Rae Morris is no newcomer to the UK music scene, and it’s incredibly evident through her refined musical stylings and talents. This track, Do You Even Know Me, is a solid and stunning pop song, accompanied by a thoughtful and fashionable video. The thing here is that Rae’s style is devoid of scene-isms. There is no edginess to her style- instead it’s classic and approachable. The hooks are a bit old school, much like the vintage furniture stop motion spinning in her video, but Rae herself, dressed in a stunning red piece, is evocative and emotional, honest and immersive. Check out the video below, followed by a remix of the track by Kaiotic favorite Oceaán.
Lady Gaga released her new video for G.U.Y. as part of an ‘epic’ 7 minute ARTPOP film on Saturday evening to a startlingly cotidian reception. For the most part no one is critically discussing the work itself, and instead a google search turns up aggregated new sources that simply state it was released, and gush over the predicted indulgence and “strangeness” of her newest visual production. It’s difficult to say if the work is a success. Is this lack of journalistic engagement the nail on the coffin of one of Pop’s most transfixing creations? Gaga’s career has been somewhat of an anomaly of late, and with a strange divide between her true experiences and the facade that we’ve all grown to understand, it’s an interesting direction for the ARTPOP conundrum.
G.U.Y. is Gaga’s first video release since August 19th’s rushed unveiling of the aptly prepared Applause, and the beginning of marketing and promotion for ARTPOP. Applause was an honest and revealing mantra from an artist whose career was built on the enigma of fame. It was also a phenomenal pop track, with incredible production and a stunning music video. There was a moment of excitement; a second of promise. But Applause was mostly unsuccessful, in comparison to Gaga’s previous sales records and contemporaries, and the single brought to light some disconcerting happenings in her career and within Haus of Gaga. Rumours circled about shady maneuvers to boost sales (especially in light of competing with Katy Perry’s unbelievably drab Roar).
Following Applause, Gaga began teasing tracks from ARTPOP. Among them the widely popular Do What U Want was teased on a Beats Headphones ad. It was brilliant product placement, for Beats and ARTPOP, and the ad itself made the song seem epic, intriguing, and poised for a commercial take over. But the release of Do What U Want was riddled with missteps. The song featured a controversial and tired artist (R.Kelly- whose latest record Black Panties exposed how entirely irrelevant he is), the video was never created, and the replacement of R.Kelly with Christina Aguilera read as desperate.
However, throughout this whole process, it’s important to remember that this is STILL Gaga. There are still amazing live performances, there are still gorgeous outfits, there are still fantastic pop songs. There was only one acoustic performance of Applause, and only one of Do What U Want, and both were absolutely mesmerizing and artful, a true iteration of the potential of ARTPOP.
Maxine Ashley, also known for being the ubiquitous Pharrell’s protégé, is exhibiting some pretty distinct hereditary traits on stand-out single and new video Perpetual Nights. Maxine released her EP Mood Swings back in October and it quietly buzzed away, lacking the pizazz to capture people’s attention during that season of pop diva releases. But it seems like now the market is primed- old school funk and R&B are practically commonplace in top 40 tracks, and sensual nuance has been made accessible by guys like Pharrell and Justin Timberlake. The video release has forced a more intentional listen to the EP and I keep finding more and more reasons to love this girl. Here is the video for Perpetual Nights, enjoy her fashionable restraint and soulful reverence to past greats. Check out her full EP here, and my favorite tracks below.
Like Seinabo Sey‘s deep eyes, this video is a well of stories and emotions. It’s simplistic at its surface, but within that simplicity a million flittering moments exist that spurr my mind on a passionate journey through the condition of youth, its beauty and its challenges. Seinabo herself embodies a wisdom that contradicts her very message of youth proclaimed and defended. Just like the motifs that represent the dichotomy of youth and understanding- a dead squirrel, a moment of unexpected intimacy between two men, the liveliness of an abandoned home, the beauty of nature clouded by cigarette smoke- this song is anthemic for anyone who has ever wondered beyond the naivete of our blissful youth, and it’s the perfect imagery for an incredible debut track.
Sweeping down from the abyss and silence of space a camera zooms in on the non-descript yet completely appropriate claymation character of a youtube singer. Her introduction of her performance is the perfect example of the loneliness of millions of users pouring themselves into a video to be shared online (whether through appreciation or depreciation). Continue reading →
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