against in the music industry as young women).  The song is a thumping club anthem, and by far the most dance-orientated sound The Veronicas have showcased.  In fact, the song is so far removed from what I expected, I had to double check I wasn't listening to a remix of the song.

Still, it's a direction that suits them.  The Veronicas' mix of raw lyrics and dancefloor ready production resulted in Hook Me Up being one of the best pop albums of the last few years and with Lolita as the trailer single, it will come as no surprise if Life On Mars solidifies their status as one of the most exciting pop acts around.  

"You're making a comeback I'm taking your crown"

5/5

Lana Del Rey - Summertime Sadness Music Video

Oh Lana, you've done it again.

It wasn't long ago that we were presented with the 7 minute mini-movie video for National Anthem from the long-haired beauty, and she's already bestowed upon us the visual for album favourite Summertime Sadness.  Lana has played various versions of the same role in her videos, from doomed runaway, to damsel in distress and of course first lady, and in the video for Summertime Sadness Lana is serving us sensual yet suicidal chic.

The motif of death has been glaringly obvious throughout the whole album campaign, in both the videos and the songs themselves (shocking stuff from an album called 'Born To Die') and Summertime Sadness doesn't do much to change things up.  The video depicts a doomed relationship between Lana and her stunning guest star Jamie King, and is effectively compiled of four minutes worth of footage featuring the breathtaking couple either having fun or, y'know, plummeting from great heights to their death.  The whole video calls to mind her beautiful 'doomed prom queen/Carrie' photoshoot from earlier in the year and much like the character she portrayed then, her performance in this video is hauntingly beautiful.  


It may not be uplifting, but it's a perfect marriage of song and visual, as the single itself talks of a love that may be great, but isn't going anywhere and has to hit a wall (or in the video's case, a hard ground).  It's full of silhouettes, stunning scenery and smoky transitions.  Make no mistake, the video is a work of art and is without a doubt the most effective video she has released.  Now if I could just get one video from her that doesn't have such a literal interpretation of the 'Born To Die' mantra.

4.5/5

My one complaint is that out of the six music videos released from the album, four have featured her now trademark cut and paste, heavily filtered style.  It may be pretty to look at, but it's starting to grate a bit and so I'm praying that when she's writing her treatment for the Dark Paradise video, she approaches it from a Born To Die/Blue Jeans angle as opposed to this National Anthem/Summertime Sadness style that she has since perfected. 

Amelia Lily - You Bring Me Joy

Ever since she sang her (vastly superior) rendition of E.T. during the judges' houses level of last year's X Factor, Amelia Lily Oliver was my favourite to win. Quirkily stylish, effortlessly cool and consistently grateful for the opportunity she was getting, it seemed like a complete no brainer to me that Amelia Lily would breeze through to the live shows and beat off other less interesting competitors week by week, until she was eventually crowned winner and beloved by all.  But, much like she did with her own solo career, Kelly Rowland managed to royally fuck things up by sending Amelia Lily home in the first week (not before she cut and dyed her hair pink though.  Smooth move K-Row).  


Weeks went by and I was still mourning the loss of Strawberry Shortcake , until the musical gods sent me two blessings at once - Frankie Cocozza was gone and in his place, Amelia Lily would return to the competition.  Yes, she may have finished third but it was more than enough to grant her a record deal and a much more memorable finishing position than last.

Now here we are, and Amelia is the last of last year's alumni to release her debut single (well, she's the last one I care about anyway).  'You Bring Me Joy' was one of my most anticipated single releases of the year and when I first heard it today I was... so disappointed. "Where's the energy? Where's her personality? WHERE'S THE MIDDLE 8?!" I asked myself as I opted to watch this again and cry into my keyboard.  And yet, I kept going back to the song.  I assumed it was because I wanted to force myself to love it, to love her debut single as much as I loved her on the show.  As it turns out, I was going back to it for a much more simple reason - the song is pretty fucking ace.  


