Today's Pick

Days after performing at 2010 Kids' Choice Awards with Ludacris-featuring hit single "Baby", the 16-year-old Canadian pop sensation Justin Bieber gives his fans another treat by releasing new music video on VEVO for single "Never Let You Go," taken from his recently-released sophomore album, "My World 2.0 LP," which was released in the U.S. on March 23.
"Never Let You Go" was originally released as the first digital-only single from latter half of Bieber's debut album, "My World 2.0" on March 2, and is anticipated to be the second single from the album. Jody Rosen of Rolling Stone said that "the ballads, often a weak spot on pop/R&B records, are fully realized, mixing love-struck lyrics with big, lovable choruses." Lauren Carter of The Boston Herald stated that, "While it's hard to buy into so much angst coming from a 16-year-old, the promises of forever (see "Never Let You Go," for starters) will undoubtedly delight the young girls who dream of spending eternity with pop's newest heartthrob."
The up-and-coming actress Paige Hurd portrays Bieber's love interest in Colin Tilley-directed video, was filmed at The Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas, is a really nice take on the innocence of young love, full of flirting, dancing and air-touching. The pop's newest sensation Bieber is seen walking through some sort of dark underground cavern/temple space, and hanging out and frolicking with Hurd in the catacombs of Bahamian aquariums, and they eventually make their way out of the aquarium and out into the world where they share glances. Bieber is definitely growing up a lot in this video, sharing near-kisses, touching and nuzzling with his girl. Shots of the pair in silhouette holding hands play into the video's plot of two young teens falling in love in a very exotic locale, and Bieber continues his knack for Michael Jackson-esque dance moves in an age-appropriate fashion. A big sting ray swims by.
The tune is a slow pop love song, sadly and the video has a suitably muted tone. In addition to "Never Let You Go" video, Bieber has also filmed another video with Sean Kingston for their duet track "Eenie Meenie". "Wrapped the EENIE MEENIE video," the teen singer wrote on Twitter. "This video is gonna be amazing."

R&B artist Kelis premiered a music video for the apparent lead single "Acapella" from her fifth studio album "Flesh Tone," Kelis' first album in nearly four years, will arrive overseas on May 17 and is slated to hit U.S. shores in June. The song is a departure from her past singles in that it is a dance/electronica track rather than hip hop, produced by David Guetta, about her son, Knight. The track, wrote it with love and life in singer's mind, which has topped on Billboard's Hot Dance Club Songs chart!
Kelis and David Guetta is an odd pairing. With the rising profile of club producer David Guetta, Harlem-bred vocalist Kelis jumped on board, yet has managed to record a track that sounds both timely and reasonably novel. "Acapella" is a smooth, Donna Summer-style track with Kelis as an icy electro queen, a robotic embrace of house's metronomic bliss. Kelis' chameleonic adaptation to the times exemplifies her artistic flexibility, that she knows how to adjust to a changing pop world without losing her ability to stand out, to make her competition seem banal. "Acapella" displays Kelis' seemingly preternatural understanding of pop history, the dynamics at play in today's pop music, and ironically, a sense of personality in frozen performance.
The single has received a positive reception. Pitchfork Media gave the song a positive review, saying: "'Acapella' is a smooth, Donna Summer-style track with Kelis as an icy electro queen, a robotic embrace of house's metronomic bliss." About.com's "Dance Music" section reviewed the track favorably, calling the song "majestic" and named it its "Song of the Day". Entertainment Weekly called the song a "feathery dance-floor delight" and placed the song on its "The MustList" for 2010 whilst Billboard magazine added the song to its 2010's "Best Bits" listing.
Grammy-nominated singer Kelis is known for setting trends, but the fashionista won't be flaunting any avant-garde threads in her new music video. The singer shot the video for her David Guetta-produced single "Acapella" in the first week of March, with a British production team consisting of portrait and fashion photographer John "Rankin" Waddell and musical director Chris Cottam. Kelis wanted to go in a different direction after seeing an abundance of fashion in today's music videos. "I think everything is over-fashioned up that it just becomes uninteresting, and when every artist has access to every designer and vice versa, it's no longer exciting or fun."

A while back I was introduced to Robert Francis, the folk Americana sing-songwriter for his single "Nightfall" last December 7, and I have been listening to his sophomore as well as Atlantic Records debut album "Before Nightfall" ever since. Definitely drawing on his youthful energy, the barely legal Francis is working to make sure that you know who he is. He's now released a new music video on The Music Slut for his popular second track on this album, "Junebug."
The song, Francis's deep, reverb-loaded vocals evoke the nostalgia that the lyrics give off for a lost love. The video seems to play off the lyrics talking about a girl next door that Francis has always been in love with. As cliché as the song and the video maybe, the song works to show off Francis's good vocals and sweet attitude towards music.
There's something very Boss-like about the video for "Junebug," gets the 1970s Americana treatment and the song itself has that special quality that somehow defines all classic anthems from everyone from U2 to Springsteen influences that echo through this song, and conveys the kind of drama and yearning and imagery that the video seems to be going for, an immediacy of purpose, an intensity of spirit that seeps from every pore. It's also just a great Friday afternoon-into-the-weekend reliever.
Just 22 years old, Francis displays a songwriting talent and musical breadth that far exceeds his young age, and has prompted National Public Radio to compare him to classic American songwriters like Townes Van Zandt and Steve Earle. He recalls the voice of simpler and more truthful era when people were crazier and sang about things that mattered. Maybe that's because of his unique musical childhood. After self-producing and playing nearly every instrument on his 2007 independent release "One by One," Francis now enlisted the services of Grammy Award winning producer D. Sardy for "Before Nightfall." Enjoy it hopefully as much as I did!

