OneRepublic Premiered Video For "Good Life"

American rock band OneRepublic just released a brand new music video for their latest single "Good Life," which appears on their sophomore album, "Waking Up" released a year ago. The video was filmed in Italy and "Good Life" provides an upbeat Celtic balance by finding happiness in a foreign land. The smooth tenor vocals from self-proclaimed "genreless" band's frontman Ryan Tedder just lead this one in every way.
"Good life" is a positive, upbeat and very energetic powerful song, which gives us hope. It has an up-tempo feel-good vibe that is difficult to dislike. simple but brain-burrowing! This track is quite the opposite than others in album, highlighting some of the good times the band has experienced since their success. But the track and sentiment is not pompous, boastful, or insincere, but honest and almost serves as an invitation to join in on the fun and the good life. It's about appreciating life, and temporarily restores some faith, with its harmonizing vocals and ambient backing. "Good Life" pairs a cheery, whistling melody with thudding drums, handclaps, and acoustic guitars, and its verses demonstrate that Tedder is a surprisingly agile vocalist when he isn't trying to be Bono. But even that song's simple pleasures eventually get crowded out by overdubs and electronic squiggles. "Good Life" is most likely my favorite cut on "Waking Up." The song's structure really catches my ear, as do the lyrics.
Despite the fact that OneRepublic have left "Apologize" behind, they have not ignored influences from the song's collaborator, Tedder's mentor Timbaland. The ramped up drums that kick off "Good Life" all point toward good lessons learned at his side. The new set, "Waking Up" finds the band turning out irresistible instrumentals and ultra-catchy vocal chants that enliven its radio-friendly rock sound. Tedder defends his in-demand songwriting abilities. He's more optimistic on "Good Life," an uplifting pop gem complete with whistles and lighthearted marching drums.
"The toughest thing to do is write a hit song and the easiest thing to do is act like a rock band," says Tedder. "But we had a hit song before we had an album and we can't pull off the 'rock god' thing. We do everything backwards. This song "Good Life" always makes me feel like there's never a reason to be sad ever again. The hope and energy in this song, reminds me that there's so much to be thankful for, especially coupled with this homemade video. It's carefree, fun and just full of life and happiness. It recognizes that things in life don't always go as planned, but that through it all you can enjoy the good life. Maybe OneRepublic doesn't do everything backwards after all. Perhaps this is one band that has it exactly right.

Rihanna & Drake Snuggle Up In 'What's My Name'

Barbadian pop/R&B recording artist Rihanna is steamy collaboration with her former beau, Canadian rapper Drake, for their duet Island-infused love jam "What's My Name?" which has made a gigantic leap into the No.1 spot on this week's Billboard Hot 100, knocking off Ke$ha and giving the Barbadian beauty her third chart-topper of the year! (Total eighth No.1 hit on the chart and Drake his first.) Perfect timing for the song's video to drop!
"What's My Name?" is the second from Barbados beauty's forthcoming fifth studio album, "Loud," comes out next Tuesday, November 16. The song was written by Ester Dean whose previous credits include Usher's "Hot Toddy," Katy Perry's "Firework" and Christina Aguilera's "Not Myself Tonight." Dean also had a hit under own name with "Drop it Low." Rihanna said of Dean to Billboard magazine: "She really captured me, everything I would say and how I would say it. Some people get it halfway right. She just gets it and knows exactly what you want to hear." Dean told Billboard magazine Rihanna's biggest strength is that "she doesn't try to sound like you; she sounds like herself. She's not in there trying to figure out how she can beat you singing your song. She goes in there and says, 'I'm going to sing this song because I f---ing love it.'"
The 22-year-old Bajan beauty had originally played the song to Drake "backstage somewhere to try to get him on a verse." In the interview with Billboard magazine it was also revealed that Rihanna has wanted to work with Drake for a long time but specifically wanted "Drake's signature swagger" for "What's My Name?" She said "Drake is the hottest rapper out right now and we've always been trying to work together. He's the only person I thought could really understand the melody of the song, and the minute he heard it he said, 'I know exactly what I'm going to do. I love it.' And he did it like three days later."
Love is in the air for Rihanna and Drake as they share romantic scenes in a newly-debuted video. They steam up the scenes with their scorching chemistry. The video was helmed by director Philip Andelman and features red-headed Rihanna strutting down the streets of New York in a colorful outfit, dances in the night and getting pretty cozy with Drake. "You see what it would be like with a young couple, two 20-year-old, eating Chinese food in a New York City apartment," she said. "It's a really youthful song. It feels good. It's really flirty, but it's also really melodic. Which is why I felt that Drake was the perfect person to have on this song, 'cause he's a young rapper who has incredible melodies." Simple video but it goes perfectly with the song, enjoy!

