We think Beyoncé just dropped her best video ever! Isn’t this what all girls do when they are alone? Looks like it was shot on a GoPro, in a messy hotel room, no make up, spectacular dancing. Totally Works!
As the biggest pop star on the planet Beyoncé has every resource possibly available to make any kind of music video she likes. For her to choose this kind of style, without the professional production quality of most videos, is impossibly cool. Paying homage to the low-fi viral video, at one point she even holds the camera herself in the typical selfie style. You can see that she is having so much fun – just like anyone would who made this kind of video.
Beyoncé dropped the video last night (Friday November 21), without any prior warning, and her fans went wild – the video has already notched up over 2.3million views in less than 24 hours! Let’s face it, only Queen Bey could pull this off. In this incredibly fun, fast-moving video she has connected with her fans and audience like she has never done before – it makes you want to be there and dance with her – she’s human after all!
7/11 is from the platinum edition of her self-titled album which will drop next week. So far the album has sold 5 million copies worldwide.
Combining her love of classical music with EDM, hip-hop, and dubstep; violinist, dancer, and performance artist Lindsey Stirling is a one-of-a-kind. Born in Santa Ana, California, Stirling grew up in Arizona and began studying classical violin at the age of five. In 2010, she appeared as the “hip hop violinist” on NBC’s America’s Got Talent. After finishing in the quarter-finals of the show, Stirling worked with director/cinematographer Devin Graham and produced her first series of videos on YouTube. Crystallize, was her first major hit, and has been viewed more than 107 million times. In 2012 Lindsey independently released her self-titled debut album, which sold over 200,000 copies in the United States and was certified Gold in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. After successful concert tours throughout the US, Europe, Asia, and Russia, Stirling signed a deal with Lady Gaga’s management firm, Atom Factory, and reissued her eponymous debut album through Universal Music. Lindsey’s second album, Shatter Me, arrived in 2014.
This year, after an 8 week US tour, you then went on to tour for 6 weeks in Europe. Your european tour brought over 100,000 of your fans to come see you live in action. How was this whole experience for you? and are you planning on taking a break to recharge now that you’re back home? It was absolutely incredible; I felt so honored to be able to perform for so many of my fans all over the world. The fact that that many people were excited and even willing to buy tickets to my concerts still floors me haha; I couldn’t feel more blessed.
Speaking of living out your dreams, one of our favourite videos of yours is We Found Love which was filmed in Kenya and features some fantastic vocals and authentic African sound. You say that this was one of the most rewarding experiences of your life. Through the video we experience that with you, and that’s what’s so great about it. Tell us a bit about VenTribe and how you came to do this song and film in Africa? I was dating Devin Graham (devinsupertramp on YouTube) at the time, and he was doing the project with VenTribe and convinced me to come with him to Africa for the project. I figured I might as well participate in the promotion and make a video while I was there, so I contacted Alisha Popat, who is an amazing singer and even more amazing as a person. She strives to be an example to women in Africa and teaches young girls to love and respect their bodies, which I think is amazing. The children I met there were absolutely beautiful, happy, and thriving. I know that not all villages in Africa are like that, but their example was a testimony to me that true happiness can come from loving and being grateful for what you have. These people had so little, and yet they took such pride in the work they did and what they were able to do and contribute in their communities.
Going back to your worldwide popularity, you now have over 5.7 million YouTube subscribers and over 815 million video views. Did you ever imagine yourself becoming this huge? I always dreamed of it, yes, and I saw it in my mind and I hoped for it, of course. Did I believe it could happen? Of course I did 😛 I was raised to believe that anything is possible. Does it still shock me when I see how far I have come? Every day. I can’t even begin to describe how humbled I feel by my success, by all of the supportive people in my life, and for my faith in God who guided me where I needed to go.
A lot of your initial popularity stemmed from the time you were on America’s Got Talent. Shockingly, Piers Morgan told you that you weren’t good enough, and Sharon Osbourne commented that what you were doing was not enough to fill a theatre in Vegas. Boy were they wrong. This reminds us of Simon Cowell’s criticising comments to the now very successful Tori Kelly when she auditioned on American Idol. What was going through your head while the judges were dishing out those harsh comments? How did it affect your self esteem at the time, and ultimately, when did you decide to not let that block your road to success? It absolutely crushed me. I felt humiliated. At the time I wanted to hide under a rock and cry and never come out again. But as the days went by the shame and the hurt fueled the kindling within me into a blazing fire. I knew I could succeed, with or without their approval or help. So I resolved to prove them wrong.