That chorus is one of Xenomania's catchiest of late and the restrained vocals aren't a sign that the song is boring (as I initially thought), rather they are a way of showing that she's perfectly capable of making an impressive song without hitting every note possible.  This song really does get better with every listen (it should also be listened to at a very loud volume. I've never really understood a song sounding better the louder it is until now) and is a far more intriguing direction for Amelia to go in than the Kelly Clarkson/P!nk sound, which was something I feared might happen.  

This album is going to be so perfect, I can feel it in my bones. I really, really hope she gets chart success, not just because I like her so much (which I do) but I also think it'd be pretty hilarious if the girl who they kicked off far too soon ended up being this series' main success story.

Now if she could do a nice acoustic cover version of E.T. as a bonus track for her debut album, I can die happy.

5/5

Lana Del Rey - National Anthem Music Video

Well this more than makes up for the looped trailer from yesterday.

Lana Del Rey has always been an artist who pays just as much attention to the visual aspect of her artistry as she does to the music and it pays off in the music video for 'National Anthem'.  While there really isn't much of a storyline to the video, other than Lana and A$AP Rocky as JFK and Jackie O thoroughly enjoying their time as the heads of State, it manages to capture the oddly celebratory and melancholy feel of the song itself.  It reminded me of her early cut and paste visuals for Video Games and the original Blue Jeans video, although National Anthem has a much clearer narrative to follow (and of course looks much more expensive).  There is also a sense of dread that creeps up throughout the video, but that's probably because anyone who knows the story of JFK knows that as soon as these two get in that convertible, things are not going to end well.  


Still, it's her most interesting video to date and I for one am relieved she's released a video where her lover ends up dead instead of her.  The final two minutes of the video, in which Lana talks of her love for this man who is "torn between being a good person and missing out on all of the opportunities that life could offer a man as magnificent as him" could have easily come across as pretentious but instead seems heartfelt.  When it comes from a singer who wears her heart on her sleeve as obviously as Lana does, this closing monologue is more captivating than eye-roll inducing.  In my honest opinion the video didn't need to be this long, but the opening and closing chapters are intriguing enough that I won't be skipping them anytime I watch the video.

National Anthem started out as a much more upbeat affair (never forget), and if it had stayed that way this video would never have worked.  This video really shows how grand this song was always supposed to be and the album version is as perfect as it could get.  All hail Lana Del Slay.

5/5

Azealia Banks - Liquorice Music Video

Do you feel lucky, kunt?

It's almost strange to think that Azealia Banks has achieved her level of popularity all off the back of one, admittedly amazing, song and video (and a series of twitter arguments with just about everyone and their mother).  Well now she's finally released a second full length video for the second single off her 1991 EP 'Liquorice'.

Featuring a series of flawless outfits, weaves that solidify her Yung Rapunzel moniker and a few less than subtle phallic moments featuring ice lollies and hotdogs, the video for 'Liquorice' has provided Azealia fans (and haters) with even more proof that when it comes to visuals she really can do no wrong.  The whole thing is like an even more intimidating Naomi Campbell after she's been exiled to the wild, wild West for attacking one too many assistants.  Azealia really does look beautiful.  I am so ready for the Fantasea mixtape, Broke With Expensive Taste and her show in Manchester later this year.

Cheryl 'Screw You (feat. Wretch 32)' & 'Craziest Things (feat. will.i.am)'

Hot on the heels of the news that her latest release is on track to become the fastest selling single of the year (by a considerable amount), the artist formerly known as Cheryl Cole has premiered two songs off her third studio album A Million Lights, 'Screw You (feat. Wretch 32)' and 'Craziest Things' featuring her manager and lapdog will.i.am.  I would like to get this out of the way before I start; Cheryl Cole really, really infuriates me.  She is beautiful, she has a decent voice, as one fifth of the greatest British girl group of all time she clearly knows a good pop song when she hears one, she's a captivating performer and has more than enough of her labels attention and resources to ensure that she surrounds herself with the best producers and writers that she possibly can.  And yet, two albums into her solo career and she has barely enough solid material to put on an EP.  Debut effort 3 Words sounded oddly dated and managed to be completely void of any personality but somehow managed to sell well (no doubt off the back of the charming lead single 'Fight For This Love'), and the less said about the dismal Messy Little Raindrops the better.