The UK disco-light loving diva Sophie Ellis-Bextor is back after a three-year break, a time period she spent focused on motherhood instead of pop tunes, and premiered her brand new video on Popjustice last Tuesday for the lead single "Bittersweet" off her forthcoming fourth studio album titled "Straight To The Heart," is due to release in July on Fascination Records. Ellis-Bextor looks gorgeous, per usual, very stylized, and the effect pops at the right music hits make it perfect for video bars.
"Bittersweet" is a slick piece of electro pop, merging Visage's "Fade to Grey" and "Blue Monday" by New Order with an incredibly catchy chorus. It was co-written by the Freemasons, Hannah Robinson and Ellis-Bextor, and premiered on the radio station Gaydar on March 8, and the first live performance for song took place at the Little World Festival in Méribel, France, on March 17. The Multi-Platinum selling pop star Ellis-Bextor talking about song through her Twitter that it is "about when you can't resist something that you know is bad for you. a guilty pleasure. like watching celebrity big brother." It's a great electric dance pop track set for digital release on May 2 in UK!
30-year-old brunette beauty's music is a combination of mainstream pop, disco and 80s electronic influences. I'm really starting to fall for her harder, and more dance-oriented sound. Her best-selling single "Murder on the Dancefloor" in 2001 stayed on the charts for 23 weeks, and became the most played song of 2002 in all of Europe.
The video for the song was filmed in London on March 12th. It was directed by Chris Sweeney. The video features sequences of Ellis-Bextor getting smacked in the face with buckets of colorful paint and glitter. Continuing with the minimalist theme of the "Heartbreak (Make Me A Dancer)" video, including her fabulously choreographed back-up dancers, "Bittersweet" is the definition of what it takes to become a modern disco diva. After the release of the album she plans on releasing a hits compilation then possibly heading in a new musical direction.

R&B crooner Usher links up with Young Money lady in charge Nicki Minaj for the official music video on BET's 106 & Park last Wednesday, for his latest single "Lil' Freak," was inspired by real-life experiences, produced by Polow Da Don. The so-called freaky video which is claimed to have 'Saw' elements - the dark, underground club scene is full of tempting treats, including R&B singer Ciara, who makes a cameo along with Jamie Foxx. The song, after-all, is all about Usher getting his girl to recruit another chick so that she, Usher and the other girl can have a threesome.
The song was released as the second US-only single from his sixth studio album, "Raymond v. Raymond," which is set to drop next Tuesday via Sony Music. The song, lyrically based around the thrill of orchestrating threesomes in a club, is of more explicit nature than typical Usher songs, dating back to 2001's "U Don't Have to Call". The song is mid-tempo, with supported by heavy bass beats produced by Polow da Don, which Prefix Magazine called "Jurrasic Park synths." Pitchfork Media called "a monstrous swirl of orchestral exoticism."
Usher's "Lil' Freak" might have caught you off guard when it debuted. According to Usher, the song is not only a great record but, true when it comes to his life. "I mean, I wrote about it," Usher said that when he sang about asking girls to get him girls on the track "Lil' Freak," he wasn't just entertaining. The song was inspired by real life. Young Money female rapper Minaj rocks a sexy Cruella de Vil hairstyle — half black, half blond. She helps lure a woman into Usher's underground playground.
The video features, of all things, random women dancing around Usher and being "Little Freaks." It's dark and sexual, as one would expect from the parentally advised lyrics. Usher is his usual cool, laid back self, while the seductive Minaj is getting her "Barbie" on with yet another two-tone wig and makes several puns in her lines.
Usher and Minaj shot the music video on March 9 in Los Angeles and directed by Taj Stansberry, who he explained about video, "My general idea was to take the word and show it's many faceted sides, twisting and turning it to where there's really no distinguishing between one freak and another. Usher went there," he says. "When you're engaging in sexual activity, there are many transitions and this is not about what they look like literally, but what they look like metaphorically. It's about luring people into a situation. Because you have your thoughts on a ménage à trois, but then we're doing it in a non-obvious way." In all, the video is interesting to look at and should be the perfect bridge to the release of Usher's new album "Raymond Vs Raymond" on March 30.

Barbadian pop star Shontelle has exclusive world premiered a music video on Just Jared to promote her new single "Impossible," which will serve as the stunning lead single over the pond in the US from her forthcoming sophomore studio album "No Gravity" is now available on iTunes! The 24-year-old has given up trying to look like Rihanna in "Licky" music video, and has instead set her sights on stealing Jordin Sparks main man, casting Steph Jones as the love interest in the music video for her single "Impossible."
The stunning ballad "Impossible," produced & written by Arnthor Birgisson with Ina Wroldsen is impacting radio in February, with major pop and rhythmic stations already buzzing over her phenomenal vocal performance. The upcoming pop/R&B star is signed to Universal Motown Records and SRP Records, the same label known for discovering pal (and fellow Bajan) Rihanna. The video was directed by TAJ, the protégé of Anthony Mandler, who has directed music videos from the likes of Rihanna and Usher, the clip was filmed in late January in Los Angeles.
In this clip, the singer is seen embarking on a love relationship with a man, portrayed by singer/model Steph Jones, who acts as Shontelle's inattentive leading man that loves her, but is far too focused on his own music career to give her the love she needs, and was forced to end her romance with the man of her dreams. It ends with Shontelle giving up on her boyfriend and moving out of the house they are sharing together.
The song is really nice and the video is great too! Shontelle looks absolutely stunning in this video, and her videos are always so simple, so nice and just so Shontelle-ish! "No Gravity" is shaping up to be a really good album! That stated, it looks as though Shontelle will be moving up fast as if there is no Gravity for the years to come.

Just when you were finally getting the inescapable hit "Fireflies" out of your head, Owl City, also known as the synth pop project by musical genius, Adam Young is back to claim your soul, in proud to announce the exclusive video premiere on his MySpace blog: "Oh hey! Guess what!? The brand-spankin' new "Vanilla Twilight" music video is now up for your optical enjoyment at OwlCityMusic.com! There are some seriously sneaky Shaq'in surprises, so keep your eyes peeled like an orange waiting to be eaten. Oh, and I'm considering moving into a lighthouse."