Speaking of AGT, you returned earlier this year, giving a powerful performance of your hit song Shatter Me alongside Lzzy Hale. You make playing the violin flawlessly suspended in mid-air look so easy. How cool did it feel to be back and bigger than ever? And did you get any feedback from the judges for old times sake? Man… I gotta admit, it felt massively good to perform for AGT as a successful artist. I didn’t have to say a thing, but everyone there knew it was a massive “in your face” moment for me XD #thankyouagt
Let’s talk about your Master of Tides video. You’re playing the violin, whilst dancing like a gymnast, whilst submerged ankle-deep in water, surrounded by mer people, who are also dancing like gymnasts. There’s some crazy choreography happening- oh, and there’s a guy who cartwheels on his trident. Pretty spectacular. How did you manage not to slip over through all that? Believe me, I was nervous! Slipping was a definite possibility, so I put on my best shoes, prayed like crazy, and went for it haha.
Where did you learn to dance like that? Tell us the story behind your moves. I used to love to improve-dance when I was a little kid; I loved watching figure skating and “dancing” shows on TV and I would mimic their moves. As I got older I watched YouTube tutorials and had one or two private lessons.
Through your experience, what would you say is the greatest and hardest part about being an independent recording artist? I’d say the pace. It’s easy to get left behind in this industry if you aren’t putting out new stuff on a regular basis. Fans want new songs/new videos/new material, and of course I want to make my fans happy. So I work really hard to do that. It’s easy to get overloaded and sometimes I have to force myself to slow down. The greatest thing about being an independent artist is that I have so much creative freedom, and the ability to mold and channel my career how I see fit.
A very special aspect to your music is the diversity of it. You’ve featured in practically every genre under the sun, with loads of artists on different ends of the spectrum. You’ve single handedly proved that violin can accompany pretty much any type of music track and make it better. How does this process usually unfold? Does the artist send you the music and you fill in the blanks? or do you both work together in the creating process? It’s usually a collaborative effort/I’m allowed creative freedom, but there have been times when I’ve been given material and asked to stay “true” to the writing. In my collaborations with Pentatonix, for example, the violin parts were pre-written for me and I was asked to play them as such.
On the subject of collaborations, your cover version of Radioactive with Pentatonix won Response of the Year in the first YouTube Music Awards in 2013. Did this achievement spark the new cover of Papaoutai featuring you and the a cappella group? Fans want to know if we can look forward to more songs with PTX? We’re pretty obsessed. I absolutely love those guys; if they’re up for another collab I’m all for it!
A day in the life of a successful musician is no piece of cake. Are you playing the violin every single day? How intense is the practicing, and do you ever need to take a break from it all? It’s honestly been difficult to the find time to practice very much on tour due to the insane schedule. I still take private lessons whenever I’m stationed in Los Angeles, which is a great motivator for me, and I plan to practice several hours a day now that I’m home and off tour.
What was it like joining Cirque de Soleil earlier this year for the annual One Night for One Drop in Las Vegas? That was definitely a unique opportunity; absolutely loved it! Loved the costumes, loved the people, loved the whole production. I was honored to be part of it and I highly recommend.
We want to know what your favourite meal is, and is there a favourite person to sit and eat it with? Here we are indirectly asking about your dating life ;). Cereal! I don’t really have a dating life at the moment haha, so I think I would choose to eat with my dad. Only I would order him a hamburger because that’s his favorite (“No sissy cereal for me,” he’d say).
From the start you’ve been very open and honest with your fans and the general public about your life. One struggle you had to face in your early adulthood was an eating disorder. What would be your message to others going through similar struggles right now, and how did you personally overcome it? #1 would be that everyone struggles with something, and you absolutely have to be able to admit you have a problem before there is any hope of overcoming it. #2 Know that you are never alone and #3 It is absolutely critical to ask for and be willing to receive help. We all need it 😉 That’s what we’re all here for …we need each other.
Finally, what are you most looking forward to going into the new year 2015? I’m looking forward to touring again, making more music videos, and maybe producing a Christmas album.
Shatter Me tracklist
1. Beyond the Veil
2. Mirror Haus
3. V-Pop
4. Shatter Me
5. Heist
6. Roundtable Rival
7. Night Vision
8. Take Flight
9. Ascendance
10. We Are Giants
11. Swag
12. Master of Tides
Singer, songwriter, dancer, activist and musician, James Brown was known by two nicknames: The Hardest Working Man in Show Business and the Godfather of Soul. He is also known as the Inventor of Funk, the Grandfather of Hip-Hop and is certainly one of the most influential musical pioneers of the last century. Born in 1933 in South Carolina, he died in December 2006 of pneumonia at 73 years old. He lives on through his music. As he said himself “If people wanted to know who James Brown is, all they have to do is listen to my music.”
