Swedish Erik Hassle Debuts A New 'Hurtful' Video

The Swedish pop/soul new-comer Erik Hassle has come up with the fourth video has made for his stunning debut single "Hurtful," the originally released in May 2008 in Sweden and in December 2008 in UK, and this is a new 2010 version of the same song remixed by Starsmith for the UK release on February 7 and out now in the US! The single is off his forthcoming highly anticipated debut album, "Pieces," which will be released on Universal Republic in the US on February 22, but if you're lucky enough to subscribe to Spotify premium, you can listen to the album right now!
The new version of video is a stunner and perfectly reflecting the emotion of the song with its stark and melancholic feel, simply mesmerizing. It sees our favorite new Swedish crooner getting all futuristic with a Penelope Cruz lookalike, and they reckon that this new version of the video takes the already amazing future hit to another level entirely.
Hassle went on to reveal in the interview that growing up in an isolated area of Sweden contributed to his ambition to succeed in music. "The producers sought me out for a collaborative project, not just as a singer to front their songs," he insists. "They're my musical mentors. I had never tried to write until I met them, but they encouraged me to contribute. We would sit and discuss my life and the sounds I liked, and the songs evolved naturally from there. Most are about me being a teenager, falling in love and having my heart broken. I would sing and they would play until the atmosphere felt right."
Swedish pop crooner is one of the biggest new pop voices to look out for in 2010. After becoming a chart sensation in Sweden, he is now rapidly gaining momentum in the rest of Europe with his lead single, "Hurtful." But that's not all. Hassle has his sights set on the US as well. Hassle has nominated for three Swedish Grammis awards and was just awarded the prize for "Newcomer of the Year 2009" at the P3 Guld gala last month. His soulful vocals hit the airwaves stateside this month.

Nina Sky Premiered Video For "Beautiful People"

The R&B twin sisters duo Nina Sky gives their fans something to enjoy while they wait for their next album, recently dropped their low budget music video for their new dance-pop and very upbeat single "Beautiful People" Friday, January 29, on their blog, Nina Sky High. This official lead single is supposed be the Stereotypes production, from their upcoming sophomore album, "Starting Today," which was formerly titled "The Musical". The album is set to be released sometime later this year with the likes of Rick Ross, Ryan Leslie and Daytona serving as featured guests on Polo Grounds Music/J Records.
The new video documents montage of Natalie Albino and Nicole Albino when they are rehearsing, doing live performances and spending time with some of their favorite people: family, friends, and fans. The Albino twins explains about the new video that People are always asking us "What have you guys been up to?" so we felt like it was the perfect opportunity to answer the question w/ a visual. "Beautiful People" is not just another video, it's some insight into what's been going on in our lives. This includes rehearsals, live performances, and spending time with some of our FAVORITE people: family, friends, and fans. A lot of artists have a different definition of what 'beautiful' means. These are good times with the most important people in our lives and they represent the REAL definition of beauty.
Identical twins Natalie and Nicole Albino came up with the name 'Nina Sky' by combining the first two letters of their first names for "Nina" and tacked "Sky" on the end to represent their shared aspirations. The teen pop duo grew up in the borough of Queens in New York City. Singing was always important to them, eventually so important they announced their desires to become professional singers to their parents. They are the one of those groups who can drop one album and still be remembered. It has been six years since we've heard an album from Natalie and Nicole, but it doesn't mean it isn't coming. It takes time to figure out what your sound is and these girls not only have it, they own it. They've released songs, in the last two years, that you may remember like "On Some Bullshit" and "Curtain Call." This record blazed a way to their new dance sound and garnered local radio buzz. Whether they take a light R&B approach or jump head first into dance music, their ultimate goal is to still make you move your body. The twins came a long way and it will be dope to see what they come up with once their album comes out!