Keri Hilson Shows One Thing In 'Pretty Girl Rock'

Keri Hilson has just released the video on Perez Hilton's site for "Pretty Girl Rock," the second second single from her upcoming sophomore album "No Boys Allowed," is scheduled for a December 21 release. And it is definitely one of the best videos we've seen so far this year. Hilson is pretty and not afraid to boast about it in new video, which shows Hilson revisiting the different eras of music, pays homage to some of music's biggest industry legends throughout the decades, all received the full on impersonation treatment in the very inspirational music visual, to show one thing - they ALL rock!
After debuting her new single "Pretty Girl Rock" live at last month's Beats by Dr. Dre event in New York City, Hilson is feeling herself on the freshly released studio version of the track. She recently explained the motivation behind her new song which has the lyrics "Don't hate me cause I'm beautiful": "It's not really as vain as it sounds, although I do feel those things about myself. I really want people to take away how they should feel about themselves." The uptempo track is an exploration of self-love, with message: "It's like the hair brush in the mirror, don't hate me because I'm beautiful, because you are. Everybody is beautiful. I want everyone to be able to sing that record."
This self-appreciating song was produced by Chuck Harmony and written by Ne-Yo, and finds Hilson repping for all the gorgeous gals. "Pretty Girl Rock" is very poppy, although keeping Hilson's urban swag of course. It has a cool piano-driven melody and a catchy hook. It has been awhile since we've had some new stuff from the R&B songstress, but this song is sure to get a lot of radio airplay. Over the upbeat piano-synth boardwork, Hilson gives us the full rundown of her feminine wiles, from her 'very fly' attitude to her head-turning physical assets.
The Grammy-nominated recording artist takes a trip and channels pretty girls throughout the decade-spanning video. Directed by Joseph Kahn, the clip puts Hilson in a handful of looks, the diva starts off as a 1920's flapper girl in a silent movie, a 1940's film star, a 1950's candy girl, and then makes her way to iconic R&B imagery from the past fifty years. She pays tributes to Janet Jackson's "Rhythm Nation" look, T-Boz in TLC's "Creep," Diana Ross from the Supremes, and disco diva Donna Summer. Take a stroll down memory lane with the blonde bombshell, and celebrate some great female singers while enjoying a hot new track from Hilson. This is a total case of being blindsided by an underdog: nobody expected Hilson to come out with such a fantastic music video.

Black Cards's Dancing In A "Club Called Heaven"