Still, I find Cheryl to be far too charming and full of potential to ever write her off completely.  When she announced her new album and single, I wasn't expecting anything special at all (except for a few pretty photo-shoots, I really can't stress how beautiful she is).  To my surprise 'Call My Name' has become one of the most played songs on my iPod and her 'live' performances of it have slayed me entirely (that swan dive), and the two newest songs she's released are already head and shoulders above the material on her second album.  'Screw You' plays out like a much cooler version of Madonna's 'I Don't Give A'; a cool, calm and collected middle finger to a past lover who mistreated her.  Yes, it's a bit on the nose lyrically but I find that Cheryl's music tends to pack more of a punch when the link to her personal life is glaringly obvious ('Fight For This Love', 'Parachute' and 'Promise This' come to mind).  She may not write the lyrics, but she knows what assumptions people are going to make and plays up to them, and that's part of what makes her such a great pop star.  Her vocal delivery on 'Screw You' calls to mind the moment on Girls Aloud's Tangled Up tour when she burst into Kelis' 'Trick Me' and the end of 'Control Of The Knife', and as that is my favourite Cheryl moment of all time, I can't really pay this song a much higher compliment.

4/5

Now for the will.i.am offering, 'Craziest Things'.  Admittedly it's not as exciting as 'Screw You', but as far as other will.i.am assisted songs go, this sounds much better than I was expecting.  Part of the reason I had such a problem with Cheryl's debut album was the fact that the will.i.am produced songs sounded like demos he was preparing for other artists - 'Craziest Things' sounds like he had no one else in mind when he was putting it together, and it's precisely the kind of chilled out song that Cheryl shines on (or would have shone on, if will had spent more time making these songs instead of boredom inducing '3 Words' style numbers).  

3/5

So, if I can somehow make sure that my copy of A Million Lights is missing the truly abominable 'Love Killer', I may actually find myself getting pretty excited for Cheryl's latest release, mainly because I really would like to see her create a piece of work that actually reflects what a great pop star she is.  That and the sooner this album is out and promoted, the sooner Cheryl can take her rightful place with Sarah, Kimberly, Nicola and Nadine and make my life complete again. 

Sky Ferreira - Red Lips

Oh Sky Ferreira, what have you done?

Ever since I first heard 'One' back in 2010 I've been a huge fan of yours.  Follow up single 'Obsession' may not have been quite as intriguing but it was still a pretty great pop song and your first EP As If! has been on repeat on my iPod for over a year.  So after showing that you really are very skilled in the electro pop field, you've thrown it out the window and presented your fans with 'Red Lips'. 


This song is pretty much the antithesis of Sky's previous releases, in that it's extremely unoriginal and in fact, it's kind of boring.  It effectively doubles as a forgotten album track from Garbage (unsurprising as Shirley Manson helped co-write the song) or even The Pretty Reckless.  This is the first instance of Sky's slightly bored sounding vocals not working in her favour, and it's also the first time she's sounded uncomfortable on a song (this may have something to do with the video though, as Sky looks as comfortable as... well as comfortable as you'd expect someone in their underwear, smeared in lipstick and being accosted by a hairy tarantula to look).

I can't help but wonder if this song would seem more exciting if Sky hadn't excelled so much in her previous musical releases.  It's difficult for me to get behind a song like 'Red Lips' when I know she's capable of a song like 'Sex Yeah' or 'Haters Anonymous'.  Either way I'm pleased that this isn't the official first single from Wild At Heart as I'm certain Sky has better music to offer.  I've always seen her as someone who'll rise to the top of her game regardless of what genre of music she puts her hand to, 'Red Lips' is just an unfortunate misstep.  Now if you'll excuse me I'm off to listen to '99 Tears' on repeat and pray to the music gods that there will be at least one Bloodshy & Avant song on her debut album.


2.5/5