Hey everyone,
I thought I would write a final blog post, reviewing a handful of music videos that I have seen posted over the last few weeks, and then bring my 'music video reviews' to an end. I began creating video reviews for various songs, starting with a music video for 'Tears' by Clean Bandit featuring Louisa Johnson which I filmed and released back in July 2016. Over the last few years, I continued to create a mix of both video and written reviews for albums, but from 2022 onwards I think the focus has to be 110% on myself and my own developments in life.
The question I kept asking myself was 'What am I getting out of this?' - whether it's payment for my work, recognition in the media or on social media platforms, invitations to events or ceremonies...and whether it was all worth my time to create the content, which I started for fun, but then wanted to try and pursue as a second job. The fact that the majority of the content I have created revolves around those already in the public eye, or musicians and singers who are already well established, a little blog post reviewing their song isn't going to make them any more popular, and in fact, any other music blogs, websites, magazines that are already established in the creative industries are just going to receive all of the attention, likes, comments and interaction...with my little site left unnoticed.
So, with all of that said, here's my final music video reviews for 2021...and for the long term, but with personal projects, plans, developments and opportunities pending from 2022 and going forward from there!
Adele 'Easy On Me' (15th October 2021)
The first music video review on the list is the newest track from Adele who has not created music for a while and pribably had the biggest transformation over the last few years. In the music video for her new song 'Easy On Me', the content starts off in black and white, with birds chirping in the background. The initial scene also sees her looking out of a window, showcasing her long black acrylic nails, and speaking to somebody on the phone, explaining 'yes I can hear you, can you hear me' which is probably the biggest 'mood' of the last few years and our transition to virtual meetings. She says something along the lines of 'here we go again', hinting that she is heading somewhere new in order to start a new chapter of her life.
In the video, the home that she leaves has a 'for sale' sign and it sort of gives you the idea that whoever she is singing about, is somebody from her past who she wants to either reconnect with or apologise to for any of her actions. The chorus to her song includes the lyrics 'go easy on me, I was still a child...didn't get the chance to feel the world around me' which suggest that some of her earlier decisions were made, without thinking about the consequences later on in life, and also hinting at the fact that her childhood had almost disappeared as she made a choice on her own. The words 'to feel the world' hint that there was no support of the choices she made during this moment. In the video there are also a lot of close up shots of Adele through the car mirror, and the cart attached has lots of pages with notes and lyrics flying across the street, which are either lyrics to songs she has written in the past, or new lyrics to songs that she hasn't released yet. Overall the music video was really interesting and exciting to watch, but let's see what's on the cards for Adele in 2022.
Benson Boone 'Ghost Town' (15th October 2021)
Up next is a TikTok star who switched the social media world for an audition on American Idol earlier this year. In his audition, Katy Perry explained that the winner would be standing in front of her and he received a yes from all of the judges. Since making it to the Top 24, he decided to leave the show and has since released his first music video called 'Ghost Town' The emotional ballad seems to be directed at somebody special that he has built a form of relationship with. He explains that 'maybe loving me is the reason you can't love yourself', suggesting that because so much effort goes into him, the individual is unable to spend time to love themselves. The video has all black and white clips, with various cutwaway shots to his friends on the beach and lots of memories with him and this special girl.
The video was created and directed by both Matt Eastin & Ty Arnold. Some of the other lyrics that Benson sings, include 'I've turned this love into a wasteland' which could give the idea that he's turned the love toxic, or it's something that has been forced rather than for it to have happened naturally. He goes on to say 'it's dark, it's cold' which could also hint that the love may have already disappeared. Benson also sings the lyrics 'if my hands are not the one you're meant to hold, maybe I'd be happier with someone else'. These words are quite deep in meaning, and explain that if he's not the right man for this individual, he's going to not waste anymore time, and infact, go on to find the person who is right for him. Towards the very end of the song he explains that there are 'these broken memories' which may identify that the memories were once good times that he experienced, but now they are just things of the past and he has to move forward. Since releasing this music video and leaving American Idol, he has been seen in a short YouTube clip working alongside Imagine Dragons, so maybe the TikTok star is really heading into the world of music.
