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

Florrie 'Late' EP

"When I've finished with you there won't be any place left to hide... and I'll see to that"

After years of releasing her music independently, Florrie has announced that she's finally signing to a major label.  But she's not going to do that without sending the fans who've supported her as an independent artist one last gift, the four track 'Late' EP.  I don't really see the point in leaving my consensus until the end of this review so I'm going to just dive right in (a method of 'slutty critiquing' if you will) - 'Late' is brilliant.  


The EP opens with Shot You Down.  With it's video-game bleeps, insanely catchy guitar refrains and the fact that it is compiled of four or five lyrics that are repeated at seemingly random points, it's almost impossible for me not to make a connection between Florrie's music and that of Girls Aloud (which is the highest compliment I could give an artist, except for maybe comparing them to a hybrid of Britney and Madonna).  This comparison isn't surprising considering Florrie's involvement with GA production house Xenomania, and much like a lot of their best work, Shot You Down avoids the typical 'verse-chorus-verse' song structure in favour of a 'hook-hook-hook' blueprint.  Shot You Down is a thrilling way to open this EP and I dare any listener not to have 'I pull the trigger on our love' caught in their head after listening.


My personal favourite I'm Gonna Get You Back is next.  The production on this song is instantly more urgent than on Shot You Down, eventually descending into a cacophony of spliced vocals, echoes and fizzy synths in the songs pleasantly surprising final minute.  This song is breathless, fast paced and has more bears more than a striking resemblance to Marina & The Diamond's 'Electra Heart' opener Bubblegum Bitch.  Think of I'm Gonna Get You Back as the classier older sister to Marina's Bubblegum Bitch, albeit a classy girl prone to mental breakdowns.  It's also fitting that this is a song about the time after a relationship ends, as it could be seen as an aural account of a couple's time together, starting out relatively neat and organised and eventually collapsing into a bit of a (very pretty) mess.  When a relationship sounds like this, it's no wonder Florrie wants him back.


According to Florrie Every Inch was written "a dark January night" and it's easy to see that the cold and dark weather imbued itself onto this song.  There's a frosty exterior to this song, the girl singing it is not sympathetic and caring, her various put downs ("You got money in your pocket, your clothes are looking hot but I ain't looking for somebody like you") are icy and succinct, much like the song itself.  There's also a background vocal (at least I think it's a vocal) that sounds just like a ghost, and it was one of the more innovative aspects of the EP that really stuck out to me.  The stabbing synths of this song make it sound like a lost remix of an 80's track, and it is one of the most impressive songs Florrie has ever released.


The closer to the EP, To The End, is a well-timed breather of sorts.  Not quite as hectic as the three songs which came before, this song reminds me of Sophie Ellis-Bextor when she is at her best.  However this comparison doesn't extend to their vocals, as Florrie's voice has a lot more vulnerability in comparison to the ever detached Sophie, and To The End is one example where Florrie has the upper hand.  While I prefer Florrie when she's making songs with a slightly more deranged production than To The End, it is a perfect way to close a collection of songs as strong as 'Late', and serves its purpose well as a segue between independent Florrie and her label-backed material to come.


Pop music this refreshing doesn't come around very often, and with the current popularity of LOLpop like LMFAO and Will.I.Am, it should be a necessity for any self-respecting music fan to download 'Late' and remind themselves just how amazing pop music can be.  Florrie obviously has an ear for creating music which successfully rides the line between avant-garde and commercially catchy tunes, and I'm so glad she took her time as an independent artist to find and perfect her own sound because if 'Late' is anything to go by, her debut album is going to be something very special indeed.  

4.5/5

Kylie 'Timebomb'

Say what you want about Kylie Minogue but she certainly knows how to treat her fans.  While news of yet another greatest hits album (especially one missing the beautiful single 'The One') may not be enough to excite her die hard fans, a brand new single and video certainly is.


It's not uncommon for artists to record any old song to accompany their compilation albums (I'm looking at you Christina), but Kylie has avoided such a fate not once but twice.  Firstly with the beautiful 'I Believe In You', a song which is now recognised as one of the best of her career, and now with 'Timebomb'.  While it's not as striking as the former song, 'Timebomb' is still a resounding success as it manages to marry a thoroughly modern sound with the best parts of her hit and miss album 'X'.  Lyrically it's nothing spectacular but the song is extremely catchy (that 'woop' refrain in the chorus is going to be stuck in your head all day after your first listen) and should have no problem attaining chart success for the Australian pop queen.

But really the best thing about the song (and it's video) is just how effortless it all seems.  With a simple song about dancing and a video with no real storyline or arresting visuals, Kylie has still managed to create one of the more exciting pop songs of the year thus far.  It really is no surprise that she's celebrating her 25th anniversary of being at the forefront of pop music, and 'Timebomb' should remind everyone why (not that anyone should need reminding).


4.5/5

Saint Lou Lou - 'Maybe You'

Saint Lou Lou - Maybe You

'Heartbreak pop'.  It's that specific strand of pop music that can easily make you want to dance one moment and cry uncontrollably in the foetal position the next (not that I've ever done this after hitting the repeat button on 'Dancing On My Own' too many times...).  The past year or so has had more than its fair share of heartbreak pop pioneers, the most obvious being Robyn and her incomparable ability to tell a story in her songs  so true that it's as though she's ripped a page from your diary.  Then there was Hurts, whose stoicism lent itself to very impressive visuals, but despite this their music leaving me cold more often than not and I haven't really listened to their album much since it came out.  Last year's album of choice was The Sound Of Arrows' 'Voyage', 57 minutes of hypnotic and dreamy sounds that I really can't fault in any way (My Shadow is one of my top ten favourite songs ever).  



Now, continuing the trend of duos whose sole aim appears to be daring their listeners to begin bawling on the dancefloor, comes Saint Lou Lou.  Devastatingly beautiful identical twins, their debut single 'Maybe You' is an utter delight in the vein of past 'sadpop' singles.  As a huge fan of The Sound Of Arrows, I can pay this song no higher compliment than saying that it would have fit perfectly on Voyage.  Seriously, it sounds like a bonus track sang by The Arrows' equally talented and equally melancholy younger sisters.  If anything, Saint Lou Lou's vocal delivery is more convincing than their male counterparts, as there's a slightly contradictory feel to the song.  The spoke/sung verses don't do much to prepare you for the chorus, which is both subdued and full of longing, desire and regret.  It packs a punch, albeit a punch after which you land on a million fluffy pillows (or clouds, songs like this always make me imagine roaming freely in the clouds.  I really don't know why).  Honestly, the song is pretty beautiful and moving and if there was any justice, Saint Lou Lou would release an album full of songs of this calibre, smash charts worldwide and become poster girls for great music everywhere.


But pop music is rarely fair and the chances are that this song is the very best they'll ever release, an oft-delayed album will sink without a trace and their music will be relegated to random episodes of teen dramas.  I live in hope...


4.5/5