The longing pop ballad new single "Vanilla Twilight" is the second single off Owl City's second album, and Universal Republic's debut "Ocean Eyes." It's about Young's high school girlfriend, who moved away. He sings of lost love, the happy and painful memories that come with it, and moving on. The song features both piano and synthesizer instrumentation.

The awe inspiring video for "Vanilla Twilight" was shot in the snow-covered Historic North Side district of Pittsburgh, PA and re-teaming with the help of Steve Hoover (Director) and Danny Yourd (Producer) of Endeavor Media. Both made huge success of the chart-topper "Fireflies," went to No.1 in 22 countries around the world and has gone triple platinum since release.

"Vanilla Twilight" is a great example of a video taking a straight-ahead song about missing someone you love and turning it into something much bigger. Depending upon how you want to interpret it, via the video the song becomes a much bigger meditation on death and the signs that loved ones can send us after they shuffle off this mortal coil. In this case, the loved one is sending a big old hug via a gorgeous sunset that looks like of like the Northern Lights. What Young continues to do in his music is make it have a soul. He is a very inspirational person in the art and music field. It seems the new single, "Vanilla Twilight," is on the same trajectory, being certified gold and steadily climbing the charts around the globe.

London rapper Chipmunk hooked up with Dutch songstress Esmée Denters and they have now premiered the video for the very radio-friendly Chipmunk's 6th single "Until You Were Gone," which is scheduled for a release on April 19, will be featured on Chipmunk's re-edited debut album "I Am Chipmunk," although it is not feature on Denters' debut album "Outta Here." The single was recorded in January 2010 with producer, Fraser T Smith.
Denters and Chipmunk recorded the music video in an unknown London-based studio on March 4. The video is directed by Emil Nava. Denters made updates on her Twitter with pictures from the set. Chipmunk himself also notified he was shooting the music video with Denters on his Twitter. Despite the fact Chipmunk noted the video world have its nation wide premiere on April 16, the music video premiered on March 20 on T4.
For someone who's just 19-year-old Chipmunk has already achieved a lot - in 2008 he received a MOBO for Best Newcomer, and won Best Hip-Hop Act at the 2009 MOBOs, overcoming US megastars such as Jay-Z, Kanye West and Eminem. He has also received an Urban Music Award for Best Newcomer, and a nomination for Best Rapper at the American BET Awards, not to mention having racked up millions of plays across his MySpace and YouTube channels - and all before he'd even finished school.
Chipmunk's not new to the scene...at the age of 15 Chip started producing and self-releasing mixtapes, buying CDs in bulk and selling them to his mates at school. For his final mixtape, "League Of My Own," he came together with Alwayz Recordings, together they then went on to release the much talked about single Chip Diddy Chip, reaching number 21 in the UK charts. More recently he's been working and touring with N-Dubz and featured on their album Uncle B. He also put his MC talents to DJ Ironik's top 5 single Tiny Dancer.
The good thing about being a young British rapper is that it is impossible to 'sell out' - instead, you are simply 'taking over'. Listening to "Until You Were Gone" you'd have to agree that Chipmunk has well and truly taken over, and he sounds pretty good for it too.

Swedish pop princess Agnes premiered a brand new music video on M6's official YouTube channel for her third single "Something I Forget" from her hit album "Dance Love Pop" in France. The chosen track is "Something I Forget," which as her previous singles released in the mentioned country has been edited to include several verses in French. The track was written by Anders Hansson, Steve Diamond and Agnes. I love this song as much as I love pretty much the entire of this album. And I don't mind really the French edit, Agnes still showcasts beautiful and at the same time amazing vocals.
The track "Sometimes I Forget" was first heard on Agnes' third album "Dance Love Pop," released in 2008 in Sweden. When "I Need You Now" was chosen as the third single across Europe, Agnes french label Sony Music decided a different path for her and released "Sometimes I Forget" as the follow up to her previous massive success of singles "Release Me" and "On and On", which combined has sold over 160,000 copies in France. Like the previous singles, a French version was recorded in January 2010 for the single release, and together with a couple of new remixes a Promo CD was released to radio and television in mid-February.
The Swedish singer is opting for some French lyrics in this newly release ballad. "Sometimes I Forget" was featured on the compilation album "M6 Hits 2010" which was released as digital download on March 15, the very same day that the music video premiered. Though it has yet not been released as a proper single. The music video for "Sometimes I Forget" was filmed in Gothenburg, Sweden on March 3, and is a mix between the 2 versions of the song (the French and the English one). Just like Agnes' earlier videos for "On and On", the international and the UK edit, it was directed by Torbjörn Martin and the production agency is STARK production.
The video starts of with Agnes sitting in front of a make-up table in her dressing room, wearing a 1940-ies peach silkrobe and Swarowski crystals. This scene shifts with intermediate sequences of Agnes in the backseat of a car, on her way to her concert and of her lying in bed singing. The video then shows her i a silver haute couture-dress backstage, walking through the corridors to the stage. She then enters the stage where she is met by flashlights and an audience applauding frenetically. She steps up to an old 1940-ies microphone and starts to sing the chorus. In the end, the light turns off and the hall seems empty and Agnes walks out the the sound of her shoes echoing through the room.

