Today's Pick

Jay-Z and Kanye West released the video late Wednesday night for "No Church in the Wild," an Illuminati-referencing highlight from the record, depicts a grim clash between a large number of protesters and heavily armed and violent riot police. The track is the third from their 2011 super-collaboration "Watch the Throne." However, it doesn't involve an appearance from either rapper, or even guest crooner Frank Ocean, but deliver a powerful clip all the same with the powerful message they were trying to send.
"No Church in the Wild" is a hip-hop song with R&B vocals in its chorus and bridge. It features a bass-heavy beat with guitar riffs, synthesizers, and drums. The song begins with Ocean's chorus followed by a Jay-Z verse about various topics including philosophy, religion, and braggadocio. The chorus then repeats and The-Dream performs a bridge, preceding West's verse, which includes themes of hedonism, celebrity, and religion. An instrumental which reoccurs through "Watch the Throne" plays, ending the song.
Features a cinematic production style, the Romain Gavras-directed clip centers on a battle taking place in the streets of Prague. The dark violent war starts when a masked citizen throws a blazing Molotov cocktail towards the lined-up officials in riot gear and a fight ensues. A sea of men then rush towards the police, caring little about their own unprotected faces and raging into war. By the end of the five-minute video, the freedom fighters seem to have notched a victory of some sort, standing in triumph in the face of their oppressors.
Set to the buzzing drums of the 88-Keys and Yeezy-produced track, ill-equipped freedom fighters with nothing to lose wage war against an oppressive regime. Of course, there is nothing in the video that directly details a specific storyline or plot: Instead, viewers are expected to rely on their own interpretations of the scenes that look taken straight from CNN. Fearless protestors hurl stones and fight armed officers using only their bare fists. "Power concedes nothing without a demand." If a quote could sum up the Throne's "No Church in the Wild" clip, Frederick Douglass' famed call for revolution might do it best.

Continuing his reign in the pop music realm, Adam Lambert has just released the Dystopian video for his new electropop single "Never Close Our Eyes," the second single from the 30-year-old American Idol runner-up's historic, chart-topping record "Trespassing," which debuted at the top of the Billboard 200 chart, and he was obviously thrilled that his new album becoming the first openly gay artist to top the charts. Lambert's not only bringing the new tunes this summer, he's also bringing florescent accessories back.
Lyrically, the carpe diem-themed song is about living life to the fullest and partying until the break of dawn. The song is also about enjoying your time with a special someone, since you never know how much time you'll have. As usual, Lambert's angelic rocker vocals, which soar above and loop through the melody with ease. "Never Close Our Eyes" is a satisfying negotiation between an electro-pop banger and romantic anthem. It's the kind of song that's tailored both for the dance floor and at home/in the car sing-alongs.
Lambert sings the track while living in some sort of boarding facility while being treated like a prisoner. He told press he was obviously thrilled that his new album becoming the first openly gay artist to top the charts. "One of the great things about the album going number one this week is that it proves a point that music doesn't have an orientation, music is universal. And even though at times it does matter in the industry - marketing and all that - I would love to get to a point where it doesn't matter. I think this milestone kind of says that."
Lambert wakes up to find he's no longer able to exercise free will in his new clip, which takes a futuristic tone, set in a dreary post-apocalyptic world where there's not nearly enough color or dancing. He is released from his holding cell only to find that society is now made up of people whose every movement is monitored from their daily intake of a mind control pill to their performances of menial tasks such as scrubbing the floor. But as the song progresses, Lambert leads a dance-dance revolution, beating back the guards, and they engage in a colorful, strobe-and-smoke-filled dance party as the song hits its bombastic final chorus.

Chris Brown has just given fans a lot to be excited about with an undeniably steamy clip for his straight-up sex jam, "Sweet Love," which was sent to urban contemporary radios in the States on April 10, and and urban mainstream radio on April 16, as the second single from his upcoming fifth studio album, "Fortune," which hits stores July 3rd.
Musically, "Sweet Love" is a slow jam R&B ballad that displays elements of electronic music. The synth drum beat totally overwhelms and clashes with the ballad. The song contains lyrics about Brown asking his lady to get naked so they can make sweet love. The track is breezy enough to keep radio programmers pleased this spring, and Brown keeps the sexiness at an all time high throughout the tune with explicit lyrics that, in theory, could easily win any girl over.
The accompanying video was directed by Brown himself and filmed at Universal Studios in Los Angeles. It begins with the singer alone in a room, when a digital version of a woman appears... and hops into his bed. As the song begins, Brown watches a woman, who appears as a hologram, lying in a bed. This scene is intercut with scenes of Brown singing in front of a flowing backdrop. "Tonight is the night that I change your life..." he's channeling 90's R&B group silk.
Then, the clip cuts to a scene where Brown roams the street at night full of beds, occupied by women, all levitating as the R&B heartthrob passes them and heads through a storm to find his girl. When he finds her, things get hot, heavy and really wet as they become passionate while rain pours around them. But before the love affair is over, the 23-year-old seduces her with a few of his signature dance routines, and later makes passionate love to his lady at home, while the rain is pouring down.

Kylie Minogue continues her year-long celebration of her 25 years in the music business with the release of her new single and video for her new club-bumping beat, "Timebomb," as part of Minogue's commemoration of "K25," the year-long celebration of her 25th anniversary in pop music career. The Aussie pop princess shows off her amazingly-toned tush in her new video and much to our delight, the clip is pure Minogue at her best.
Musically, "Timebomb" is a dance-oriented song, which also incorporates elements of synthpop, futuristic house and nu-disco music, with guitar riffs and "woah!"s. The song also has some similarities to her 2007 song "Cherry Bomb." In any case, it's a nice return to the seductive minimalism that made "Can't Get You Out of My Head" such disco-ball dynamite. "Timebomb" is a funky electro-pop number in which Minogue gets her soft vocals going for the verses, while everything turns into pop paradise in the chorus.
We can always count on Minogue for hot dance tracks. This new single is no exception. It starts at a high note and goes up from there. Minogue's vocals are chopped and quantized and slicked with syrup and backing vocals. Two years ago this coming week, Minogue's "All The Lovers" music video premiered. It was the lead single off her 11th album "Aphrodite," and the pressure was on to ensure that pop's reigning princess could deliver a smash hit. But with new single and video "Timebomb," Minogue shrugs the weight off her shoulders and simply has a great time.
The Christian Larson-directed video comes hours after the song leaked. The clip shows the flawless blonde pop minx wearing the leather jacket with a red heart featured on the single's artwork and leaves the studio. She then running and riding souped-up motorcycles on a rain day through the streets of London's SoHo neighborhood, and showcasing a camera angle, and arrives at a nightclub. Visually, the story is presented from various perspectives, and we love it. Welcome back, Minogue and happy 44th birthday!

