Cheryl Cole – “Promise This” Music Video
Published September 19th 2010
Filed under Videos
Cheryl Cole’s music video for Promise This, the lead single from her upcoming album Messy Little Raindrops, premiered last night after The Xtra Factor.
The video keeps a similar theme to the 3 Words era, but also fits the song perfectly. While the song is uptempo, lyrically it’s quite dark and the video enforces this very well.
The Saturdays – “Higher” Music Video
Published September 19th 2010
Filed under Videos
The Saturdays’ video for the album version of Higher (not featuring Flo Rida), premiered last night. Shot at Fox Studios in L.A., Higher is their most expensive video yet.
The video didn’t involve much of a storyline. The girls seem to be stuck in traffic but they decide to get out of the car and walk instead. They then sing and dance through the streets of fabricated set of New York before arriving at a street party at the end.
The Saturdays official Twitter announced that the Flo Rida version of the video will premiere soon.
The Saturdays – “Higher” featuring Flo Rida
Published September 17th 2010
Filed under Reviews
Yesterday, second single Higher, from The Saturdays’ new mini-album Headlines, premiered. The Saturdays recently shot the video in L.A. and also got chart rival Flo Rida on board to feature on the track. Getting Flo Rida to feature on the track is quite a clever move since he’s beaten The Saturdays to the number one spot on two occasions which has been a long-running story in the press. They can’t beat him, so their best move is to collaborate, which is sure to gain even more press.
The problem is, while it seems like a brilliant way to increase The Saturdays’ status, the song Flo Rida is featuring on happens to be possibly the best song of their careers so far. From the minute the album dropped, Higher has been a huge fan favourite. It has elements of everything that makes a good Saturdays song since it’s produced by the same people who gave them their big hits Up and Ego. On first listen, a lot of people were disappointed about the heavy use of autotune on the studio version but the middle 8, despite the autotune, remained on the highlights of the song.
The new version of Higher, which now features Flo Rida, sees the middle 8 completely cut in favour of Flo Rida rapping. The rap actually sounds decent but it’s not as good as the original middle 8 it replaced. The ideal thing the producers could have done, would have been to keep both the original middle 8 and add Flo Rida’s rap, as the song is only three minutes and twenty six seconds long anyway.
Another problem with Flo Rida featuring on Higher is that he didn’t record the track at the same time as The Saturdays, and possibly not with the same producers, leading to his vocals sounding considerably higher in volume in comparison to the girls’ vocals. Listening to the track, I find myself lowering the volume when Flo Rida starts rapping, not because he sounds bad, but because his vocals are much louder. It just sounds like sloppy and rushed editing, and also sounds a bit like he rapped over the track while playing karaoke. However, Flo Rida’s intro, despite his cheesy name dropping of the girls, actually sounds good and fits in well with the lyrics of the song.
Flo Rida: What you doing Saturday girl?
Vanessa: I’m doing nothing, ’cause then at least I’m doing nothing wrong
The video for Higher premieres this weekend which looks like it could be their best video yet as seen in their reality TV series The Saturdays 24/7. It looks like they spent quite a lot on the video, leaving seemingly very little of the budget for the cover artwork (seen in the video below) which is a disaster.
Higher will be released November 1st through Fascination Records.
Cheryl Cole – “Promise This” Single Premiere
Published September 14th 2010
Filed under Reviews
Cheryl Cole’s lead single, Promise This, from her upcoming sophomore album, premiered today on Chris Moyles’ BBC Radio 1 show. After the huge success of Fight For This Love, Cheryl returns with another Wayne Wilkins track, this time specially penned for Cheryl.
Promise This is very different to anything on her debut album, 3 Words. It’s more dance-pop and less r’n’b-lite. The only previous work by Cheryl that it could be compared to is the b-side, Boys, which shares similar production styles. It doesn’t sound much like anything else around right now but it sounds very fresh, yet current.
The track samples the well known French song Alouette. Cheryl metaphorically sings about plucking and spreading wings which is then used as a hook during the intro, post-chorus and outro of the song, but in French.
Alouette-ette-ette, alouette-ette-ette, alouette-ette-ette, déployer les ailes
Alouette-ette-ette, alouette-ette-ette, alouette-ette-ette, plumerai les ailes
Melodically, Cheryl’s vocal in the verses has a similarity to the verses of Rain On Me from her debut. The chorus is quite short like Fight For This Love’s chorus, but similarly the repetitive, French, post-chorus is the biggest hook in the song. Promise This, again will be a huge club hit for Cheryl as it’s quite uptempo, clocking in at 150bpm, faster than Fight For This Love’s 120bpm.
Promise This will be released on October 25th, following an X Factor performance and followed by her sophomore album, Messy Little Raindrops, on November 1st, through Fascination Records.