Mimi Webb 'Halfway' (22nd October 2021)
The next song on the list is from 21 year old singer songwriter Mimi Webb who's newest music video shows her and a group of her friends sitting in a milkshake shop where she thinks she has spotted a guy she knows called Matt. One of the girls suggests that they need a girls night out and they all head to a fairground called 'Dream Land'. Mimi explains that 'there was a time I wanted you forever, there was a time that it all made sense' which suggests that her feelings have gone away for somebody she once wanted to be with for the whole of her life. She explains that she is now 'walking on the edge' and wonders how love can make you suddenly feel this way. During those several years, she may have realised that instead of getting closer to this individual, she may actually be distancing herself further away after realising the true meaning behind love.
In the chorus of the song, she sings the words 'I'm halfway to freedom, halfway to letting you go' which explain that she doesn't want to continue herself romantically with this individual, but there are still doubts as she knows that she will end up being on her own. The entire music video was filmed in a fairground with some of the popular rides and stands, including the teacups, stalls where you are able to win teddy bears and also a little arcade games area. Towards the final part of the video, there are several shots of her in different outfits and settings, such as in the milkshake shop with multiple shots of the same guy standing behind her in different positions, and the backlit shots of her standing under the bright lights in the fairground. You can tell that there is a lot of emotion through this song, and after only being in the spotlight for just over a year due to a TikTok reshare of one of her songs by TikTok star Charli D'Amelio, Mimi has a bright and successful future ahead of her if she continues to create tracks that can relate to those that relate to her lyrics.
Brooke Combe 'Impress You' (27th October 2021)
The next music video is from an unknown singer called Brooke Combe who I spotted whilst scrolling through Instagram as a 'sponsored post' and thought I would make a note of her name and review one of her songs! I think this particular song was about self confidence and being able to wear whatever you want to wear, without worrying about judgement from anyone else. She explains towards the beginning of the song that she 'thought I was wrong for wearing things I usually don't' suggesting that she may have previously had a different fashion style, but has decided to try new clothes that she now feels more confident in.
The music video seems to be shot in a hotel room where there are various backing dancers with different outfits and accessories who are performing to the camera with the colourful lights in the background giving more of a nightclub vibe to the footage. Some of the performers look to be part of the LGBTQ+ community, along with as Asian female who's wearing a leopard outfit and a larger female dancer with clear condition of Vitiligo. I think it's great there is such good representation in this video, but this needs to be done in all capacaties, industries and projects around the world to remove previously stuck stigmas of people's differences. Brooke sings the lyrics 'would you kiss me with the red lips or is it too much of a pain?' suggesting that she isn't too sure if everyone is interested in that standard look, or if they prefer natural lips. The fact that she uses the word 'pain' hints at the fact that red lipstick is often quite difficult to remove from clothes or wash off your face, so it's interesting how she asked it as a question to show that she's not as forward as others may generally be. Before the song came to an end, there was a long guitar solo which gave us more time to watch each of the dancers performing their solos to the camera. The final shot saw Brooke in various uniforms both infront of and behind a glass screen, which was unique, but also showed 4 of her styles in one last shot.
https://youtu.be/QzbKRGtW8Yo
Bhad Bhabie 'Bi Polar' (29th October 2021)
Up next is another track by Bhad Bhabie who already released another track this year called 'Miss Understood' which seemed to be the introduction to the new Bhad Bhabie era. In her latest single which was shot by 20k visuals, the beginning of the video seemed to be vintage themed before transitioning straight into a variety of raps. She sings the lyrics 'Never break the rules, plenty b*tches wanna see my head chopped off' suggesting that although she may be acting naughty, she would never break the rules and she continues to rap about the fact that a lot of haters are still sharing negative views about her, 5 years since her appearance on the Dr. Phil show. In the song she sings about how she's drinking expensive drinks and chilling in her expensive cars, whilst wearing her expensive shoes.