Throughout their careening career, Linkin Park have made no shortage of truly iconic, eye-catching music videos, and there's no exemption for their new video for the synth-heavy hook "Burn It Down," the lead single from rock band's fifth studio album, "Living Things," which will hit the shelves across the United States on June 26. The band have performed "Burn It Down" at the 2012 Billboard Music Awards and will perform it at the 2012 MTV Video Music Awards Japan, which will be held at the Makuhari Messe in Chiba on June 23.
The song's bass line is played on a synth, and packed with subdued rhythms, riffs and raps, draped in a sea of atmospheric electronics. It seared but still high-sheen slab of cross-pollinated pop driven by four-on-the-floor pump and the pulse of guitars and synths irreparably fused together. "Burn It Down" received favorable reviews from numerous professional critics. The lead singer Chester Bennington's verses as his prettiest ever and the song leaves open the option of just dancing the night away.
In an interview with MTV, Bennington explained what made the song interesting was "the really high energy and the really strong electronic melodies and hooks kind of set this song apart, which is why we chose it as our first single." The co-lead vocalist Mike Shinoda also added about the song's meaning, "Kinda like what we do in pop culture, we build somebody up to be the next great thing then we like to destroy them at the end of the day. And, we've lived through that so I think there's a lot of personal energy that went into the connection of that story."
The clip was directed by the band's DJ, and turntablist Joe Hahn, and it starts off with the band playing to the song in an enclosed area surrounded by metallic protrusions. As closeups of the performance is shown, various sci-fi special effects such as electric bolts, flashes and lighting effects are displayed. A notable blue explosion originates from the center of the area, spreading horizontally, but the band seems unaffected. As the song progresses, the effects are further intensified. The final chorus starts off with every individual of the band on fire, accompanied with 3D-esque shots of each member in stop-motion. Soon, the area was seen blazing in flames as the video comes to an end.

Flo Rida is bringing a summer feel to the music video for his catchy new offering "Whistle," which serves as the third single, follow-up to his hits "Good Feeling" and "Wild Ones," from rapper's upcoming fourth studio album, "Wild Ones," set to release on July 3rd. The guitar-driven tune, produced by DJ Frank E and David Glass, features a whistling chorus that you won't be able to get out of your head, and is still in top 10 of Billboard Hot 100.
Rida has long been known for using vocal stars (Ke$ha, Sia) and anthemic samples to provide the hooks for his singles, but on "Whistle," the rapper takes the reins all by himself. The result is a sun-drenched, happy-go-lucky tune that's sure to provide him with a horse in the summer anthem race. Lyrically, "Whistle" is perhaps his least subtle single, but the song's whistle hook is bound to make listeners forget all about it, and with the track's care-free vibe, the rapper's transgressions are easy to forgive.
Rida is a certified hit maker. Along with Pitbull, he has used the Hip-Pop sound with catchy hooks to conquer the charts time and again since past few years. Speaking of the tune, the Hip-Hop singer gushed to Billboard that it "will probably be the biggest record I've done yet." As for his latest record, the 32-year-old said, "With this album, there's gonna be a lot of No.1s, so that's why I came up with the title 'Wild Ones.'" The singer whose real name is Tramar Dillard added, "I made it my business to be inspired by just traveling around the world, and just coming up with some music that the world can enjoy - to take this from local to national to international."
The 'Good Feeling' rapper enjoys the summer sunshine in his latest feel good clip, which was filmed in Mexico last month, and captures him rapping shirtless from the top of a cliff on the tropical lands of Acapulco, and having fun dancing with beautiful women. The video also features bikini-clad women whistling the song's chorus, as well as people enjoying boat rides in the sea and diving off cliffs. The action in "Whistle" then moves to a club scene with fireworks and confetti as Rida brings the video to a close.

The original American Idol winner Kelly Clarkson follows up her Billboard Music Awards performance of new single "Dark Side" with a nicely-timed premiere of the song's music video in that Clarkson lyrically delves into her own well of inner strength, and her soaring synthpop ballad defines what love's all about. The 30-year-old singer will be returning to TV as a judge on ABC's "Duets," started last night.
"Dark Side," the third single from Clarkson's fifth album, "Stronger," is a mid-tempo synthpop song that incorporates a vigorous music box melody with up-tempo beats in choruses, with its lyrics containing the theme of acceptance in spite of someone's flaws. "Everybody's got a dark side, do you love me; can you love mine?," she sings. Lyrically, "Dark Side" does a nice job of conveying difficult truths while trying to stay upbeat and positive. It's a punch to the stomach for anyone who's felt the same.
The video was directed by Shane Drake and shot in Downtown Los Angeles on April 28. It features Clarkson in a pink dress with light makeup and in another scene where she is wearing a funky black and green dress in a graffiti-filled parking structure. The video finds Clarkson revealing her vulnerable side as she tackles demons of sorts and captures an empathetic Clarkson softly gazing into the camera while sharing the screen as a montage captures different personal hardships and struggling with their problems.
Clarkson sings of how better days are to come. "Everybody's got a dark side. Do you love me? Can you love mine?" she belts on the inspirational track, and her powerhouse vocals bring the heartbreaking stories to life and transports the listener right into the middle of the action. As the video comes to a close, the songstress exchanges comforting hugs with those struggling with their problems; accepting each one of them despite their 'dark side.' The sun rises as the track picks up and the shots of drugs, alcohol and sadness are replaced by cheerful imagery.

