Top 5 Recommended Music Videos

"Magnets" by Disclosure feat. Lorde
Lorde was pretty hot in 2013 and she's still a pretty talented young artist with her contribution to the Hunger Games: Mockingjay Pt. 1 soundtrack. I was interested on what her collaboration would sound like with the Disclosure duo and I was definitely not disappointed. Her voice remains to have that wispy rawness to it that needs a tiny bit of polish, but it works very well with this dramatic, romantic piece. The visuals seem almost opposite of anything she's done, mixing passion and subtle anger together. The chemistry is a little awkward at times, but the chase and payoff at the end are all worth it. It works for Lorde and her being comfortable with such actions would almost seem wrong.



"SIN" by Planet Shiver feat. NAVI
I feel like I should listen to more material from Planet Shiver, but it's kinda hard finding their music online. Nonetheless, I was happy I gave them another listen with this dark, dramatic electronic piece. NAVI's vocals truly add an epic sound to the song as the music swells up and gently explodes into a semi-chorus. The visuals are dark, seductive, and perfectly artistic. It makes you wonder what's going on with this couple. Intertwining the visuals and lyrics, you almost have an idea of the pain and passion between these lovers.



"Awoo" by Lim Kim
I've seen her name many times, but never gave her the time of day until this year. I was instantly intrigued and wondered why I never gave her a chance earlier. First of all, the music is very minimalistic and simple, but it works very well with her alluring vocals and delivery. I highly encourage anyone not fluent in Korean to turn the subtitles on, because I really enjoy these genuine and sweet lyrics that match the person singing it. Visually, there's so much to look at in this quirky, pastel paradise and it compliments the tone of the song and the look of the artist. Just watching it is like a breath of fresh air and it makes me smile, I love it so much.



"EOEO" by UNIQ
As much as kpop doesn't need more hip-hop influenced boy groups, I have to admit that I really enjoyed this song. The lyrics aren't extremely profound, but I enjoy the aggressive and seductive energy that these boys put out in their vocal delivery and choreography. Some parts of the vocal arrangement can be a little annoying, but for the most part, I enjoy the variety between the rough verses, the calm high energy of the bridge, and the smooth chorus. Visually, a lot of the set pieces are nothing new if you're well versed in male kpop groups: the bold color palette, the cage made of lights, beating up mannequins, black light paint, and fire, but I still enjoyed how sleek and polished it looks.



"Watch Out" by HOTSHOT
If I had to pick one new boy band thatI'm really into, it would be HOTSHOT. I won't delve into my love for them here, because really I should be talking about this follow up song. Also, there is no "on fleek" in the lyrics. Just want to clarify that. This song displays a slightly different side to the group. While "Take a Shot" was a little more in your face, this song is an upbeat, but chilled song with its vocal arrangement. It has a nice balance with more stand out vocals during the verses, then a nice harmony into the bridge, and bam! they bring it together in the chorus. The rap sections transition very smoothly as well. The choreography is very impressive and the visuals are simple, but well utilized, giving each member their own moment while also showing off their natural chemistry with flares and paint powder.

Quick Music Reviews

Normally I would go into detail from track to track with these music reviews, but this will be a less detailed version. I feel like these albums need to be mentioned, but I honestly don't have much to say from track to track. I guess that's what a "quick review" should really be, but hey, it's my blog and I think there's enough difference between my individual and quick reviews. Anyway, until I get my stuff together properly, here's something to hold you guys over for my lack of consistence. One more thing...thank you all for checking this place out even when I'm failing on the posts. I really appreciate the support!