Bhad Bhabie continues to sing the lines 'my history not a mystery, got 'em missin' me' which hint at her previous break into the spotlight, but because she's no currently seen as often on social media and in the mainstream, people speak about her because they obviously miss seeing her on their screens. The final line of the song says 'I'm changin' my f*ckin' name, now I go crazy' which hint that there could be a new name for 18 year old rapper Bhad Bhabie, but maybe it's just a figure of speech, and in fact by continuing to pursue her rapping career, she is actually able to create a new name for herself. In the video she is seen with her straight black hair and long acrylic nails which seems to be how she is seen in the media.
https://youtu.be/9WQtKUVEyIo MELLADAZE 'I H8 U' (1st November 2021)
Another music video that I will be reviewing is from a band that was formed on Little Mix The Search back in 2020 with the 5 members coming together to release their first single since appearing on the show. The music video was filmed by Max Cheshire, and seems to be about somebody that they hate but it's difficult to erase the emotions or memories from their brain. One of the girls since the lyrics 'I've still got your purple sweater, it always suited me better', which is a sign that the girls must have been close to the ex-lover and managed to keep a jumper in order to keep the memories alive, something a lot of people in relationships do, if they don't want to forget about somebody forever. The music video has a variety of shots in different locations, such as a bright pink venue, shots on a red bus travelling around London and individual close ups of the girls in teh studio. The chorus of the song includes the lyrics 'I H8 U but I miss you a lot' which is a standard theme for people coming out of relationships. They're usually happy to be seperating from those who they have fallen out of love with, but also miss those memories that only that other person can remember. They go on to sing 'I wanna get over you but the feelings won't stop' which also show that it's usually quite difficult to move onto a new relationship soon after finishing a previous one, and it usually makes you emotionally unstable until you've both had time to get over the loss. A great debut track!
JVKE 'this is what falling in love feels like' (3rd November 2021)
The next song is from an artist called JVKE, guessing his name is Jake, but it's another love song! At the beginning of the music video he can be seen at a fairground stall buying either candy apples or cotton candies, and he makes eyes with a blonde girl who catches eyes with him and disappears after he has made his payment. He walks over to where she was standing to see a key which is sitting on the side. After touching the mystery key, he is transported to a field where is wearing a turquoise shirt and has a blue butterfly as his leader. Whilst walking through the forest-like environment, leaves and trees appear around him and he can be seen dancing and singing by himself in this magical universe.
He sings the words 'what you say, you and me, live the life we never had', suggesting that this is his offer to somebody that he may have feelings for, suggesting that they should 'never go back'. I think love is one of those opportunities you have to either take a chance with, or that you will never know what the outcome could have been. He goes on to sing the lyrics 'I know it sounds super cliche, but you make me feel some type of way', hinting again that he has feelings for this special individual, and he doesn't want to sound desperate, but he may not have had these feelings before. He is then transported back to the fairground where he is still holding the magical key, with the blonde girl walking directly past him and the key no longer being in his hand. He looks super confused, but maybe the entire video was a dream, or it's just the future that he was hoping would come true.
James Arthur 'Deja Vu' (5th November 2021)
X Factor winner James Arthur has released various singles and albums since winning the show, but in 2021 he has released a new album which is called 'It'll All Make Sense In The End', with the single 'Deja Vu' being one of those that made it to the album. In this music video, James explains that you take things for granted until they're no longer in your life and compared someone to a 'living addition' with him being the addict. We know that James has also had previous encounters with drugs, but in the song it seems like he is singing about continiously going back to an invididual rather than a thing. He continues to say that he prayed that the devil gave him a angel and is seen in a white room, wearing a white jumper and shoes along with a pair of grey joggers.