The U.K. electro-poppers Hot Chip have unveiled the video for their new single, "Night and Day," the first single from the electronic band's forthcoming fifth LP, "In Our Heads," due on June 11th via DominoRecords. The Indie dance outfit's new clip is an assortment of weird goings-on, including a line-up of choreographed monks taking part in two weirdly complementary spaceships battle.
The trippy, funk-on-overdrive track is described in publicity materials as "weird-ass disco," which then adds: "The song is driven by a menacing yet supremely danceable bassline, while Alexis's digitally-messed up vocals float beautifully above it all like the ghost of Marvin Gaye." The tune was released on June 11th in the UK and the following day in the US. The London synth lovers show up in their own music video as well.
Let's take the video first. Like "Night and Day" itself, the spacey clip is fantastically ambitious, technically precise, mostly entertaining, and yet still a bit frustrating in its arch impenetrability. Directed by British comedy hero Peter Serafinowicz and features guest appearances from British actor Terence Stamp, beatboxing comic Reggie Watts and supermodel Lara Stone, the clip boasts an abomination of monks worshipping an egg-shaped deity through the medium of synchronized dance.
Flight of the Navigator-style spaceships to match the song's wobbly synths, urgent pulse, and limber hook. As with the song's standout "Zapp not Zappa" moment, however, the video ultimately feels slightly like it's talking past us, although villain-guy Stamp lip-syncing to the band's words "Do I look like a rapper?" is a fun touch, and the whole thing is definitely worth watching if you're at all a fan. The inexplicable video have grabbed the attention of hyper-literate Internet commenters, but one stunner is not to be overlooked.

Jerrod Niemann has released his infectious new single, "Shinin' on Me," the lead single from the Kansas native's yet-to-be titled sophomore album, due to be released in the fall. "The video for 'Shinin' On Me' is meant to show you that you don't have to let the storms of life ruin your day," the 32-yeas-old country star tells The Boot.
After rippin' outta the gates with "Lover, Lover" and finding that single become the summer hit of 2010, Niemann's back to stake claim of the summer song with "Shinin' On Me," is about living in the moment and concentrating on the positive, no matter how many negatives come your way. With its unique melody that blends a classic country sound with a horn section, "Shinin' on Me" provides the first taste of what is sure to be an eclectic project from the singer-songwriter.
The lyrics follow the sunny, breezy Sublime-like melody with lyrics that are all about living in and enjoying the moment instead of worrying about the things you cannot change. There are layered harmonies and a sweetly charming vibe to the whole song. Like "Lover, Lover," "Shinin' On Me" is very much a contemporary tune but it doesn't forego country traditions, instead, it builds on them. The melody is infectious and inviting as is Niemann's strong affinity to providing something instantly recognizable and different from everything else on country radio.
Filmed in East Nashville at The Family Wash, a restaurant and music venue in East Nashville, the video reflects the song's infectious summer vibe, and brings to life the upbeat lyrics. It features Niemann, his band and his friends having a full-fledged party inside, while a lone and stressed-out businessman sitting alone outside the restaurant until the skies open up and rain drives him to seek shelter. "Shinin' on Me" buries hurt with a few smiles and a positive attitude.

British quintet Young Guns have just released another new music video for their upcoming single, "Dearly Departed," due to be released on June 11th making it the third single taken from alternative rock band's sophomore album "Bones," available on iTunes since February. The quartet are currently up for nomination in the best single and album category at the Kerrang! awards with single/album "Bones."
Musically, "Bones" isn't particularly different to its predecessor. It's definitely more an album of 'the moments,' rather than the songs as a whole, but although it doesn't quite match up to its older brother on consistency and general quality, it's still a great album. Despite occasional blips such as "Dearly Departed," the album is a great follow up to Young Guns' debut. Although it doesn't quite stand the weight of expectation, "Bones" still places Young Guns far ahead of most of their counterparts and shows just how deep and convincing relatively ordinary rock music can be in the right hands.
Speaking of "Dearly Departed," frontman Gustav Wood says, "it' my crooked attempt at a love song, something we'd never really done as a band before. I wanted to write a song about something that could be understood by everyone that heard it, and though the key line may feel quite dark, I liked the intensity and the idea of the line 'I want to be the last thing that you see, be my dearly departed.' It's a universal feeling however you interpret it, and it sits in a big upbeat summer song. We wrote it with summer festivals in mind and we can't wait to get out there and play it!"
Shot by Tim Mattia in Los Angeles at the end of last month, the accompanying video features the Buckinghamshire-based rockers performing atop and outside of a desert city, which may not sound too engaging, but it's actually pretty enjoyable. The real kicker here though is just how goddamn infectious the song becomes as it spins.

How do you make it in America? Well, starring in a hit Nickelodeon show can't hurt! Nickelodeon's Victorious star, Victoria Justice along with the Victorious cast unleashed another music video for their infectious single, "Make It In America." The track, available now on iTunes, is featured on the upcoming series soundtrack "Victorious 2.0," has been featured in 'Tori Goes Platinum,' an one hour special episode of 'Victorious' on Saturday.
"Make It In America" is a country-tinged ditty about Hollywood dreams and showing skin. The 19-year-old Nickelodeon starlet explained, "My mom was on the phone and I had overheard her talking... about someone breaking big and making it in America. That title just kind of stuck with me... that's such a powerful message."
Justice can be seen regularly on the hit Nickelodeon show 'Victorious,' where she plays an aspiring singer, Tori at a performing arts school. Nickelodeon gave her the chance to show the world what she is made of. In Saturday' special episode, Tori wins a contest to sing the opening number at the Platinum Music Awards! "[Fame is] flattering, but what blows me away is the fact that the show airs around the world. That's incredible," Justice has said about the success of her show.
The video for "Make It in America" is pretty light on story, which features Justice driving around in a sun-drenched desert, grabbing some ice cream, before receiving a text message from her friends asking if she'll perform at a party that night, she says yes, and then she stops by to pick up three male friends along the way before heading off to the nighttime party in the desert. Not a bad life.