He grew up in abject poverty and his parents split up when he was very young, so at age 4 he was sent to live with his Aunt Honey, the madam of a brothel. Brown later recalled his impoverished childhood: “I started shining shoes at 3 cents, then went up to 5 cents, then 6 cents. I never did get up to a dime. I was 9 years old before I got a pair of underwear from a real store; all my clothes were made from sacks and things like that. But I knew I had to make it. I had the determination to go on, and my determination was to be somebody.”
Well, as we know, the story has a happy ending because James Brown was certainly somebody! He developed his powerful voice singing in the church choir and his musical career started in earnest in 1955 when Bobby Byrd invited him to join his R&B group, The Gospel Starlighters. Naturally, with his almost overbearing talent and charisma it didn’t take long before he was running the show. Changing their name to the Famous Flames they started performing in local clubs. A year later in 1956 they recorded a demo tape of Please, Please, Please and played it for a talent scout for King Records. Within months the song reached Nº6 on the R&B charts. But it wasn’t until a couple of years later that Brown got the kick start he needed to make it into the big leagues. He recorded Try Me and the song went straight to Nº1 on the R&B charts. Then followed a string of hits, Lost Someone, Prisoner of Love and Night Train.
Brown toured relentlessly, performing 6 nights per week throughout the 60’s, which earned him his first nickname, The Hardest Working Man in Show Business. He was such a great showman – you could describe him as hypnotic even. His dancing was incredible and his charisma and passion left audiences in raptures. He mastered all the popular dances of the time “the camel walk,” “the mashed potato,” “the popcorn” and of course his own “do the James Brown.” He went on to record many of his most popular songs during the 60’s including Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag which is considered the first ‘funk’ song – an offshoot of soul and a precursor to hip-hop.
During the 70’s more hits came, most notably Sex Machine and Get Up Offa That Thing although with the advance of disco, plus personal financial troubles, the 70’s weren’t his best decade. He made a brilliant comeback in the cult 1980s film The Blues Brothers and recorded Living in America in 1985 which was featured in Rocky IV and became a huge hit for him.
He was one of the first musicians to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame – in 1986, which was the year it started. The late 80s were lost in a mix of depression and drug addiction and ended in 1988 when he went to prison for 15 months after a high speed car chase with the police. He continued touring after release from prison, albeit on a much lighter schedule than in his heyday.
This incredible show, filmed 6 years before he died, is a must-have video for any fan. He might not have had the energy of his youth but he could still hit it! This concert event at the House of Blues in Las Vegas features music through five decades of his chart-topping hits.
1 Get Up Offa That Thing 2 Gonna Have A Funky Good Time 3 Living In America 4 Popcorn 5 Soul Power 6 Soul Man (Vocals – Roosevelt Johnson) 7 I Got That Feeling 8 Hot Pants 9 Try Me 10 Prisioner Of Love 11 Georgia On My Mind 12 If I Ruled The World 13 Why Don’t You Do Right (Vocals – Candice Hurst) 14 Papa’s Got A Brand New Bag 15 Funk On A Roll 16 Payback 17 I Feel Good 18 Papa Don’t Take No Mess 19 Please Please Please 20 Sex Machine 21 I Still Care (Vocals – Tomi Rae) 22 Try (Vocals – Tomi Rae)
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Irish band The Script have just released a space-age-themed music video for their latest single No Good in Goodbye. It’s an intergalactic experience with an Avatar vibe.
Directed by Charlie Lightning the visual has some pretty cool lighting effects and begins with light shining down on frontman Danny O’Donoghue as he sings of mistakes he’s made in past relationships. Later you see a hologram of a group of women that look like they are frozen in time. O’Donoghue sings to one woman and she slowly comes to life.
We happen to agree with these lyrics – just exactly where is the GOOD in Goodbye?
Where’s the “good” in “goodbye”?
Where’s the “nice” in “nice try”?
Where’s the “us” in “trust” gone?
Where’s the “soul” in “soldier on”?
No Good In Goodbye follows the band’s huge hit Superheroes and comes from their 4th studio album, No Sound Without Silence, released in September this year. The group have described the album as a prequel to their debut album. It was largely recorded on the road while on tour in a mobile recording studio.