The Def Jam group has been making waves on the radio. The fellas of the R&B singing group, Def Jam's sibling boy band, Brutha are back on the music scene and have premiered the video to their brand new R. Kelly-penned/produced single "One Day On This Earth," the lead single comes straight from the R&B quintet's upcoming sophomore album, "Vacancy," that is expected to hit stores late spring or early summer.
"One Day On This Earth" was written by R. Kelly and details the guys' dying romantic wish and the lucky lady who will be the bearer of their final gifts. The track is just a taste of how phenomenal their sophomore record, "Vacancy" is going to be when it hits this Spring! The music video was shot in Los Angeles by Rage. The boy band said: "We are definitely excited [about the new release]! We all have butterflies."
You also might remember these guys from their BET reality show Brothers to Brutha. "The show allowed us to create a pretty solid fan base because we had 1.2 to 1.5million viewers every week," says Jared who brings his love of hip-hop into Brutha's sound. "But I don't think the show really showed a lot of our musical side so now it's time to start focusing more on the music."
The five brothers that make up Def Jam's R&B super group Brutha were literally born to sing. While their first album was well received by their fans, Brutha pulled inspiration from a long weekend in Vegas, poppin' off doing what they gotta do, and is ready to show the world just how far they have come. Their sophomore album, "Vacancy" is an intimate reflection of their young, fly and flashy lifestyle. With production from contemporary greats like R. Kelly, "Vacancy" is a sexy ride in the fast lane told only the way Brutha can.

Nickelodeon's flagship comedy "iCarly" star Miranda Cosgrove is finally releasing her debut album, "Sparks Fly!" The 16-year-old might be the star of the hit Nickelodeon show, but if you want to make it in Hollywood, you've got to face the hard truth: you have to expand your brand to stay ahead of the game, and that means recording an album.
A music video for her brand new album's lead single "Kissin' U" has been premiered during Friday's episode of "iCarly" on Nickelodeon, and her upcoming album "Sparks Fly!" is due to come out in the U.S. on April 27. The 'iCarly' actress goes public with her romance in the newly-premiered music video filmed at the boardwalk in Santa Monica on March 4, the video captures her locking lips with her love interest when taking shelter from the pouring rain. Cosgrove's bound to find a place on the charts and make a name for her.
The new single "Kissin' U" was written by Cosgrove with the help of Dr. Luke, the man behind Britney Spears and Katy Perry's hit singles. It is a zippy if cookie-cutter pop song — not terribly exciting or risky, but with enough listens you'll find yourself singing along with the chorus. It was debuted on Ryan Seacrest's KIIS-FM radio show as well as a live chat on her Facebook on March 12, and will be released to iTunes next Tuesday. From the sounds of her new single, her voice has matured into something like a yearning Michelle Branch yelp — but it's not bad.
It appears Cosgrove is ready to compete with the likes of other teen double-threats Selena Gomez and Demi Lovato by releasing her first full-length solo album, "Sparks Fly!" According to THR, Cosgrove just inked a new deal with Nickelodeon to film an extra 26 episodes for "iCarly," that puts her salary in the low to mid-seven-figure range. iCarly's most recent one-hour special, "iSaved Your Life" pulled in 12.4 million viewers, the network's highest-rated and most-watched live-action telecast ever.

Mr. Auto-Tune T-Pain has debuted a very expensive music video filmed to support his very goofy/awful new single "Reverse Cowgirl". The Jeremy Rall-directed video features the zombie auto-tune MC rapping to the camera with slow-motion cherries fall out of glasses, and captures of beautiful women dance around him in a "classy" manner. This is actually pretty arty for a T-Pain video, and is going to be one of those songs that you'll only hear at shitty clubs at one in the morning, where it might sound like the best, but you're embarrassed you know the words.
Teddy Pain attempts to Auto-Tune another hit with "Reverse Cowgirl" is the lead offering from his upcoming fourth studio effort, "RevolveR," which will drop later this year. Young Jeezy who provides additional verses to the song doesn't make any cameo appearance in the accompanying music video. The video has a different look compared to the heavy 3-D graphics that were featured in his last album "Thr33 Rings" but, like every artist today, T-Pain is re-inventing himself. Beside prepping to release his own record, T-Pain also has a joint album with Lil Wayne. Recently, he told MTV that the T-Wayne album will be released after Weezy gets out of jail. "He has so much going on. He has 'Rebirth' out right now. I don't wanna interrupt that," he said.
Florida-born T-Pain, is a Grammy winning American hip hop artist and producer known for his use of auto-tune. At the age of ten he turned his bedroom into a small studio with a keyboard, beat machine and four-track recorder, and he began his career as a rapper in the group Nappy Headz. The "T" in T-Pain stands for Tallahassee, and the 'Pain' means the pain trying to get out of Tallahassee. T-Pain has had over 10 top ten singles on Billboard Hot 100, and in 2008 he won a Grammy with rapper Kanye West for the single "Good Life." In June 2009, T-Pain collaborated with country-pop singer Taylor Swift for the CMT Music Awards, and performed "Thug Story," a parody of Swift's hit single "Love Story."

Sporting a new look but the same soulful sound that first captivated us all, R&B and Soulful songbird Vivian Green is BACK, and looking radiant and ready to jump back into the music scene after being gone for a few years, unveiled a brand new music video for her first comeback and title track "Beautiful," off of her upcoming third long-awaited studio album, her first album since 2005's "Vivian," that was directed by Chris Standford and will hits stores April 6 via E1 Music. The song details how a man should treat a woman. It's a wonderful song amidst the trash flooding the radio right about now. The singer talked about recording the CD in her home studio with Anthony Bell saying: "It's the most fun I've ever had making a record."
Soulful songbird Green was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and took an interest in singing, playing the piano, and songwriting at a very young age. At the age of thirteen, she became a member of a female quintet called Younique. Green received her big break at the age of nineteen when she became a backing singer for Jill Scott, who took her on an international tour. She was signed to Columbia Records in November 2001. Green clearly developed a fan base because her debut album, "A Love Story went Gold," featuring the hit "Emotional Rollercoaster," was so good that it built a lot of hype around the album in November 2002.
The Chris Stanford directed clip tells the tale of a man who is being schooled on how to be romantic and sensitive with his lover. Green sets a lover free, telling him she hopes he soon finds out how to love. "I hope you soon find out how to love. Once upon a time you wanted to learn, I thought I could teach you but you were more afraid than willing," R&B songstress sings."So when it comes don't push it away. One day you will find it is the greatest gift." "Beautiful" showcases her amazing voice and talent that never really got her time to fully shine. I love it and going to buy it for inspiration.

