GIRLFRIEND - Avril LavigneShe was the girl who blew Skaterboi's wits off all over the place. She was complicated before, and now she gets even more complicated. Is Avril Lavigne now pulling a Hilary Duff stunt? Seen the video, ditched it up and loathe it like hell. I know Avril's trying to look more hot in this take-off-your-bra-and-you-become-famous generation but what she transformed into now was a rubbish hellhole. Instead of becoming a better artist in ever album, this Avril's recent philandering is a step-back, fusing more into the redundant Pop territory instead of tantamounting her punk-princess image. And she even tried to shake her booty in this video, what a mess, Avril. I know you're a girl, and you're trying to wear your stillettos on - but I guess you can turn around and bring back those sneakers-tie glory days than putting up a facade that belongs to Hilary Duff. Now look what you've done, you look like a slut in a 13-year old get-up. Excuse my language. Girlfriend is too catchy, too infectious, too gratuitous for our taste buds that it makes us sick listening to it over and over again. Fusing Pop and Punk is great, and could sometimes be awesome, but fusing it like Avril does could sometimes be not too effective.
Grade: D
SWEET ESCAPE - Gwen Stefani feat. AkonFantastic Gwen. Sometimes we have to trust this girl and let her just do her thing in the screen. This is a good record; not ultra-fine but fine enough to extirpate those bad-hair days and move to this beat of the feel-good Stefani and Akon. The video is endearing enough, featuring the glamour of Stefani and her cohorts of Chinese dolls, with golden walls, sets and costumes that only Louis Vuitton, Gucci and Dolce & Gabbana could be attributed to. Fashion is her world, music is her soul, and weirdness is her life. Stefani rocks, and this song may not be the song you wanted to hear over and over again but it's worth enough to escape the blip.
Grade: B+
She flew like a bird years ago, and now she's back with a vengeance. I could say Nelly Furtado got her groove back and looked indeed hotter and more fine. Say It Right may not be as a disco-esque anthem like Maneater and Promiscuous, but it's a laid-back type of music in which we would just want to chill out with. And speaking of chilling out, the video bespeaks that whilst nudity can turn things ugly, simplicity can generate beauty. White backgrounds, skyscrapers, three male dancers and Timbaland and Nelly in the screen as if they're whispering to each other - Say It Right does it right. Not flamboyant, not pretentious, it's peaceful, tranquil, bold and just right. And oh, Nelly Furtado looked a bit like Courtney Cox.
Grade: B+
Grade: B+
WHAT GOES AROUND (COMES AROUND) - Justin Timberlake
Oh yes, he brought Sexyback and made My Love a great video - but a notion of bringing all-too sexy and sultry Scarlett Johansson made What Goes Around (Comes Around) music video all very blistery. In short, I didn't like it. I have total respect for Johansson's Oscar nomination for Lost in Translation, and her nomination for Match Point (which was caused all by luck as there was no other actress to nominate at that point) but her performance here in this video could get her a Razzie. Horrible acting. She's beautiful, she is, but there's something lacking in the video, or maybe something too much in it. On the other hand, I don't congratulate Mr Timberlake for actually appearing with Johansson, and neither writing this song. As if no other artist had thought of this before, and saying "what goes around comes around" had been told gazillion of times already. You don't need to remind us again, Justin. We know it by heart. I'd rather sit down and immerse in Alicia Keys's Karma.
Oh yes, he brought Sexyback and made My Love a great video - but a notion of bringing all-too sexy and sultry Scarlett Johansson made What Goes Around (Comes Around) music video all very blistery. In short, I didn't like it. I have total respect for Johansson's Oscar nomination for Lost in Translation, and her nomination for Match Point (which was caused all by luck as there was no other actress to nominate at that point) but her performance here in this video could get her a Razzie. Horrible acting. She's beautiful, she is, but there's something lacking in the video, or maybe something too much in it. On the other hand, I don't congratulate Mr Timberlake for actually appearing with Johansson, and neither writing this song. As if no other artist had thought of this before, and saying "what goes around comes around" had been told gazillion of times already. You don't need to remind us again, Justin. We know it by heart. I'd rather sit down and immerse in Alicia Keys's Karma.
Grade: C
HOW TO SAVE A LIFE - The FrayThe best record of 2006. No doubt, downright and wilful. Say this is a bad music video, and you'll see World War III in front of you. And The Fray's interpretation of their music into a montage was skillful and redolent of the recent crises of humanity. Haunting piano melody, all-white set and vista, no-nonsense, people crying and laughing and have their hearts broken, all shown through a countdown of How To Save A Life. Seek through step one to the last step, this music video has the power to stay with us forever and its music will always gives strength in the darkest of days. Provocative and emotional, The Fray knows how to target human hearts, and their video is nonetheless poignant enought to stir and echo the contemporary dilemma of the modern world. They show us that we are all strangers, and the bravest thing one can ever do is to sit down, give a shoulder and become a friend when the everyone in the world had turned their backs on. Brilliant video, brilliant music. Everytime I watch this, all the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.
Rating: A+
2007 (c) J.S.Datinguinoo