Calvin Harris has released the music video for new club killer "Let's Go," the third single from Scottish DJ's upcoming untitled third studio album, which is highly anticipated by his fans. The original radio edit features vocals from American pop and R&B Artist Ne-Yo, who is such a gorgeously bouncy electro-house tune that within just the first few bars, you can tell it's destined to become a summer anthem.
"It's not about what you've done, it's about what you're doing, no matter where you've been, Let's go!" the 28-year-old R&B entertainer aptly states over his unmistakable electronic flourishes of euphoric synths and speaker-jumping beats, which was used in the UK to soundtrack an impressive footballer-starring Pepsi Max ad campaign. Coincidentally, the final result isn't too different from the fizzy beverage; it's sparkling, addictive and sure to give you a burst of energy.
It sounds very much like a Harris song, - however while Ne-Yo's voice is always lovely, it intrudes a bit on this track. Instead Harris could have tried leaving Ne-Yo's voice out of the chorus leaving more music to dance to. It worked for "We Found Love," after all. The DJ and his featured guest invite people to get on the dance floor with his upbeat anthem, and the clip culminates with the disc jokey spinning his turntable for a large number of revelers and his featured guest performing in a live concert.
Harris's romantic, fun and vibrant video features three couples in Rio de Janeiro, Tokyo, and Los Angeles take a whirlwind day out through their home towns. Rio sees the couple take a bike ride along the sunny streets, in Tokyo the couple take part in a dance off before hitting a club, and in LA the couple train in a gym before hanging out with Ne-Yo at the end. All three couples end up at Harris's concert where the Scottish producer spins tunes behind the DJ booth, and leads them to a massive crowd dance party.

Taio Cruz has premiered a music video in support of his latest single "There She Goes," from the 29-year-old British singer's third studio album, "TY.O.," which has been in stores since last fall. Although the album's single version features vocals from Pitbull, but the Cuban rapper doesn't appear in the music video and his verses are omitted.
Released as a single in Germany back in April, the RedOne-produced club banger, "There She Goes" will be officially released in the UK on June 10th. "There She Goes" has some catchy moments, it shows off what both RedOne and Cruz do the best, and Cruz's vocals are clean and crisp on top of RedOne's banging beats and synths for all-around great weekend party track, but overall falls a bit 'monotonous,' and Pitbull's verse helped 'freshen' it up.
In the video, the 'Break Your Heart' hitmaker jumps onboard the trend of having animals run and move in slow motion as he going on a heavy road trip across the desert on his convertible BMW closely followed by his beautiful love interest female, who prefers to do the journey riding a horse. At night, the couple make a stop at an empty diner where they'll host a party and spends the night dancing under the disco ball. Loads of gorgeous models will attend!
Cruz has just host and mentor Billboard and Chevrolet's 2012 Battle of the Bands concert last night in Las Vegas, and provided musical advice to the six unsigned finalists as they embark on a road trip to the show, which will take place at the Joint at Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. Cruz has also acted as master of ceremonies for Friday head-to-head live battle, which will determine which act wins an appearance at the 2012 Billboard Music Awards.

Eric Church has broken through as one of country music's top stars, particularly on the live circuit where he continues to sell-out shows across the nation, has released the brand new video for his love song "Springsteen," as the eleventh single of his career, and the third from his Grammy-nominated third studio album, "Chief," and the track has a definitive southern rock influence, and creates a feeling with a hard-to-forget melody and razor sharp imagery in the lyrics brings Church to an accessibility that he's previously never had.
"The interesting part is it's a love affair that takes place in an amphitheater between two people," Church stated in an interview that the song isn't actually about Bruce Springsteen. "It didn't happen with Springsteen, ironically, it happened with another artist. I went to a concert when I was younger with a girl, and to this day when I hear that artist, it's the soundtrack to that girl. I never think about her any other time, except when that song is on. That's where the 'Springsteen' came from, and he seemed to be the perfect guy to craft that story around because of my love for him. I have such a reverence for Bruce Springsteen's career and how he's built it."
"Springsteen" is every bit as semi-melancholy as it is a fond glimpse back at the past, with a gravity of shimmering sadness driving its production that is most closely tied to the Boss's 1987 tortured-heart testimonial "Tunnel of Love." Steered by a drum machine, and besprinkled with misty-eyed synthesizers and chatoyant glints of keyboard, "Springsteen" is without question far-removed from decidedly country soundscapes, and it's actually a gorgeous, bittersweet anthem-to-be that will likely leave even some more hardened hearts simultaneously smile and cry listening.
The 35-year-old said that the video and song felt very personal to him. The video was directed by Peter Zavadil and was actually shot in a Murfreesboro, Tennessee, a suburb of Nashville. It shows the more dramatic, contemplative side of the singer. The video shows Church without his signature shades walking in suburbia as scenes of a young couple's defining, mix-tape-worthy moments flash by. In the second half, the shades are back on as Church and his band play in a garage, for all the neighborhood to see.

Nicki Minaj hits us off with her romantic side in her just-premiered music video on MTV for "Right By My Side," the second single from her sophomore studio album, "Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded." Los Angeles-based Turkish-American record producer "Oak" Felder and his partner, Andrew "Pop" Wansel, created the soundscape. The pair also helmed Minaj's hit single, "Your Love."
Musically, "Right by My Side" is an upbeat take on a downtempo pop ballad with heavily influenced by R&B, hip hop, and features a glossy, bubbly production. Minaj primarily singing rather than rapping, while Chris Brown joins her on the song with some lines in which he croons his wish to reconcile with his girl after their relationship floundered. Both artists are serial collaborators, having contributed to many other tunes.
The 29-year-old rap princess explained about the song: "Toward the end of the album I wanted something more melodic that I could give to urban radio and that pop radio could enjoy as well. I actually had the beats for like 3 months just sitting in my computer and then I said, 'You know what? This sounds like a summer, R&B classic joint' and I just could not hear anyone else on it but Chris Brown."
Brown shows off his vocal selections, but he's not the only star singer featured in the Benny Boom-directed clip, as the Queens legend 'Champion' Nas plays the role of Minaj's love interest in her romantic story. The bright and cheery video opens with a pensive Minaj seated in a high-backed chair fit for a queen; her mind is clearly elsewhere, unaware of the camera's gaze. Only a few seconds pass before Nas struts into the scene and the two lean in to share a smooch only to find their lives subjected to a rewind sequence before their lips touch.