Kansas native country music singer, Martina McBride premiered a new video on VEVO Network for her third single, "Wrong Baby Wrong," following "I Just Call You Mine" and "Ride" from McBride's latest tenth studio chart-topping album, "Shine" (RCA Nashville). The singer has spent the winter on the road in support of the disc. She's been traveling across North America with Trace Adkins on the 'Shine All Night' tour, along with opening act, Sarah Buxton.
"Wrong Baby Wrong Baby Wrong" was written by Brad and Brett Warren along with Robert Ellis Orrall and Love and Theft member Stephen Barker Liles. On country radio, the song charted under the shortened name "Wrong Baby Wrong." The single is a moderate up-tempo, backed primarily by electric guitar, that features a hook where the beginning of each lyrical phrase in the verses are repeated to match the song's title. In the song, a female narrator describes telling another woman to pick herself back up after her man has walked out on her, describing that everyone experiences these moments as part of life.
"When the song was originally written, it was written as a guy who was hanging out with this girl," she says. "She'd broken up with this guy or he'd broken up with her. And the person who was singing this song was a guy who was kind of hanging out going, 'Well, eventually you'll notice me.' So we took it and turned it around so it's two friends talking to each other." The 9513 reviewer Blake Boldt gave the song a thumbs-up, stating that while the song "stumbles in telling its story," it "offers the listener a blast of sass that's sorely missing from country radio." He also favorably described the song's production as having a "bluesier edge," with a "groovy energy [that] breathes life into a slight little ditty."
The 43-year-old McBride has been called the "Céline Dion of Country Music" for her big-voiced ballads and soprano range. The one of my all time favorite songs form McBride is her 2006 hit single, "Anyway," was nominated for 'Single of the Year' and 'Song of the Year' awards, is an inspirational song based on a favorite poem of Mother Teresa's, written by Keith Kent, which he originally titled, "The Paradoxical Commandments". The song generally means, no matter what puts you down in life, do not give up, do it anyway!

There is only one film teenagers will be talking about in the next few months "Kick-Ass," a two hours of laugh-out-loud, action-packed entertainment, rather like Tarantino for kids. It's all about a teenage lad who tries his hand as a superhero. But "Kick-Ass," as he christens himself, is just a geeky teen with a decent social conscience and a horrible green jumpsuit.
British pop sensation and true-blood comics fan Mika has debuted a music video in support of his single "Kick Ass" which serves as a title soundtrack for the upcoming high-octane, new superhero movie. The clip opens with a scene where the 26-year-old lays flat on the street of an alleyway with bloody face after being mugged, until the 2:20 mark, when the shark is jumped, hilariously. He begins to sing and as he does, the words of empowerment in the lyrics and his finding of an issue of the "Kick-Ass" comic inspire him to run for the rooftops and wail the chorus to the sky. It also features intercut scenes from the Marvel Comics film in question. The video is posted on the internet and soon receives over twenty-million views, making "Kick-Ass" a star overnight.
Mika's most recent album, "The Boy Who Knew Too Much," failed to capture the interest of American music fans, as the album peaked at #19 on the Billboard 200. But can teaming up with a red hot producer and attaching his name to a superhero flick push the British pop darling into the mainstream? The film's title track is produced by top-notch producer RedOne, the mastermind behind hit singles from the likes of Lady GaGa and Akon. Beside having a track from Mika, the movie's soundtrack album also consists of songs performed by The Prodigy, The Pretty Reckless, Ellie Goulding and Elvis Presley. The album will be released on April 6, while the Matthew Vaughn-directed film, "Kick-Ass," will be hits in theaters on March 26 in UK and April 16 in US. The new uptempo track will be Mika's 10th official UK single with the soundtrack being released via Polydor Records on March 29.
That Mika was selected for the title song seems appropriate: Squirrely, lean, and unassuming, He is just like the ambitious group of crime-stoppers featured in the film. Less prone to actual ass kicking, however. The song itself features Mika doing what he does best: showing off his fancy falsetto and powering through the song with gutsy emotion. It's a different direction for the British singer, too, with a heavier electro beat we haven't heard on any of his previous singles. However, the track is a bit repetitive and unremarkable.

The Miami-based rapper Trina aka. Da Baddest B***h has premiered the spanking brand new music video for her latest single "Million Dollar Girl," featuring singer/songwriter Keri Hilson and music mogul Sean 'Puff Daddy' Combs. I like the fact that Trina always brings something new with each album, and at least an attempt at the prominence her career's been missing. she's a girl like no other, driving pink Ferrari and hitting numerous red carpet events with her 'million dollar smile'.
Much like Akon's "I'm So Paid" clip, South Florida's "baddest bitch" Trina shows to the world what makes her "the baddest b***h" who is far from average, and wants people to know that the current economic climate is not affecting her lavish lifestyle in her new 'comeback' video, which was shoot in a Miami hangar during Super Bowl weekend, and directed by Gil Green, known for his prior work with Rick Ross and Akon. The luxury video has everything, in addition to the private jet lent by Diddy, pink sportscars and stewardess outfits, Trina dominates an office too as her nattily dressed male counterparts are left with their jaws on the floor. Hilson's infectious hook and eyes more than make up for Diddy's flat appearance the song. While filming, Trina took time out to Tweet about the new video, saying, "Shooting the scene where I'm coming out of the plane!! SICK!!!;) I'm feeling so WAVY!!!!"
"Million Dollar Girl" is produced by Mario Winans and C.P. Hollywood. It is confirmed to appear in Trina's upcoming fifth studio effort "Amazin" which is slated for purchase across U.S. on May 4 via Slip-n-Slide Records. The album is preceded with the release of a mixtape called "The Definition of a Million Dollar Girl". Beside Diddy and Hilson, other big stars lined up for the forthcoming album include Nicki Minaj, Flo Rida, Lady GaGa, Monica, Rico Love and Kalenna of Dirty Money. Trina is still thick in the best way possible. Props to Yardie on the rippers. I'm hoping the song/video does big things for the self-proclaimed 'Da Baddest B***h.'