Lindsey Stirling fights dragons with the power of music in her amazing new video for Dragon Age. The hugely popular fantasy game Dragon Age: Inquisition landed in stores on November 18 and all reviews are saying it’s well worth the 60 dollars. If you’re not sure about it, this video might put your doubts to rest. The video follows Lindsey across a landscape devastated by the infamous Breach that lies at the centre of Inquisition’s narrative. She does battle with a ferocious fire breathing dragon who is no match for the power of music!
Directed by Joe Still, the special effects are awesome and the cool looking graphics compliment Stirling’s rendition of the Dragon Age theme perfectly. She teamed up with the Los Angeles-based Everdream digital studio to create it. Judging by the official Dragon Age: Inquisition branding at the end we can only assume that Electronic Arts was also involved in an official capacity.
This isn’t the first time that Stirling has turned her attention towards the world of video gaming. In the past she has released covers and tributes associated with franchises like Skyrim, Zelda, Halo and Child of Light.
Stirling has sold more than 1 million singles worldwide and on May 2014 her second studio album Shatter Me peaked at Nº2 on the Billboard 200 chart. Her YouTube channel has more than 5.4 million subscribers and 735 million total views. The deluxe version of the Shatter Me album comes out on November 28 and includes an acoustic version of Shatter Me, a full-color 48-page magazine with exclusive interviews and photos, plus word magnets!
Here’s the official trailer for the game – Dragon Age: Inquisition – The Hero of Thedas
#ThrowbackThursday We go back to 1989 when Janet Jackson started a 4 week run at Nº1 on the US album charts with Rhythm Nation 1814. This iconic album produced 7 top 10 singles! From one album! The album’s opening pledge states, “We are a nation with no geographic boundaries, bound together through our beliefs. We are like-minded individuals, sharing a common vision, pushing toward a world rid of color-lines.” Even though record label executives wanted material similar to her previous album, Control, Jackson insisted on a concept album addressing social change – she delivers an urgent cry, calling for racial harmony through “compassionate, dedicated people power.”
Jackson related the theme of the album as a means of creating a common identity, “I thought it would be great if we could create our own nation… one that would have a positive message and that everyone would be free to join.” The album blends dance-pop and rhythm and blues with industrial music and funk and is seen as one of the defining examples of dance-oriented pop music of its time.
It is the only album to achieve Nº1 hits in three separate calendar years. Jackson received 9 Grammy Award nominations, winning Best Long Form Music Video for Rhythm Nation. For promotion, Jackson released the Rhythm Nation 1814 Film and was presented the MTV Video Vanguard Award for her significant contributions to popular culture. Her Rhythm Nation Tour became the world’s most successful debut concert tour and Miss Jackson became quite a fashion icon, with “Rhythm Nation” attire copied by fans worldwide.
The following year after the album was launched the inaugural Billboard Music Awards were held in Santa Monica, California. Jackson was the main winner of the night, winning in eight categories, including Top Pop Album, Top R&B Album and Top R&B Artist.
Jackson talked about how important the lyrics are: “I’m not naive—I know an album or a song can’t change the world. I just want my music and my dance to catch the audience’s attention, and to hold it long enough for them to listen to the lyrics and what we’re saying. Hopefully that will inspire them, make them want to join hands … and make some sort of difference. […] If I just touched one person, just to make that difference, make them change for the better, that’s an accomplishment.”
Watch the new trailer for the Michael Bay time travel movie Project Almanac. Presented in a semi-found footage style it poses the fascinating question, ‘Would today be better the second time around’?
Previously titled Welcome to Yesterday the film follows a group of friends who discover plans for a time machine. And because they can’t resist tinkering with the past they end up manipulating things to further their own gain. One character even comes face to face with his past self. As you might expect, things go dreadfully wrong.
This sci fi adventure is another great attempt by Michael Bay and his Platinum Dunes team to extend their reach beyond blood and horror, and from the looks of the trailer, the film has a lot of heart and a very cool chronicle-like vibe.
Directed by Dean Israelite, the film features Jonny Weston, Amy Landecker, Sofia Black-Delia, Gary Grubbs and Virginia Gardner.
Project Almanac hits US cinemas on January 30, 2015 and not until February 6 in the UK.
Reggae legend Bob Marley is to become the face of the world’s first global marijuana brand called Marley Natural. The late singer’s family are launching a range of cannabis, topicals and accessories, that will go on sale in the US (in states where it is legal) at the end of next year and in all probability will expand globally later. The products will include some of Marley’s favourite “heirloom cannabis strains” and the brand identity will reflect Marley’s belief in the healing power of cannabis.