AFI Are Poisonous In "Beautiful Thieves" Video

American alternative rock band AFI (A Fire Inside) have unveiled their official hotly anticipated video for "Beautiful Thieves" off their latest eighth full-length acclaimed "Crash Love" album, across all MTV channels as well as KROQ on Thursday morning. The song "Beautiful Thieves" is the follow-up single to "Medicate," released all the way back in last August and did pretty well for itself.
Alternative rockers AFI really spike the punch bowl in their new video, which was filmed in mid December 2009 and directed by Travis Kopach (Hinder's "Without You," Taking Back Sunday's "Sink Into Me"), and it shows a more classy side of the band. Normally covered in punk black from head to toe and lots of eye makeup, here the band are cleaned up in suits and faces. The video follows them through a high-class party full of cocktails, hookups, and blackouts. AFI frontman Davey Havok and his bandmates suit it up in formal tuxedos and follows them making their way to a huge mansion with beautiful ladies awaiting inside.
The band has been invited to play a bourgie black-tie cocktail party that inches its way toward the sexier and scarier. Coke makes a cameo, hot girls designed after evil robot Dita Von Teese crawl out of their white dresses and into pools. Like any good goth purveyors, death is designed to look very pretty. Havok's suggestion that the video "shows people being forced to be responsible for their actions, we implement that retribution, if you will." Drums Adam Carson previously commented to AFI News Headquarters about the concept of the video, "It's a very cinematic song so I expect we have our work cut out to make the video look as grand as the song is."
Recently, the rockers also launched a Twitter background contest which requires fans to create something creative from "Crash Love" artwork and other images provided on the official contest page. A promotional effort for the album has been kicked off with a number of live concerts in North America, Asia and Europe.

Carrie Underwood Debuts "Temporary Home"

Five-time Grammy Award winner Carrie Underwood, fresh from earning her fifth Grammy trophy last Sunday, has yet another huge hit with the country crooner's heartfelt new single, "Temporary Home," Tuesday, the powerful video companion to the ballad track debut on iTunes with a two-day (February 2 and 3) exclusive for purchase and download. The powerful video for "Temporary Home" will make its television debut Today on both GAC and CMT.
"Temporary Home," written by Zac Maloy, Luke Laird and co-written by the American Idol alum, is the second smash taken from Underwood's third Platinum-certified studio album "Play On." It comes out following lead single "Cowboy Casanova" and was showcased live by the 26-year-old on a November 2009 episode of "The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien". A music video, made from a live performance from CMT's "Invitation Only", was originally released to promote this single, before a real one was made. The song with fully-invested emotion provides a glimpse at the person behind the artist.
Underwood's videos have consistently been major fan-favorites, and the new melancholy video for "Temporary Home" witnesses the 2010 winner of Grammys' Best Country Collaboration with vocals gave a tear-jerking performance. A little kid is sent to a foster home, a mother searches for work in the cold, and Underwood is crying and sitting on the back seat of a cab on her way to the hospital to visit her ailing on-screen grandfather in the most depressing dialogue-break to come in the middle of a music video. In a touching moment, she and the old man reveal how they care about each other. As touching as the video is, we're a little annoyed that Underwood sings exactly what is happening on the screen. Yes, country songs are known to tell stories, and the story of "Temporary Home" is what we see on-screen. As a result, "Temporary Home" has a very dull emotional affect and Underwood's vocal is beautifully delicate, and the downtempo pace of the song grants a welcome reprieve for her typically bombastic production.
The reviews of the song have been favorable. Billboard gave a positive review saying that "Hope reverberates through the scenarios as each character senses that life on Earth is but a temporary trial. Vocally, she has never sounded more heartfelt and compelling. 'Temporary Home' is a powerful song that's stirring but not preachy, and Underwood's performance is sure to resonate strongly with listeners." The recently-engaged singer is expected to belt out the "Star-Spangled Banner" at the Super Bowl XLIV pre-game show at the Sun Life Stadium in South Florida on this coming up Sunday!

Akon Charity Single "Oh Africa" With Keri Hilson

Much attention has been paid to artists doing charity work for Haiti — as it should be — but the Grammy nominees, Senagal-born rapper Akon and American singer Keri Hilson go in front of the lens to shoot the music video for their charity single "Oh Africa" and has been premiered on last Sunday night in coincidence with the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards with proceeds going to benefit underprivileged African youth in the motherland, including Akon's Konfidence Foundation. The track has been available for download on iTunes immediately after Grammy Awards ceremony.
"Oh Africa" is recorded for new Pepsi football TV commercial for the brand's worldwide campaign "Refresh Your World," which is based on enabling youth to make a positive change in the world. The Gil Green directed clip featuring Akon's performance with his collaborator Hilson, unite on wax for the third time, follows "Change Me" and "Mic Check," go colorful with African paint theme, it showcases vibrantly-colored African visuals with the South African Soweto Gospel Choir on vocals with 16 aspiring young musicians from around the world who won the chance to appear.
The bright, multi-colored video also features football players who make cameo appearances in the music video for "Oh Africa." It's a pairing that would strike fear into the hearts of the most solid Premier League back four. Liverpool hitman Fernando Torres and Chelsea forward Didier Drogba have teamed up - off the football pitch - to help raise money for underprivileged African youths.
"The whole aura of it is so fun, the color, the painting and the drums," R&B star Akon commented on the video shoot. "It brings out all the cultural parts of Africa you can ever think of and it doesn't even seem like a video, it seems more like a work of art that just happens to be a video. I hope you enjoy the look behind the scenes." Akon has also been known to extend his generosity to his fellow artists. Predictably, the song is heavy on treacle without saying much, but that doesn't prevent this from becoming sort of uplifting.