American indie folk band, She & Him is one of pops finest collaborations and heavenly combination, with all songs written by Zooey Deschanel (She) and produced by Matt Ward (Him). They just premiered a new video for "In The Sun" on Pitchfork Media's web site last Tuesday, the first single off the duo's upcoming sophomore LP "Volume Two," will be available in stores March 23 via Merge Records and is available now for pre-order on iTunes, Amazon, and the Merge Records online store. The new video, an absolutely lovely High School Musical-inspired romp through the halls of a public high school with cute overload from Deschanel. The politics of high school should always be this easy.
There's really nothing not to like about She & Him's new video, directed by filmmaker Peyton Reed (Bring It On, Yes Man) and features performances by the indie pop superstar duo of Deschanel and Ward, also features guest vocals from Omaha twee brigade Tilly and the Wall. Indie rock crush Deschanel doesn't just act and sing. She also dances, hula hoops, and winks! All of her various talents are on display in this high school musical-style video. While Mr. Ward seems like he's having a decent time, a sunglassed and pasty Ward turns up in a supporting role, guitar in hand, looking like the song was titled as a suggestion for how he should spend his free time. Good thing about having an actress front your musical project: Your videos will be very watchable.
She & Him make music for an eternal springtime, when the temperature is warm enough to go riding with the top rolled down and the radio turned up. They occupy an alternate universe where the saddest of songs feel as warm as sun showers; the rain may be coming down, but somewhere nearby, everything looks bright. What began as a fascinating, no-strings attached collaboration on 2008’s "Volume One" has evolved into a bona fide, touring band, and She & Him are here to stay. Deschanel and Ward are as comfortable and complementary a musical pair as Les Paul and Mary Ford; hearing them again on "Volume Two" feels like getting together with two old friends. This time, the harmonies have grown more angelically layered, the string arrangements more dramatic, the songwriting even sharper and more confident. The new video for "In The Sun" supplies us with an ample dose of sunshine and indie pop cheer, complementing the week's first glimpse at Spring. Somehow it all evens out, creating this perfect picture of life. Because life is not always sunny, its not always dark it's somewhere in between.

Teen queen Demi Lovato and teen heartthrob Joe Jonas has just been premiered their official music video for Disney's "Friends for Change: Project Green" anthem "Make a Wave" today on Disney Channel. It gives a look at the singing duo, Jonas Brothers' lead vocalist and his "Camp Rock" co-star, hitting the studio as well as flirting playfully with each other on Malibu beach while singing the song. The footage of sea animals like dolphin and seal swimming in the ocean is also featured in it.
The two have gone to Disney World at the Epcot theme park in Orlando on February 11 to perform their duet live for the very first time. The inspirational song "Make A Wave" itself is a charity group formed by Disney for their "Friends for Change" campaign, it was introduce and performed at Walt Disney World® Resort in Lake Buena Vista, FL. during the "Celebrate Family Volunteers" and to be featured in the upcoming Disneynature film "OCEANS," hits theaters on Earth Day, April 22. The song has debuted on Radio Disney February 26, while the music video will launch online tomorrow at Disney.com. "Make A Wave" will be available beginning Monday on iTunes, with all proceeds benefiting environmental charities around the world through the Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund (DWCF).
Lavato says that the message in the song is "basically if you throw a pebble into water it can make a wave. So do your part to make a difference." She also talks about how fun it was to work with Joe and to be touring around with him. They are best friends after all, and who wouldn't want to be on tour with their best friend? In additional, according to E! Online, the Camp Rock co-star are dating, 17-year-old Disney starlet spilled the beans to Access Hollywood star Billy Bush on his radio show Saturday, "Yeah, he's my best friend and he's incredible and perfect!"

The new rap sensation B.o.B aka Bobby Ray finally released the official video last Tuesday night for his lead single "Nothin' On You" featuring artist Bruno Mars from his soon-to-be-released debut LP "The Adventures Of Bobby Ray," which will due in stores April 27. The Ethan Lader-directed music video was filmed from Los Angeles, along with Bruno Mars, the Atlanta rapper is making his way to London, to Tokyo, to Georgia, to New Orleans wooing beautiful ladies in those big cities.
It has been an interesting journey for Atlanta native B.o.B as he has grown from being a relative unknown to quickly becoming a legitimate rising star. Signed to T.I.'s label Grand Hustle movement, the 21-year-old is about to crack the top ten on the Billboard Hot 100 with this new track "Nothin' On You," one of my favorite songs of the past few months. The song samples Common's 2005 track "Go!" and it's amazing to see the single come full circle with a dope video and gets crazy amounts of spins on the radio all over the country. Hailed as 'the next big star' by both VIBE and XXL, it appears this young Atlanta-native is destined for big things.
B.o.B, also known as Bobby Ray, has been known for having a very unique view on music and has used different methods in his music videos. As you should expect with a creative artist such as B.o.B., the latest video provides a fresh take on the song through its unique production. The video, perhaps inspired by the May 25 mixtape cover, plays off of magazine cutouts that are sometimes pieced together as you can see several women in picture form, along with the artists, as they walking through the Photoshop collage street. The result is a neat, rarely seen visual that adds to the video's concept, rather than detracts from it. As you might be able to envision, the video does bring to life the lyrics with B.o.B. walking into the sunset at the end of the video with his chosen one. It's very interesting to look at and seems to flow well with the song and maintaining relevance to it while proving to be unique in its presentation.