Black Cards, the new group from Fall Out Boy's Pete Wentz and Bebe Rexha, have found themselves a new club, and they have unveiled their first visual endeavor for "Club Called Heaven." Over strobing, reggae-infused backbeats and hints of big band accompaniment, Rexha sings in full-bodied vibrato. The song also features a guest verse by the Philly-based hip-hop duo Chiddy Bang. It will presumably make it's way on their upcoming album debut full-length, will released in 2011. So Stay tuned!
The American experimental electropop band, which formed in July of this year, is composed of Wentz on bass and backup vocals, Rexha on lead vocals. The music Wentz created in Black Cards was inspired by Jamaican sounds which he heard while vacationing with his family. He said, "I spent a lot of time hanging around the beaches and I started to get inspired again by songs like 'Two Sevens Clash' and 'Warriors.' I'd never heard any of these songs but could imagine them having an everlasting imprint, like people would dance to this stuff forever."
The video was shot in black and white footage as a "homage to a classic film" and features the Fall Out Boy bassist engaged in a car chase with cops. ake a look at how Rexha is saved from a car accident, caused by Wentz, and brought to life again. Tour photographer and filmmaker Shane Valdes directs the vintage horror movie-inspired clip, in which Wentz plays the getaway driver while Rexha plays his accomplice after a bank robbery gone awry. Rexha escapes the car and that's when things get weird. The man manages to save his woman's head before their car explodes. He then rushes home to his laboratory, doing some kind of Frankenstein project to bring her to life again magically.
Like every good music video, this one comes with a moral, we think. After poisoning a supermodel in an effort to replace Rexha's body, she keeps singing about how we're dancing in a club called heaven. This is just proof that nature shouldn't be tampered with, folks. Oh, and Wentz gets away from the cops, in case you were wondering. The fun, adventurous video for "Club Called Heaven" pairs perfectly with the party-like, Jamaican sounds of the song. "Club Called Heaven" has a bit of a Rock Steady-era No Doubt vibe to it, which make sense as both bands are said to have drawn inspiration from classic reggae jams. Anyone who has seen a Fall Out Boy video knows that Wentz has never been one for thinking inside the box, but this is definitely some weird science. Welcome back, Mr.Wentz!

Shayne Ward's Back With "Gotta Be Somebody"

Shane Ward, the X Factor winner of 2005 who achieved, at best, mediocre success has finally returned and re-launching his pop career with the Bille Woodruff directed music video for his new material. We say new, it's a cover version of Nickelback's 2008 song "Gotta Be Somebody." This will be the first cut to be lifted from Ward's upcoming third album "Obsession" which hits stores in the UK on November 15. The 26-year-old singer's last album was released in 2007 so it's taken him two-and-a-half years to actually put out a follow-up.
The song is catchy enough to be a big hit for Ward and sees he putting a real nice POP synth twist to the original rocky type sound! Ward's version is obviously non-rock as he asked producers Ray Hedges, Nigel Butler, Cutfather and David Kopatz to give it a new beat. The original melody is 'kinda' there but they've replaced the rock notes for synth-beats and some auto-tune. To be fair though, Hedges and Butler have given "Gotta Be Somebody" a glossy 'n' bombastic pop makeover, Ward acquits himself admirably here and the swelling climax lends itself to the pyrotechnical spectacle that successful X Factor performances are made of.
Ward has defended his decision to launch his comeback with a cover version. "The whole transition from being rock to pop/R&B was really exciting for me and it's definitely made it into my own track. It's the perfect first single to kick-start my Obsession album," he told Digital Spy. "I don't look it as a cover. It's just a great song. I hadn't heard the song for a while before I recorded it, but I got into it again straight away because it's got such a catchy chorus. It's got a great message too - it's about hope, that there's someone out there for all of us." Ward turns a so-so rock song into a mushy pop-tarty tune.
Unsurprisingly, Ward's rendition veers towards the Pop/R&B route and does a good job with it. Coming from someone who loves the original version from Nickelback, I have to say that Ward's rendition to be rather mildly satisfying. This is not a straightforward cover, I have to say. Rather, the direction that Ward took gave his rendition some much needed gloss which somehow sets it apart from the original. Overall, Ward's take on "Gotta Be Somebody" ends up as a good pop treat though one could wonder why he opted to do a cover instead of releasing an original.

Lucy Schwartz Performing Dance In "Graveyard"