Ariana Grande - Yours Truly (2013, USA) Rating: 3.5/5
Favorite Tracks: n/a
I've been hearing a lot of good things about the "ditzy" actress Ariana from Facebook and college friends that I got curious. I looked up couple videos for "The Way" and "Baby I" and I thought both were pretty good, excluding the fact that I thought Mac Miller was completely pointless. Listening to the album was like a blast from the past and revived those feelings of 90's R&B. I know in this day and age it's hard finding your own sound and all, but I couldn't help but noticing the music sampling in "Right There" and how much she sounds like Mariah Carey. The vocal similarities did bother me a little bit in certain songs, but she does have an amazing vocal range for her age. I'm curious what direction she'll take on her next project. Despite my criticisms, I really did enjoy this album and it's difficult to pick favorites as everything seems to fit together on the same level of enjoyment.



Lorde - Pure Heroine (2013, USA) Rating: 4/5
Favorite Tracks: Tennis Court, Team, Glory and Gore, A World Alone
I heard about Lorde through a commercial on TV. I guess everyone else was exposed to repeated plays of "Royals" on the radio and little old me doesn't really listen to the radio. Honestly, I don't. Anyway, after seeing said commercial enough times, I decided to YouTube her and watched "Royals" and "Tennis Court". I immediately understood her subtle popularity as that "artistic" singer like one-hit wonder Gotye. She has something odd about her musically and visually and she's only 17. The whole album has this indie/mainstream mix with lots of atmospheric sounds. It reminds me a little of old Fiona Apple. The whole album is worth experiencing. Yes, experiencing not listening.



Lady Gaga - ARTPOP (2013, USA) Rating: 2.5/5
Favorite Tracks: Applause, Swine, G.U.Y, Jewels N' Drugs
Some of you may know that I wasn't overly excited about this new album. I stalled a little, but when it was time to listen to it, I went in with no expectations and an open mind. Well, I guess I'm still in the process of completely formulating a concrete emotion toward it. It's not as great as The Fame, but definitely not as bad as Born This Way. It somehow falls in between in the neutral area. It's definitely not cohesive and it seems like it tries to please fans of the first and last album by mixing the sounds together. It also tries to step out of the usual Gaga box and reach out to those who enjoy her piano work. In other words, it's all of the place. I guess Gaga is trying to find her place in music again or something. I have to mention one specific track though, "Jewels N' Drugs". This is where most of my confusion lies. It sadly reminds me of that horrible "23" song with Miley Cyrus, but way more tolerable. I don't think I want Gaga to be delving into this genre too much...or that R&B track she did with R. Kelly (ick!). I guess it's a guilty pleasure track. It's definitely gimmicky, the rap lines are decent overall, and there's just something intriguing about it that keeps me coming back to it. Final verdict, if you haven't listened to this album yet, listen to it if you're really curious what it sounds like. Otherwise, you can just listen to those 4 favorite tracks and call it a day.



Linkin Park - Recharged (2013, USA) Rating: 2/5
Favorite Tracks: A LIGHT THAT NEVER COMES, I'LL BE GONE (Vice Remix)
This was another album I wasn't looking forward to, but I kept an open mind when listening to it. I must confess that I had no idea it existed, until a hardcord LP fan and close friend told me about it. I heard some samples from him and my heart instantly sunk. Well, overall...my mind completely rejected this as canon to their discography, if that's possible. With Reanimation, I expected the usual remix tactics everyone else was doing but somehow LP took their original tracks to a different direction and level. With Recharged, it falls into the typical remix territory which makes it disappointing. Some tracks sound like something from Dance Dance Revolution or novice dance remixes for a small club. Sadly, I'll be breaking my consistent purchases and skipping out on this one for the collection.



KoRn - The Paradigm Shift (2013, USA) Rating: 4.5/5
Favorite Tracks: Love & Meth, Never Never, Lullaby For a Sadist
The Path of Totality was a complete misstep for KoRn, despite enjoying a couple songs from it. I didn't have any expectations for this album, but it was nice that they took the good parts from their previous album and mixed it in with their signature nu-metal sound. I really, really enjoyed this album and I've been using it to stall on the two albums above. In short, it's a solid album and makes up for the dubstep experimentation. It also makes me feel nostalgic for a live. Hopefully, they'll keep up in this direction.


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