He continues to sing a lot of lyrics which make you think about the connotations of the words, such as 'you connect the new me to the old me', almost suggesting that somebody or something has explained the journey he has been on and that any difficult times or situations he has been in, have helped him become stronger both physically, mentally and musically in order to create an album during probably the worst 2+ years of everyone's life. There are also a lot of close up shots with James looking into the camera, shaking his head, shots of his eyes looking from left to right, all accompanied by the emptiness of the white room, with red flashing lights every so often to create a unique atmosphere behind him. Towards the end of the video, James is seen performing a short guitar solo with cutaway shots looking as if he has been trapped in a prison room, with an examiner making notes outside of the window and watching his every moment.
https://youtu.be/diGxNP-CuNc Joel Corry (ft Mabel) 'I Wish' (5th November 2021) The next song is a collaboration between music producer Joel Corry and British singer songwriter Mabel who teamed up on their newest single 'I Wish'. At the beginning of the video they were both seen walking through a door called the 'I Wish Gameshow' which seemed to be a spin off of the Netflix series Squid Game, where they are the hosts and there are contestants taking part in games. Mabel sings the words, 'when I look back at us, we almost had it all' which suggests that she have moved onto a new relationship as not everything was the way she wanted it to be. She explains that 'I'm not who I was before', suggesting that she has grown from the previous experiences of the past and may have a different viewpoint on love and relationships. Mabel was wearing a black outfit with Joel complimentary white outfit and in the video the contestants had to take part in various challenges such as the cake challenge and the dance challenge, which saw people getting more time to stay in the game, and others losing their time. An elderly gentleman was removed from the game for not taking part, and there was a young lad who entered the game, causing another guy to get jealous because he seemed to be good at all of the games. The music video was really creative, Joel looked incredible with his white-dyed hair and Mabel was stunning as per usual!
Jordan Anthony Smith 'Keep Me Strong' (5th November 2021)
Jordan was known as a contestant who also appeared on Little Mix The Search back in 2020, and after making it into the band Jasper Blue, decided to quit and go on his own journey as a solo artist, releasing his first music video a week ago today! The song 'Keep Me Strong' is a dedication to his Nan who sadly passed away and it's quite an emotional song. The entire video is set in an empty venue with lots of chairs and a white spotlight, which coud signify his Nan looking down on his performance, with him as the main performer. He sings the lyrics 'the time has gone, I stay behind and carry on', which explain that although his Nan's time is over, he needs to continue the path of success that she would want him to have had. Other lyrics include a question where he asks here what it feels like it heaven, adding that 'your memory will keep me strong'. The music video has a lot of candles in the background shots, with various camera angles filming around the entire ancient building, with a final close up shot on Jordan's face, as the music comes to a close.
Little Mix 'No' (12th November 2021)
The final song on this review list is by Little Mix, with another track called 'No'. The opening lyrics of the track begin with Leigh-Anne explaining that she 'woke up feeling like the baddest b*tch', suggesting that the girls are done with being all cute and cuddly, but instead are grown women who are making a point about how they feel through their lyrics. She goes on to explain that she is stronger than before and after being pushed to her limit, she is in a 'different zone'. This suggests that with all the experience and knowledge she has, there is no need to try and make excuses for guys anymore, but for the band members to focus on themselves. Jade continues this motion by admitting that she 'fell into the games that you were playin' but goes on to explain that she now has the power.
The girls collaboratively come together for the chorus lyrics 'I say no, no, no, I said yes too many times', adding that they are 'no longer under your control'. The video that accompanies this is the three girls sitting on chairs and waiting for the guys to bring them newspapers, to clean or to even iron their clothes in a role reversal change of events. they have a 'MAN-ual' and a remote controller which enables them to take control of the guys who feature in the music vidoe, and although the way that the video has been edited together is quite comedic, it shows how powerful women can be if they put themselves first, rather than letting guys always take control of situations. I think it's a great follow on from their own releases this year including 'Confetti' alongside Saweetie, 'Heartbreak Anthem' with David Guetta & Galantis and 'Kiss My Uh Oh' with Anne Marie, with a remix featuring Becky Hill, RAYE & Stefflon Don to top off just some of their greatest hits this year!
I hope you enjoyed my very last 'reaction/review' post and from this moment on like I stated at the beginning of the post, I will be focusing on myself and my own success going forward, but it doesn't mean I'm not still going to be listening to new music, because I will, I just won't be writing about it anymore!
Lots of love to you all and let's hope that 2022 is a successful year for everyone...but also for myself so that I can write about it! Bye x
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