Leah LaBelle, who finished 12th on American Idol's third season as the wild card selection of Paula Abdul, makes her introduction in a colorful video for her new summery two-step tune, "Sexify," as her debut single and leading from her debut album, receiving high praise from R&B fans for its throwback sound. The Seattle hailing singer will drop her debut in late summer/early fall on I-Am-Other/So So Def/Epic Records for which a 5-track sampler has already been released.
That was in 2004; yes, it's been that long ago. Since then, the "American Idol" alum is done some industry things–working with Keri Hilson, working the YouTube channels–and wound up as a protégée to Pharrell and Jermaine Dupri. The fun song's actually pretty good: fun uptempo R&B, a little bit of a throwback, with more playfulness in the voice and percussion than you might normally get. The 25-year-old Canadian newest signees takes things to another level adding on her uptempo R&B joint "Sexify," in which she instructs ladies how to keep their man coming back, was nice enough to make it on our collective playlist of hot singles.
LaBelle's debut video was directed by Sarah Chatfield, and shot in Los Angeles back in March and will feature cameo appearances from Jermaine Dupri as LaBelle's landlord, Pharrell Williams as a pizza delivery guy, and friend singer/actress JoJo. In the clip, LaBelle is the best girlfriend with the most ultimate closet that you never had. Homegirl will get on the phone with you for hours on end telling you in explicit detail how to get your man back. And then she'll invite you over for pizza.
When her brokenhearted girlfriends need relationship advice, LaBelle gets ready for a girl's night in and to explain how to spice things up in the bedroom and win her ex over. Her phone never stops ringing, whether she's in the bathttub or going through her wardrobe. Then Dupri busts in on the party-for-one, yelling at LaBelle to turn her music down. She blows him off, continues rocking out and orders a pizza delivered by Williams. In the end, she meets up with her girlfriends including JoJo for a pizza party.

Florence And The Machine return with a new video for the bombastic new song "Breath of Life," their contribution to the upcoming summer blockbuster fantasy thriller film, "Snow White and the Huntsman," hits theaters on June 1st. The clip features additional bonus battle scenes from the highly anticipated film, including Oscar winner Charlize Theron sinking into a bath of milk and literally sucking the life out of people. If you need a little magic for your Monday, go nuts below.
When Florence Welch, the "Machine" frontwoman spoke to MTV News back in March about recording "Breath of Life," she couldn't hide her excitement about writing an anthem and drew inspiration from the perspective of Charlize Theron's Evil Queen Ravenna or getting to spend the day working with a 60-person choir in London's historic Abbey Road Studios, under the stewardship of American film composer James Newton Howard that she "almost cried" during the making of the tune.
"We went in and demoed the track, these big, clattering drums, huge bass sounds and everything was very intense and then we sent that to the guys in LA who composed it. And it was amazing to see the music we played being turned into this amazing orchestral thing," Welch continued: "You feel in a bit of a way like you're kind of making it up as you go along, and then when you see it done, laid out before you in such a beautiful, orchestral fashion, it's really incredible... When the baritones came in, I nearly wept, it was so emotional."
Besides capturing the 'Ceremonials' songstress Welch belting out the song and her bandmates lying down the soaring arrangement and the process of recording the single backed by a booming orchestra and a keening chorus, the black and white video features scenes from the film. And much like the song, it packs a punch. You can practically feel Welch's emotion as she brings "Breath" to life, and for a song so massive, the video provides viewers with a rather intimate look into its creation. Combine that with the fact that the clip and the song perfectly match the film's epic, ethereal scope, and the anticipation to see the final product only grows.

The YouTube viral video sensation Rebecca Black is back and has come out with the brand-new video on E! News for the young crooner's fourth official single, "Sing It," and just in time to make your summer jams playlist. "It's totally weird to me," Black told E! News about her rise to fame. "Two years ago, I was dreaming. I wouldn't even dare to dream of something like this... it's weird, but great!"
Since the official debut, the 14-year-old starlet has received lots of complaints which seem too heavy for such a young girl. She sudden rise to fame for the catchy/awful tune "Friday" and because of this she gains A-list fans including Justin Bieber, Katy Perry and Lady Gaga. Although a number of critics hit on her, she is tough enough to ignore those voices by encouraging her fans to sing from the heart.
For the most part of her new summery tune, Black does try to sing it without Auto Tune in a bid to prove that she's got the chops to make it as a bona fide pop star, and not just an Internet punchline... the sunny guitar-pop jam really doesn't seem to employ much Auto Tune at all. With "Sing It," she downplays the repetitive talk-sing drone of her breakthrough single in favor of a belt-it-out chorus. Black carries herself much more confidently now. She looks as though she has grown up and is having fun.
The new video was filmed in Malibu, California and features Black hitting the shores, going for a bike ride and enjoying a warm summer day on the beach. The teen star is at some point joined by a few of her friends when she goes for a bike ride, and chills out at a party at night. It's just what you'd expect from a wholesome kid who's still two years off from getting their driver's license - cute sun dresses, flowers in the hair, twirling on the beach and hanging with pals by a campfire. It's harmless enough, but doesn't quite generate those butterflies in our stomachs.