Cheryl Cole Premiered Her 3rd Clip "Parachute"

Last Sunday, Girls Aloud singer and X Factor judge, up for Best Single at the Brit Awards, Cheryl Cole is back with yet another sure-fire smash fantastic new video for her upcoming new single "Parachute" is now scheduled to be the third single as a solo artist, follows up the title track from her debut UK solo album "3 Words" which featured last night's big Grammy winner will.i.am on vocals. The grand premiere of the video took place on Channel 4 at 12:20pm, immediately following Hollyoaks. The Girls Aloud star debuted "Parachute" on her Night In show on ITV1 last December with a Latin dance routine performed with Derek Hough. (See picture)
If her first two videos didn't already solidify Cole as a full-fledged pop star in her own right, "Parachute" surely will. This is truly a piece of art, recalling the best moments of the past decade of Kylie Minogue's videography and the fierce poise and style of fellow girl grouper Victoria Beckham. As usual, British pop singer looks gorgeous, moody lighting, sharp choreography and absolutely stunning and performed a Latin dance with Derek Hough, a professional champion of Dancing with the Stars in the music video. Evocative lighting, melodramatic dance routine, pitch perfect 1930s screen queen styling, and shoulderpads that show she means business. And about time too!
The song "Parachute" that MuuMuse called "the album's most accessible track with marching drum beat and a twinkling mid-tempo piano melody," was written by Ingrid Michaelson and Marshall Altman, and was produced by Syience and Will.i.am. The physical CD will be out on March 15. Cole states that "Parachute" one of the more "left-of-field sounding" tracks from the "3 Words" album and that it was "unique". Some critics commented on "Parachute" was mainly positive. Tom Ewing of The Guardian said that the song was "an austere take on modern pop that gives Cole's voice the space it needs" and Louise McCudden of In The News said that, despite having "possibly the most lyrically mundane chorus [she had] ever heard", "Parachute" is a "well-calculated song" that gets stuck in the listener's head.

Danny Gokey's "My Best Days Are Ahead Of Me"

The second runner-up of 'American Idol' season 8 Danny Gokey has released his first ever music video last Tuesday in support his upcoming debut single "My Best Days Are Ahead of Me" off Gokey's forthcoming RCA debut album "My Best Days" which is aimed for March 2 U.S. release. It replaces song "It's Only" which was previously unveiled prior to the single, I posted on November 10, 2009.
Clearly excited about all of his 2010 projects, Gokey told fans "Good morning! If you haven't seen it yet you can still check out my new music video. I hope it helps make your day go better... I'm so happy." Gokey is singing the song in an abandoned warehouse in the video. "I love this song for what it stands for," so said Gokey when commenting on the track. "I don't live in the past. I live in the 'now'... in the future... and in the dreams that I have. I know that my best days really are ahead of me."
The song shares those songs' sense of self-awareness and the result is a believable, earnest effort that's bland and entirely forgettable. In fact, the song finds Gokey stripped of everything but his clean-cut, positive image. However, the most glaring omission from the song is its lack of narrative, the backbone of country music that pulls listeners from beginning to end. Save its dreadful bridge, the only image Gokey paints is one of glowing candles on a birthday's cake, leaving only a string of vaguely uplifting clichés like "age ain't nothing but a number" in its wake.
The 29-year-old's soulful voice and incredible outlook on life, despite the sudden loss of his young wife, moved everyone who heard his voice and his story. Gokey was the darling of American Idol's Season 8, finishing third but leaving with a dedicated fan base who fell in love with the worship leader with his heart on his sleeve. After Idol, he's launched a career into the country/pop music genre.
Gokey is at a crossroads, both literally and lyrically. Like other reality show finalists, he must find his niche in an over-saturated market without alienating the fans he picked up through the television airwaves. And while he was originally billed as a contemporary Christian singer with a built-in inspirational message, he is attempting to channel that momentum into the country music world Carrie Underwood, Bucky Covington, Josh Gracin, Kellie Pickler and Kristy Lee Cook have each made their own, to varying degrees of success. The video will be added to the GAC Top 20 Country Countdown voting ballot today, starting about 10 am ET.