I like the black-and-white, behind-the-scenes studio scenes here, but these "day in the life" type videos are still an overworked treatment in general for music videos, and I expected more from R.E.M. than that. I've always thought of them as being one of the few rock bands out there to get the power of the visual element that this provides and used that to their advantage to create some stunningly conceptual videos over the years. The song is very "R.E.M." (that's the best way to describe the tone and vibe of the song), and Michael Stipe still has one of the most distinctive and awesome rock voices out there. Catchy, dense song as I would expect from them. Glad that these elder statemen of rock are back in action again.
Song: B/B+ Video: B
Britney Spears, "Break the Ice"
An animated Britney video was probably the best way to go with her -- highlight the song and not the trainwreck antics. I haven't liked any of her new songs, but this one is at least catchy and well-produced. The video's dark and brooding and intricate -- maybe too intricate and involved for the MTV crowd, but I liked seeing this anime vibe done as well as it was. It was funny that there's a "to be continued" tag at the end of the video. It's as if the studio/director mandated it in the treatment -- "We'll add this if we want to milk another single and do another video -- this way, we're covered whether she's fit to participate in the video or not! Eureka!"
Song: B Video: B/B+
Shelby Lynne, "Anyone Who Had a Heart"
This is the first time I've ever seen a Shelby Lynne video, so that was cool. She does a great cover version of this Dionne Warwick/Luther Vandross staple, and hearing her understated and bubbling vocals in this, it made me hope that she finds some real mainstream success at some point. She deserves more than just being that oddball Grammy best new artist winner that wasn't new or didn't deserve to win or hasn't reached great commercial heights or hasn't received any more Grammy nominations after her win. The video's clean and crisp with its direction and cinematography, and the mundane day-to-day things she does in her apartment while the song's playing brings a great added melancholy to her already somber vocal stylings.
Song: A- Video: B+
FYC: Primetime Emmy Awards
Drama Series: Mad Men Lead Actor in a Comedy Series: Steve Carell, The Office Lead Actress in a Comedy Series: Tina Fey, 30 Rock Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series: Vanessa Williams, Ugly Betty Supporting Actress in a Drama Series: Chandra Wilson, Grey's Anatomy Guest Actor in a Drama Series: Glynn Turman, In Treatment Guest Actress in a Drama Series: Sharon Gless, Nip/Tuck Variety Special: The Kennedy Center Honors
Posts: 18216 | Location: North Carolina, USA | Registered: April 11, 2005
Wow this video is HOT! Yeah it's typical of all other Hip-Hop videos but this one has INCREDIBLE scenrey.I love the scene with him playing the guitar on top of the stretch limo. The scene where he singing in front of the pool is cool also.Even if the video was wack the song makes up for it!RIP Static Major!
VH1 Adds for the Week of 3/31/08 Gavin DeGraw "I’m In Love With A Girl" Duffy "Mercy" Flyleaf "All Around Me" George Michael "An Easier Affair Jason Mraz "I'm Yours"
Posts: 10169 | Location: New York | Registered: August 18, 2001
Drama Series: Mad Men Lead Actor in a Comedy Series: Steve Carell, The Office Lead Actress in a Comedy Series: Tina Fey, 30 Rock Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series: Vanessa Williams, Ugly Betty Supporting Actress in a Drama Series: Chandra Wilson, Grey's Anatomy Guest Actor in a Drama Series: Glynn Turman, In Treatment Guest Actress in a Drama Series: Sharon Gless, Nip/Tuck Variety Special: The Kennedy Center Honors
Posts: 18216 | Location: North Carolina, USA | Registered: April 11, 2005
That was incredible. Loved everything about it, and her.
FYC: Primetime Emmy Awards
Drama Series: Mad Men Lead Actor in a Comedy Series: Steve Carell, The Office Lead Actress in a Comedy Series: Tina Fey, 30 Rock Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series: Vanessa Williams, Ugly Betty Supporting Actress in a Drama Series: Chandra Wilson, Grey's Anatomy Guest Actor in a Drama Series: Glynn Turman, In Treatment Guest Actress in a Drama Series: Sharon Gless, Nip/Tuck Variety Special: The Kennedy Center Honors
Posts: 18216 | Location: North Carolina, USA | Registered: April 11, 2005
VH1 Adds for the Week of 4/7/08 Augustana - "Sweet And Low" The B-52's - "Funplex" Madonna f/ Justin Timberlake - "4 Minutes" Maroon 5 - "Won't Go Home Without You" -re-add- MGMT - "Time To Pretend" Usher f/ Young Jeezy - "Love In This Club"
Posts: 10169 | Location: New York | Registered: August 18, 2001
From the 30 second (I think) of Usher's new video, it looks like "Yeah!" Pt. 2. I'm so tired of these club videos. I should become video director so I can do some crazy mess.
"Cause as long as I'm breathin', you can believe it goin' down on everything I love..."
This isn't one of my favorites off of "Graduation" ("Champion" should have been the next single), but the video treatment is a good one, especially in the use of black and white and silhouettes. It's interesting that Kanye's still doing videos off of "Graduation" -- this will make the fifth one -- "Can't Tell Me Nothing", "Stronger", "Good Life", "Flashing Lights", and now "Homecoming". It's great to see Chris Martin again -- a nice and calculated move to get him back out there in the world before Coldplay's new album comes out. The Chicago locales were great here, and it was nice seeing Common thrown in there in some shots.
Song: B/B- Video: B
FYC: Primetime Emmy Awards
Drama Series: Mad Men Lead Actor in a Comedy Series: Steve Carell, The Office Lead Actress in a Comedy Series: Tina Fey, 30 Rock Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series: Vanessa Williams, Ugly Betty Supporting Actress in a Drama Series: Chandra Wilson, Grey's Anatomy Guest Actor in a Drama Series: Glynn Turman, In Treatment Guest Actress in a Drama Series: Sharon Gless, Nip/Tuck Variety Special: The Kennedy Center Honors
Posts: 18216 | Location: North Carolina, USA | Registered: April 11, 2005
Originally posted by C. Lawton: From the 30 second (I think) of Usher's new video, it looks like "Yeah!" Pt. 2. I'm so tired of these club videos. I should become video director so I can do some crazy mess.
I finally listened to the song from start to finish, and now I'm seeing where all the early hype is coming from. Something about the song turned me off at first -- all the bleeding and cutting metaphors were annoying and obvious, but it's grown on me now. She seems to be the next big voiced star of the year, and being British just makes her more awesome in my eyes. The video is as generic as they come though -- basically pandering to US audiences by having the foreign girl in Times Square seeing all the pretty lights while singing her sad ballad to her all-American boyfriend. I wish that her studio had the balls to make the British version of her video the official video here instead of this one. That one had some personality -- it's all about cheating couples with this great cinematography that's very seedy and British-looking. I guess that version was considered to be too edgy or whatever to our audiences, but she looks incredible though (in a wholesome, sleazy kind of way). It makes our version seem very PG in comparison.
Song: B+ Video (US Version): C- Video (British Version): A-
FYC: Primetime Emmy Awards
Drama Series: Mad Men Lead Actor in a Comedy Series: Steve Carell, The Office Lead Actress in a Comedy Series: Tina Fey, 30 Rock Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series: Vanessa Williams, Ugly Betty Supporting Actress in a Drama Series: Chandra Wilson, Grey's Anatomy Guest Actor in a Drama Series: Glynn Turman, In Treatment Guest Actress in a Drama Series: Sharon Gless, Nip/Tuck Variety Special: The Kennedy Center Honors
Posts: 18216 | Location: North Carolina, USA | Registered: April 11, 2005