The Fame Monster is at it again. The highly anticipated wildly fierce 9-minute long music video for Lady GaGa's new hit song "Telephone" featuring pop superstar Beyoncé premiered last night on E! News exclusively and released to VEVO/YouTube immediately after its TV debut. From the moment Gaga's "Telephone" danced through the radio airwaves, her millions of monsters worldwide have been eagerly and anxiously waiting for this epic video debut. Originally, the video was slated to premiere in February, but was pushed back to March instead. Exactly one month after filming ended, Gaga announced on Twitter that the video "is coming", she explained that the video is not yet released because it is still being edited and that she wants it to be perfect.
The video, gritty, erotic and wildly fierce, this 9-minute, visually stunning, cinematic masterpiece was filmed outside Los Angeles on January 28, and helmed by famed music video director Jonas Akerlund, who once again took responsibility of translating Gaga's vision into reality. Gaga has said that the video for "Telephone" picks up where "Paparazzi" left off; she's in jail for killing her boyfriend, but she's actually having a good time behind bars and doesn't want to leave. She is constantly getting phone calls and unwanted text messages but refuses to take any while trying to party on the dance floor, until she gets the call she wants, which was Beyoncé bailing Gaga out of jail. She further commented on the video saying, "What I like about it is it's a real true pop event, and when I was younger, I was always excited when there was a big giant event happening in pop music and that's what I wanted this to be."
The two shared an electric on-screen chemistry for Beyoncé's "Videophone" music video and will undoubtedly bring forth the same energy for this new collaboration, which is bigger, better and crazier than ever and surpass its predecessor "Paparazzi." Gaga and Beyoncé looks so hot in this stills. Gaga's on-screen chemistry with Beyoncé transforms the song from a popular dance floor gem to a raw and explosive piece of art to be reckoned with. Rich with Gaga's unique dance stylings, iconic costume design and inter-galactic hairstyle and make-up, especially when you throw a dash of Beyoncé into the mix, this is far from your typical music video. The 9-minute visual extravaganza features two of pop's MEGASTARS giving it ALL they've got for their fans.

Dakota Fanning and Kristin Stewart dish out an explosive dose of girl power in their newest video for the band's legendary single "Cherry Bomb," continue to channel the upcoming Floria Sigismondi-directed motion picture "The Runaways," is based on the career of Joan Jett and the real life 70s all girl rock group, "The Runaways," and tells the real-life rock saga of how Joan Jett and Cherie Currie shot to fame as the hottest all-girl band ever, which drops in theaters April 9.
Are you ready for more Runaways rock action from Stewart and Fanning? The original recording for song "Cherry Bomb" in movie was sung by the titular band's lead vocalist, Cherrie Currie (Fanning) with co-founding member and rhythm guitarist Joan Jett (Stewart) singing back-up.
We've seen the trailer, we've heard the music, and now we see the "Cherry Bomb" music video, which shows off Fanning and Stewart really are rockin' and their singing skills and sexy moves. The video is basically a glorified trailer for the movie itself, but it also showcases a bustier-clad, garter-belt-strapped, 16-year-old Fanning's eerily on-point dropkick vocal chops, and snarls out her best Cherie Currie over a montage of movie scenes. Smudged eyeliner! Feathered hair! Straddling of a mic stand! And while she doesn't seem uncomfortable in her skin, exactly, there's a vulnerability to her red-lit motions toward brazenness, especially during the "Hello, Dad; hello, Mom" parts that gives us a pang of parental panic. I just don't think I am ready for 16-year-old Fanning to be all sexied-up like this. But I think Fanning does a great job capturing Currie, and her courage to tackle such a sexual, gutsy role so early in her career indicates that she’ll more than likely transition into adult roles seamlessly.

Los Angeles based singer Lucy Schwartz has just released the video for her latest single, "Gravity." The newest visual is a colorful fantasy told through interpretive dance and filmed under the light of an old carousel slide projector illuminates images around and seemingly through her. The 20-year-old songstress has a pretty special voice and a deft touch with balladry, as shown on her self-released EP, "Help Me! Help Me!" features track "Gravity," is now available on iTunes. Not to mention an All-American girl look that works well in works like this, her video for the song "Gravity." It's a crafty video for a crafty song and despite the fact that it's called "Gravity," the viewer actually may feel a bit lighter of spirit after watching.
What's in a name? Lucy Schwartz chose to keep her given name because she feels it gives insight into who she is as an artist. "My name, Lucy Schwartz, means 'light/dark,'" she explains on her MySpace page. "I see both sides, so when I write a song like 'Help Me! Help Me!' it might have desperate, sad lyrics, but it has the contrast of an upbeat melody. I like to mix both sides of the spectrum." Imaginative, wise, evolving: Schwartz is an accomplished recording artist, vocalist, pianist and songwriter from Los Angeles whose artistry far surpasses her chronological age of 20. As a songwriter, she likes to flirt with such dichotomies. That might explain the weightlessness of "Gravity," but as for the interpretive dancing, well, you're on your own.
Schwartz is a singer/songwriter with an "old soul" that belies her young age. Although her influences are varied, the result is a truly original and timeless musical voice. Schwartz, whose songs range between stripped-down ballads, jazz-inspired pop and indie folk, is that rare combination of talented songwriter and skilled performer. Her debut album, "Winter in June" (2007) offers a glimpse of this young singer-songwriter's burgeoning talents, and she's the 2007 WINNER of the International Songwriting Competition (ISC) in the teen category for her song "I Don't Know a Thing." Her songs have been featured on the film "The Women" as well as the TV series, "Reaper" and "Cashmere Mafia." Her singing can also be heard on various TV shows including re-runs of the Emmy award winning series, Arrested Development. Now it can be told, the sultry chanteuse of "Mr. F" on Arrested Development is, in truth, the voice of Schwartz. Doing things her own way is clearly Schwartz's forte.