Mary J. Blige has released the video for "Why," the third single from Blige's latest tenth record, "My Life II... The Journey Continues (Act 1)," features Maybach Music Group's head honcho Rick Ross. The latest track isn't the happiest of songs, but in the new video, the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul and guest rhymer Ross manage to have a pretty good time.
"Why can't we get it right no matter how hard we try?" Blige sings in her single "Why?" which is the sort of strained-relationship midtempo wailer that Blige seems to own the patent on, and it's weirdly heartening to see that she's still great at it despite what appears to be a happy married life. "I know you're fed up, so am I," Blige sings with the passion that she has mastered so well over the years. "But we just can't say goodbye," she continues in a dimly lit bedroom next to her sleeping lover.
In the spirit of moving on, the songstress doesn't lament for long, but instead hits an extravagant lounge. There, Ross is surrounded by gorgeous women with a drink in one hand and an expensive cigar in the other. "I got her lookin' at me sideways, live every night like it's a Friday," he raps. And though Blige is still obviously focused on her relationship worries, she joins Ross for a final performance at the lounge. The two, both dressed in white, complement each other as they perform under an elegant chandelier.
The Colin Tilley-directed glossy video, too, is pure vintage Blige, who throws off difficult vocal runs with ease and confidence. In the video, the 41-year-old R&B recording artist finds herself up late worrying about a troubled relationship. She starts out heartbroken, moping around her apartment and singing about a love affair that just ain't working. She perks up a bit when she joins Ross at a swagged-out party, but even amid well-dressed, good-looking groovers and clanging glasses of Belvedere, she can't seem to shake her sadness.

The Up-and-coming artist Jessica Ashley is back. And this time, with her own material, the unsigned artist offers an emotion-driven debut visuals for her eagerly awaited first single, "Souvenir," off her first EP, "Prelude," which will be dropping late this month, and she describes as an eclectic mix of Pop and R&B and showcases Ashley's talents as a songwriter, pianist, vocalist and producer, who has already received early comparisons to Alicia Keys and a young Mariah Carey.
"Souvenir," is a mid-tempo Pop/R&B ballad that showcases her powerful vocal ability and accessible sound. The rising NYC singer has had the opportunity to work with some of today's most successful songwriters and producers. Ashley has a great voice and it's obvious that she could do a lot more than what "Souvenir" has showcased. "The inspiration for the song is very similar to the video. When I wrote the song, I was still in High school and seeing friends and loved ones leave home for the first time to go to away for college. The song is a reflection of how I felt back then as I watched them leave," she said.
When speaking to AOL Music, the 19-year-old YouTube sensation-turned-recording artist commented, "Making 'Souvenir' was one of the most fulfilling experiences of my life. It was the first time I was able to be involved in all phases of the creation of a song - having written the song, recorded the song, conceptualized the video, and finally, shooting the video. I really feel like this video is a part of me and a great representation of what my fans should expect on my upcoming EP (Prelude)."
The first single, "Souvenir" is only a taste of what to expect from this up-and-coming songstress, and the clip for song was directed by Arie Ohayon, and Ashley explained "the video concept began as an idea that my label and I had. We brought it to Arie Ohayon and he helped flush out the idea and bring the song to life." The song is a perfect piano ballad, soft and easy to listen, her voice is so beautiful and the music video reminds me of a vintage teen pop video in early 2000. Probably the beginning of a new star.

Maroon 5 pulled back the curtain on the brand new video for their record-breaking single "Payphone," a depressing song stuck in a sunny melody, gets the Michael Bay treatment in their explosive new video, which has no shortage of gunfire, car chases, explosions, plus plenty of frontman Adam Levine actually singing into a payphone. The track, features rapper Wiz Khalifa, is the lead single from their upcoming fourth studio album "Overexposed," set for release on June 26.
The mid-tempo pop ballad talks about a romance that is no more, how regretful the unlucky lady will be for walking away, and finds the 33-year-old frontman in a downbeat mood as he reminisces about a failed relationship, and Khalifa' verse is more direct than Levine's despondent lyrics - it explores the way a relationship used to be and the way they no longer are.
"Payphone" has a plodding, piano-heavy production with martial drumming and a dramatic chorus. It also features throbbing bass on the hook that gives the song the hint of a disco edge. It's a straight-ahead pop ditty that like everything else these days, seems to take a page from Bruno Mars' "Grenade" for its shiny, military-like precise beat that still manages to sound convincingly warm. It's melodic and catchy, and but not overly aggressive.
The Samuel Bayner-directed clip plays out as a flashback that starts with a beleaguered Levine in the middle of a bank robbery, as a bespectacled bank worker who saves a co-worker from bank robbers, torching his ride and dialing his lost love. We then get to see he manages to steal a gun, making a call from a Los Angeles phone booth, bust out of the bank with a foxy lady, and end up becoming a sought-after fugitive himself. Along the way he steals Khalifa's classic sports car and running from police. The clip is an enjoyable mini-blockbuster.

Back in January, Cher Lloyd had a video for her single, "Want U Back" featuring Astro from X Factor USA and now, the 18-year-old British songstress re-shot a new U.S. Version video for the song. Shot to fame in the U.K. after appearing on Season 7 of "The X Factor," Lloyd made it to the final four before she was eliminated, but Simon Cowell quickly signed her to Syco, his label, and released her debut U.K. album last year, where it entered the charts at No.1.
"Want U Back." was originally as the third single taken from her debut studio album "Sticks + Stones," and now released the song as her first official U.S. single, and it sounds like an instant summer radio hit. The track is a cartoony mix of perky beats and peppy guitar give the song an almost caricature quality. This sassy piece of pop finds Lloyd singing about her jealousy of her former lover and his new girlfriend.
Lloyd explained that the song does not relate to anything that happened to her personally: "it's basically a track from lots of different girls' stories out there. A lot of people are telling me they can relate to the track and they've been in that situation, but it's also got an element of fun in it." The new clip was shot in Los Angeles, and shows Lloyd's attempts to sabotage her former love's new relationship in an American diner, while performing the track on the restaurant's counter. The police then arrive to arrest Lloyd and take her into custody, where she is seen having a mugshot taken.
Instead of Lloyd hanging out in her bedroom, now she's invading a small-town diner, wearing significantly less clothing and going to jail. Lloyd reminds us of that badass friend in high school who skipped class (but still got good grades), refused to wear her gym class uniform ('cause they were lame) and never sported a zit a day in her life. We so wanted be her. (Still do!) If you're wondering if sassy girls ever grow out of being effing awesome, they don't. Her newest video proves that bad girls just wanna have fun at everyone else's expense.