Young singer with an "old soul," Lucy Schwartz has released the music video for her single "Graveyard," the lead track from the Los Angeles indie pop artist's sophomore album "Life in Letters," which was released in September. The first thing you might notice upon watching Schwartz is that she is utterly charming. The second thing you might notice is that visually and aurally, she calls to mind a bit of Sara Bareilles. And that's a good thing, in our opinion; Schwartz's command of piano and voice is impressive, wrapping boldly around clever lyrics in a way that causes her songs to work their way into your head and stay there.
"Graveyard" is a great song; ultra-catchy and infinitely singable. Don't be surprised to find yourself swaying to the beat and mouthing lyrics that you're already starting to learn by the time you reach your second listen. This tune would be perfect for a dinner party or road trip mix. While conceiving the Claire Carre-directed video, Schwartz, who has studied dance and movement, happened to be watching an episode of the show "So You Think You Can Dance," marveling at the work of choreographer Sonya Tayeh. The next day she wrote Tayeh, a complete stranger, and asked her to work on "Graveyard." She accepted, and now Schwartz uses her moves in the clip, twirling and jumping through a smoke-machine haze. "I like to have everything just the way I'd imagined it, from the artwork to the visuals to the songs," she admits. "You might call me an artiste," she proclaims in a haughty French accent, before dissolving into laughter.
Taking her songwriting talents to a deeper and more personal level with her "Life in Letters" establishes Schwartz as a major talent, big and bright and bursting with energy. LA Weekly called her arrangements "smart; she brings a spectacular whimsy to everything she does, adding ukulele or a capella harmonies where you'd least expect them, cranking up every emotion into surround sound. There's so much joie de vivre in her music, she's written no less than two songs - "Graveyard" and "Shadow Man" - about what it takes to feel truly alive." Schwartz is an emerging artist who uses her imagination to deeply engage with the world. And "Life in Letters" challenges that world to engage with her the same way.
Although the 20 year-old face of Schwartz may be new to some, many already know her voice. How could anyone forget it? Rich and dreamy and all lit up in Technicolor, it's graced movie theaters and TV sets across the country. She achieved more in her short career than many have who been in the industry for decades. "I did a lot of theater growing up," says the effervescent Schwartz, "so I like the idea of escaping into a character and becoming someone else." Things are definitely looking up for Schwartz, the brunette beauty, still only 20 years old, has already toured with Lilith Fair and performed on "The Tonight Show." Her "Graveyard" video just won "The Freshmen" at mtvU, and the New York Post has predicted that shell be a Grammy contender for "Best New Artist" in 2011 for her new album.

Susan Boyle Debuts First Video For 'Perfect Day'

Scottish chanteuse Susan Boyle has premiered her first music video on Sunday tonight for "Perfect Day," one of the tracks featured on her new sophomore album, "The Gift," in stores tomorrow. For her first ever video, "Britain's Got Talent" break out star offers a cinematic journey and ventures through gorgeous natural settings and sings under a rainbow. Shots of lush forests and gorgeous sunrises are set to the Scottish siren's cover of rocker Lou Reed's 1972 classic, which tracks the passage of a day set against an idyllic rural backdrop.
Reed has masterminded the video for Boyle's version of "Perfect Day" just months after banning her from covering his 1972 classic. Reed refused to let Boyle cover the track on an episode of America's Got Talent earlier this year, but had a change of heart a few weeks later and allowed her to include the track on her album. Following the u-turn, Reed asked to be in involved in the production of the video, which was shot on the banks of Loch Lomond. "I wanted to create a beautiful and intimate piece shot in Susan's native Scotland and she quickly agreed," Reed told the newspaper.
Boyle added of working with Reed: "I loved that Lou understood how much it meant to me to film in Scotland. I didn't mind how much it rained or blew a gale - I enjoyed every minute." As she spends her perfect day, Boyle is seen standing on the edge of a misty lake as dawn is breaking, in a wooded glade and, finally, atop a mountainside as the sun sets over a stunning view. In video, the "Britain's Got Talent" phenom rocks a black coat and gloves while navigating through a foggy hillside, a lush forest and a quiet dock near a bay. The last 20 seconds of the clip sees Boyle raise her arms to the heavens as the sun finally comes out and clears up the rain.
Boyle, amateur vocalist became an overnight sensation after appearing on the first round of 2009's popular UK reality show "Britain's Got Talent," caught the judges (and the world) off guard with her masterful rendition of "I Dreamed a Dream" from the musical Les Misérables, due in part to the unemployed and undeniably plain church volunteer's "salt of the earth" demeanor and country spinster back-story. Her debut album, "I Dreamed a Dream," was released last year and reached No.1 on both the US and UK charts, setting a record in her homeland for first week sales. There is no denying, Boyle is definitely an artist all her own. She is unique, and fans keep building for her. "Perfect Day" video will inspire fans to race through the hillsides and pick up a copy of her second CD, which Boyle herself says the project was meant to "touch hearts."