Janelle Monáe finds "PrimeTime" with Miguel

Janelle Monáe find love in a robotic place in a stylized, high-concept video for her Miguel duet, "PrimeTime," the third single from the 27-year-old soul singer and dancer's latest sophomore album, "The Electric Lady." Just days after being named Billboard's Rising Star, Monáe took to the "Saturday Night Live" stage to showcase just why she's regarded as one of music's next big talents with a high-energy burst of retro soul-pop in the form of two tracks from her new album.
This sensual R&B ballad about two people finding themselves in the right place at the right time. The song's video, directed by Alan Ferguson, is a continuation of the epic sci-fi story Monáe tells on the album. "PrimeTime" is a love story based on the early adventures of a bar waitress called Cindi Mayweather (Monáe) and her first love Joey Vice (Miguel). Monáe explained: "The Emotion Picture gives a glimpse at Cindi's humble beginnings as a 'cyber-server' at the Electric Sheep nightclub, a syn bar serving high-class 'show droids' to the rich and lonely in a dangerous section of Metropolis known as Slop City."
She added: "Incidentally, the innovative cybersoul music played at the club directly impacted Cindi, and she began singing and performing her own innovative compositions a short time after quitting this assignment. In addition, Cindi became determined to change the public perception of what an electric lady could be, dream and aspire to after working in the dismal conditions at the club."
In the dark and stylized video for "PrimeTime," which is set in a Blade Runner-like world, the R&B stars play lovers in a futuristic search for love. The site, naturally, is a night club where dancer droids are programmed to entertain male clientele with Monáe playing a humble cocktail server. As Miguel arrives and catches sight of her, and like a lot of us, is unable to pay attention to anything else - not even the body-rolling dancers on pedestals. Conflict ensues, but Miguel's chivalrous nature wins in the end - they head back to his place for Chinese take-out.

Mariah Carey, Miguel go for joy ride in 'beautiful'

Mariah Carey teases her sexy collaborator with a playful dance routine in a fun and sweet simplistic video for her new popping duet with R&B throwback crooner Miguel, "#Beautiful," the lead cut from her forthcoming as-yet-untitled fourteenth album, and the long-awaited follow-up to her 2009 recording "Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel." The pop/R&B diva, the best-selling female artist of all time with more than 200 million albums sold to date, recently told Billboard her new album "has more raw ballads than people might expect."
"#Beautiful" is a mid-tempo and stripped down pop, an nod to the old school-flavored and soul track, and blends the two singers' vocals into a sticky-sweet ballad. Carey and Miguel embark on a motorbike cruise during the night, as Miguel begins it and boldly crooning about her beauty. Carey does not enter the song until a third of the way through, she matches Miguel's glorious tone with the confidence of someone who knows she can lift her verse to equal whatever comes her way. "#Beautiful" ends at the exact moment it should with a textured layering of both singers' vocals which gradually fade as the song draws to a close.
The retro-tinged, breezy guitar-driven number is gritty and vital, filled with a crawling, dirty bass line, a seductive, immediately embeddable guitar melody and just enough tambourine to get the engine running. The song's lyrics called for Carey to be dressed in sexy attire, and her big vocals combined with Miguel's signature eclectic rock and roll sound results in "#Beautiful" having an old school vibe to it reminiscent of the Stax Records/Motown Records era. Miguel's soothing R&B pipes and Carey's 1991-sounding ethereal vocals make "#Beautiful" such a winner!
Filmed out in Los Angeles, the visual takes us on a motorcycle ride with Miguel behind the wheel and Carey riding shotgun suited up in some beautiful leather attire. Director Joseph Khan seamlessly superimposed the pair onto the countryside backdrop along with shots of Carey seductively propped on a big bike in front of a giant tree for a very light and breezy feel and mood for the video that matches the sweet ballad. The 43-year-old superstar isn't messing around in what's probably her hottest music video yet and looks as young and fresh as her 1997 "Honey" video days in the playful dance routine she does for the younger 27-year-old neo-soul singer.