Nelly Furtado makes a major comeback with a colorfully quirky video for her latest song, "Big Hoops (Bigger the Better)," the lead single from her upcoming first English-language album in six years, "The Spirit Indestructible." Due June 19, the follow-up to 2006's multi-platinum "Loose" includes an 18-track deluxe edition. The "Big Hoops" video focuses on striking visual rather than a clear concept or storyline. It appears that size does matter for Furtado. Bigger the better!
"Big Hoops (Bigger the Better)," is a "noisy" urban pop song, featuring hip hop beats, staccato percussion and Furtado's Auto-Tuned voice which is solid and sexy. Lyrically, it talks about the singer finding strength in the size of her earrings. The 33-year-old Canadian songstress's vocal swagger, and the towering drum and bass breakdown that closes the song will rock any dance floor. Furtado has given us big hoops. All is balanced in the universe.
Furtado co-wrote every track on "The Spirit Indestructible." She said: "I began writing these songs around the time I released my Spanish album 'Mi Plan.' I was in a great headspace, feeling refreshed and ready to really deliver in English again. This album is all about positivity, youth, good energy, and the relentlessness of the spirit. I want people to live this music the way we did when we wrote it. I want them to jump, dance, scream, laugh, cry, love and vibe to it, and to turn it up very loud everywhere."
There are hoops of all sizes in the Little X-directed video, as Furtado towers over everyone and takes a stroll around the city. But she doesn't wear comfortable sneakers for her walk - homegirl steps out on a giant-ass pair of stilts. As she walks gracefully through the city, she breezes by all the plebeians below her who stare up in awe. A few outfit changes later, the clip shows a colorful side as the Canadian singer dances in various backdrop scenes and practicing with world champion Native American hoop dancer Tony Duncan.

After a rush of new material from Kanye West in April, the Chicago rapper is turning to the archives his latest video for "Lost in the World," the first part of the finale to his critically acclaimed 2010 solo effort, "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy." Collaborated with filmmaker Ruth Hogben, the black-and-white visual reliant on simple, but effective, imagery. In typical Yeezy fashion, the video breaks the mould of popular rap aesthetics while still celebrating the extraordinary talent that has made West a modern icon and captures the pulsing energy of the Bon Iver-assisted track.
"Lost in the World" about love gone wrong features tribal drums and samples Bon Iver's "Woods," a song originally written about alienation, applied by West "as the centerpiece of a catchy, communal reverie" on the album. It features several musical changes, beginning with indie-folk singer Justin Vernon of Bon Iver frontman's faint vocals, followed by 4/4 drums, gospel-styled chorus, and increased tempo, and a final measured tempo.
The song also samples the vocals from the soul musician and jazz poet Gil Scott-Heron's "Comment No.1," a blunt, surrealist piece in spoken word about the African-American experience and the fated idealism of the American dream. West explained to MTV News: "That was the last song on the album and emotionally it just fit the crescendo of everything that I was saying and what I wanted to say to this girl. And it's also my favorite eight bars that I've ever written in my life. I think it's one of the greatest pieces of writing."
The dark clip plays up the desperation of the "Lost in the World," with cloud-filled images and a group of models dressed in sheer fabric expressing their pain through dance. West himself appears on a mirrored platform, which reflects the dark sky above, and as the video progresses, the looming structures overhead begin to part, revealing an ominous city skyline. It's simple but beautiful imagery that turns dark and intense as West turns on the bright lights in the form of jarring strobes as the video swerves into abstract urban scenes.

Jennifer Lopez proves she's still got the jump on younger music stars with her fast-paced new video for her single "Follow The Leader," a collaboration with Puerto Rican reggaeton duo Wisin & Yandel. Adding her sweet spice to the latest single "Follow the Leader," contains South American rhythms. Wisin sings in the style of Wisin & Yandel in that of Wisin, referring to the more powerful tone of the former and the lighter vocal touch of the latter.
The 42-year-old "American Idol" judge shows off some fake ink, hip shakes as a woman running away from several men who are chasing her, and the trio's mission with this video is to break the 24-hour Vevo view record! It is a truly magnificent piece of work. The movements are exciting, yet dangerous for the unskilled. Meanwhile, Wisin & Yandel are both looking handsome as well as they text on their Blackberry mobile phones to make plans for the day.
The "Waiting for Tonight" songstress wakes up in a luxury suite with a primo view of the Acapulco shoreline, the video begins with the view from a helicopter flying into Acapulco, Mexico. The scene is magnificent, showing greenish-blue ocean as it meets the beach where holiday-makers are soaking up the sun. Further on, the chopper flies over some of the luxurious mansions built on the seafront. And then a mobile phone awakens "someone" with the message, "Wanna play?" to which she replies, "Follow the leader."
The song begins with a Lopez introduction, soon showing a different shot of her with a huge tattoo of "Lideres" (Spanish for Leaders) emblazoned across her upper torso and what appears to be a dragon covering her back. Wisin & Yandel join in the chorus. After a short introduction, they dress for action. The trio sing the track, and then the chase is on as they race through and across the city: vaulting, rolling, and tumbling. Like seasoned experts, they fall, they roll, yet without a scratch or bruise, they leap up for the next exciting challenge.