The most highly anticipated video game of 2010, "Final Fantasy XIII" is officially out today for PS3 and Xbox 360, the one of the most anticipated releases! Watch the New trailer video below featuring the official tracks "My Heart" for the game, from British singer Leona Lewis. The game looks pretty breath-taking to be honest. Just look at the level of detail seen in the grass textures. Stunningly beautiful graphics and a pervasively meticulous level of polish throughout only add to the experience.
Final Fantasy XIII is a console role-playing game developed and published by Square Enix and is the 13th installment in the Final Fantasy series. It was released for the PlayStation 3 in Japan on December 17, 2009. Final Fantasy XIII is the flagship title of the Fabula Nova Crystallis collection of Final Fantasy games and is the first game to utilize Square-Enix's Crystal Tools engine. The game features both futuristic and natural elements; it's set between a land of wilderness and the high-tech world above it. Following the story of Lightning, Square-Enix describes the theme of the game as "those who resist the world."
The game sold in excess of one million units on its first day of sale in Japan, and had sold 1,698,256 copies there at the end of 2009. As Final Fantasy XIII reviews rolled in over the last few weeks, critics kept employing a certain word to describe the game: "crossroads." Universal praise was given to the technical milestone for the series achieved by the game's graphics and presentation. Electronic Theatre remarked that "there are very few moments when the visual and aural superiority fails to astound," and Edge Magazine felt that Cocoon in particular was an "inspired setting... blessed with a vibrancy and vivid color that often leaves you open-mouthed." Art design also added to the positive reception of the graphics, being described as "magnificent." Further praise was given to the CGI cutscenes, and the almost seamless transition of visual quality between these and the realtime gameplay. Many also appreciated the game's soundtrack, with Masashi Hamauzu providing "a score with catchy hooks and blood-pumping battle melodies."
The game's new battle system also received near-universal praise. The increased pace of battles was appreciated, several reviews describing it as "thrilling;" Edge Magazine's description of the battle system summarized it as "uncommonly beautiful, with a background fiction as rich as its story is poor, and at its beating heart is a battle system that stands among the genre's finest." The roles provided by the Paradigm Shift feature also added depth to the battle system and contributed to the fast pace, and having the AI automate the other two party members' actions meant battles in the game "may be the most involving the series has ever seen." The story, characters and voice acting were mostly received well. Wired remarked that the story was "a little more human and less esoteric than in previous games." 1UP felt that the story was "hardly world-class writing," but that the writers clearly knew the medium well and had attempted to avoid clichés.

The little song that could win a very big Oscar! The Texas Country/Americana rodeo bull rider turned singer Ryan Bingham's work on the award-winning movie "Crazy Heart" soundtrack "The Weary Kind" has taken his career to a new level. The song just won Oscar's Best Original Song with legendary T-Bone Burnett last night, follow his Golden Globe award for the same song on January 17. The whole experience is far removed from Bingham's previous life. Believe it or not, just a year ago, the 28-year-old singer and his band were on the road playing gigs all over the country and living out of their van.
If you haven't seen Best Actor Winner Jeff Bridge's brilliant portrayal as the revered down-and-out, country singer Bad Blake in "Crazy Heart," stop what you're doing and go to your local theater and see this movie. The film's soundtrack is a mix of classic country and new tunes written specifically for the film by Bingham, who and his Dead Horses serve as Bridges' backing band in the film as well. Bingham said, during a recent stop in Chicago. "It was a wonderful experience working with everyone involved with the film, and this is a great payoff."
It's been a whirlwind few years for Bingham who has spent most of his life on the road, first on the rough-and-tumble rodeo circuit, then moving from town to town on the equally volatile roadhouse musical circuit. Those travels have given him plenty of material to draw from and plenty of reason to stop for a moment to dig in his heels and take a stand. "With all that's happened politically and economically in the last couple of years, I felt like there was a lot to say," Bingham explains. "As a young person, I felt like it was time to get involved, to write something that wasn't just about Saturday nights in bars. And as far as Dylan? Things that were happening back then are still happening. Things keep repeating themselves."
Burnett first heard of Bingham through filmmakers Joel and Ethan Coen, who suggested he check out the work of the younger artist. Burnett liked what he heard, so he and director Scott Cooper suggested Bingham attempt to write a song for the movie. Bingham went on the road with his band, the Dead Horses, and returned with a rough draft of "The Weary Kind." Bingham's whiskey-soaked vocals perfectly fit the movie, and the song takes you straight into the heart of the movie's main character and his weathered voice makes the emotion of the song inescapable and you feel like you've walked in Bad's shoes. Bingham knows how to make the lyrics of his Texas inspired songs seasoned and full of life. Now, teamed up with his band The Dead Horses, I'm sure to see more great things from this outlaw of an artist.

It seems like the entire world has been waiting for rapper megastars, Lil Wayne and Eminem, to team up for an epic hot verse-spitting track. It's finally here! The dream collaboration of Rap moguls has been expressed in video form, for their single "Drop The World," which was supposed to be premiered March 11 on MTV has been debuted days earlier than the schedule. The single is the third official single off Wayne's seventh and also first rock-inspired studio album "Rebirth," and it's rock feel is depicted accurately in this earth shattering video.
Wayne and Eminem both were featured together on Drake's hit "Forever" with Drake and Kanye West, so it was only a matter of time before the two would pair up again. The song is an angry message toward critics and haters of the duo's careers, while the Chris Robinson-directed video sees how Weezy and the Slim Shady appear on the street and spit their verses and among a gang of people around them running wild from every direction. Broken glasses shatter on the ground and fire set ablaze, giving a chaotic scene. It shows a warzone-like atmosphere, as if the world was coming to an end. The clip is filled with a ton of digital destruction and mayhem, similar to an average action movie and just without the traditional jailbreak scene.
The video was filmed on the eve of the Grammys, Robinson described the shoot for the video as "Just energy. It was a one-day shoot, and Wayne was on the set for upward of 14 hours." "You got two guys who are basically huge supernovas coming together, and the way that the song is constructed is great," Chris Robinson tells MTV News. "Because unless you see it coming, you don't know Eminem is on the track. The first two hooks and the first two verses are all Wayne, and it's kind of a surprise when Eminem comes through, and we matched it visually how Eminem enters the piece."