Marley’s daughter Cedella said “My dad would be so happy to see people understanding the healing power of the herb. Marley Natural is an authentic way to honour his legacy by adding his voice to the conversation about cannabis and helping end the social harms caused by prohibition.”
Wife Rita Marley added: “My husband believed ‘the herb’ was a natural and positive part of life, and he felt it was important to the world. He looked forward to this day.”
Marley Natural is being created with the help of private equity firm Privateer Holdings. Their chief executive Brendan Kennedy commented: “Bob was someone who, in many ways, helped start the movement to end cannabis prohibition 50 years ago. It was just a natural fit between Bob Marley and this product. You know if you were to look for the most famous human being who ever walked the face of the earth related to cannabis, it would be Bob Marley.”
As the promotional video said – “Make way for a positive day”. 🙂
If you’re an animal lover, you’re certainly going to appreciate this list of music videos we’ve put together starring man’s best friend. A great deal of training went in to some of them, a great deal of comedy went into others, but a great deal of cuteness is present in all of them.
OK Go never fail to impress with their brilliantly choreographed one-take music videos and catchy anthem-like tracks. They really went up a level with this one though as it features a bevy of incredibly well trained rescue dogs… and a goat.
All the neighbourhood hounds rally up to this alternative rock backdrop. They break into somebody’s back garden and end up throwing themselves a pool party. It’s a dogs life!
A possy of practically perfect pedigree pooches prowl the urban sprawl in the dark of night, stopping the bad guys and protecting the innocent. They’re out to save the world one heroic act at a time. You’ve never seen a set of more adorable vigilantes.
German musician Herr Tischbein got the mixture of trumpets, comedy and canine just about right in this classy vid. He definitely set out to put a smile on the viewers face, and so far he’s been very successful. Guaranteed to make you giggle.
This very sweet, light hearted and cleverly done rendition of We Could Be Heroes was made to raise awareness for pet cancer. Not only is it definitely worth a watch, it’s also worth donating to the charity who organised it’s production: http://www.pettrust.ca
Will Young starts off being embarrassed by his seemingly not-so-well trained show dog at a very important competition. As the video goes on, the greatest thing happens. This could be classified as a tear jerker… You’ve been warned.
The bulldog featured in this one gets showered with a plethora of bones – yay! Then some mailmen show up and start breakdancing, as they do… and then some sexy human kittens in heals pop up and start grinding on each other, as per usual. Safe to say the dog is confused, or so we think. Wait, is that band member wearing a steak? Keep watching to see how this bulldog ends up saving the day. More doggy power!
This is a cute video showing how if you get dumped, your dog will be there for you. But remember, he’s still a dog, and not a boyfriend replacement. Don’t be too upset when he doesn’t appreciate you getting him a takeaway coffee at the park. He’s going to want to run around at some point!
The cool dawgs in this set are running the nightlife; deejaying, bartending, piano playing, drinking hard liquor and getting lucky with the ladies… or at least trying to.
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If you managed to get through last week without listening to the infectious, funky jam that is Uptown Funk by Mark Ronson with Bruno Mars, watch the new music video now! It’s impossibly cool! It’s one of the most joyous songs to be released this year and the video is equally uppy! You’ll be jiving in the streets like the rest of them – or wishing you could.
Grammy-winning producer Mark Ronson takes the back seat in this retro video but is still there lingering in the background, while Mars is in the spotlight belting out the feel-good lyrics. The visual was co-directed by Mars and Cameron Duddy and they jive across town, check out the passing girls, get their shoes shined and even their hair permed. “Girls, Hit Your hallelujah: ‘Cause Uptown Funk Gon’ Give It To You …”
Ronson spoke to Ryan Seacrest about the track: “That song took a lot of work, it took seven months of chasing Bruno around the world on tour and a lot of blood sweat and tears, but I’m very proud of it. I love it. It’s one of my favorite things I’ve ever done … I think that Bruno just — with the lyrics and the vocal delivery — he makes it so it’s not too throwback-y. I guess I love all those things. I guess love live instruments, I love horns, but I also love DJing and playing records in the club that sound amazing. So, we tried to make a hybrid of all those things.”
Uptown Funk is the first single to be cut from Mark Ronson’s upcoming album, Uptown Special, which will be released on January 27, 2015 by RCA Records. Tune into to Saturday Night Live on November 22nd and you can watch them perform it live.