American rock band Soundgarden has just unveiled their new clip for "Live to Rise," the grunge heroes's first newly recorded song in 15 years, and it will not appear on Soundgarden's upcoming new album as the band wrote the soundtrack for the new film, "Marvel's The Avengers," features iconic Marvel Super Heroes team up together to fight the foes no single hero could withstand, is just in time released in theaters across the United States Friday and tops box office.
Soundgarden, headed up by lead singer Chris Cornell, was one of the seminal bands in the creation of grunge, a style of alternative rock that developed in Seattle in the early '90s. The new track combines the band's heavy riffs and guitar heroics with sensitive balladry and a psychedelic intermission perfect for scoring a summer blockbuster. "Live to Rise" continues a tradition of Marvel movies using rock songs over the credits.
Comparing the song to the one he crafted for "Machine Gun Preacher", Cornell told THR, "This song came arduously. It's different, because it has to be a Soundgarden song. It has to resonate with every band member. Writing a song for the 'Avengers' film, it has to be lyrically not specific to the movie or the story, but it has to work with it. It wasn't so easy. But it turned out absolutely a Soundgarden song."
The Robert Hales-directed epic and cinematic video features frontman Cornell and his Seattle rock bandmates delivering a searing live performance inside a warehouse under the glowing blue Tesseract-like orbs with footage from the superheroes movie intercepting every once in a while. Cornell's soaring powerhouse vocals sound they could have been lifted off one of their classic albums from the early '90s.

Just in time for the summer, Colbie Caillat teams up with Chicago MC Common and is excited to unveil the new video to support their breezy duet single "Favorite Song," the third single from the 26-year-old Caillat's third studio album "All of You," which has been in stores since last summer. "Favorite Song" is the perfect summer jam to relax to, while Common will release his new album "The Dreamer, The Believer" on Warner Bros Records this fall.
"Favorite Song," stray from Caillat's usual sound with a sweetly strummed guitar groove, is undoubtedly bright, summery, and it is utterly charming like most of Caillat's music. Musically, the song is a guitar-driven pop, hip-hop jam, and the lyrics speak about being in love with someone and desiring that the person feels the same. The song is a metaphor for wanting to be the object of someones affection. The tune is different from Caillat's usual sound, being considered a hip-hop jam, in which Caillat croons between the rapper's slick verses, and Common's lyrics are softhearted as he tries his hand at crooning.
"I've loved Common's music for years," Caillat says of the unlikely pairing, which was put into motion when the sweet adult pop singer and gritty, intellectual rapper met each other at an event for the Grammys in 2009. "He ended up singing his song 'The Light,' and he needed a girl singer [for the chorus] and I was like, 'I know it!' Afterward he was like, "I love your song and I love your voice.' It took about a year for us to get something together, but it worked out better than we could have imagined."
The video was filmed outdoors by the beach and palm trees of Venice, California. In the video, Caillat and Common chill out on the Venice Boardwalk and enjoy a warm summer day on beach party along with some skateboarders, take over the streets and skate parks of the ocean walk. Teenagers rocked bikinis and rollerblades as Common rapped away before the sunset. Yes, the patron saint of sunshine and sandal anthems has tossed Caillat's floppy beach hat into the ring, and her platform is simple: She wants to be your favorite song.

After weeks of teasing and hype, Cheryl Cole has finally released the video for her new dance tune "Call My Name," the lead single to be released from the Girls Aloud star's upcoming third solo album, "A Million Lights," will be released on June 18 in the UK. The 28-year-old singer looks extremely attractive, adorned in on-trend fashions and that will no doubt perk up some interest.
Cheryl makes her return to music minus her surname and with a new album after a long absence. She worked with Lana del Rey on the record, and confesses to have 'fallen in love with' the US singer. The song "Call My Name" itself is extremely catchy, especially on repeated listens, largely thanks to producer Calvin Harris' Caribbean bombastic rhythms, which will go down a treat for summer playlists, and Cheryl's enthusiasm and energy in this are refreshing after all the drama last year.
The Anthony Mandler-directed promo was filmed in downtown Los Angeles, which opens with about 60 seconds of just a quiet beat with just Cheryl preening and posing before it finally kicks in. A muddy handprint is visible on her bottom while a quote from French philosopher Marquis de Sade's words: "The only way to a woman's heart is along the path of torment" appear on screen. We then get wind chimes in a graffiti drenched tunnel where Cheryl finds herself after clearly forgetting where she parked the private yacht.
A distorted version of her single plays in the video as Cheryl dances her way down through Los Angeles' predominantly dry river bed and happy to show off her physique and certainly looks her best throughout as she writhes around wearing three different racy tiny ensembles, showing off her super svelte dancer's body in the energetic video. Cheryl is later seen walking and coincidentally meets up with a troupe of muscular male dancers hanging around with their cars. It's then she kicks off her dance routine and performing tight choreography with a handful of male dancers under the bridge.

Shakira is following up her Billboard Latin Music Awards success with a new music video for "Addicted to You," the fifth and final single from Colombian pop star's third Spanish bilingual album. "Sale el Sol." As always, it's far from unsexy. The new clip will simply reconnect fans with the sensuality and radiance Shakira so effortlessly emits.
The bilingual "Addicted To You" is a colorful, Latin-infused pop record, laced with lively, hip-shaking rhythm worthy and influenced heavily with merengue and dance music that perfectly showcases Shakira's one-of-a-kind vocals. The song was noted for trying to incorporate bilingual lyrics, a very 70's chorus and Copacabana sounds. The song hurries back to the hip-swaying dance beat, and the cheap keyboard that drives the tune reminds us of music played at weddings and quinceañeras.
Shakira has created a new merengue-rock hybrid that lays down bare horn riffs over a driving beat in a groove that is irresistible, and her striking vocals never fail to romance us. The verses are in Spanish but the chorus is in English and speaks to a feeling we can all relate to - being addicted to your significant other: "Baby, I'm addicted to you," she sings half the song in Spanish, which just adds to the exotic flavor. Another upbeat dance tune, the song has many percussive elements happening, from different shakers to hand drums. They keep the song alive, and it never grows dull.
Treating fans to a brand new production, shot in one day in L.A., the 35-year-old singer emits her signature sexpot style with barely-there jaw-dropping outfits and cooing the Spanglish lyrics in the Anthony Mandler-directed uber-sexy video. The steamy footage shows the "Hips Don't Lie" songstress writhing around on a chair, getting sudsy in the tub, and pretty much just looking hot as she dances around in a pair of black hotpants.