Today's Pick

Taylor Swift throws a dance party in just-released video for her latest breakup gossipy hit, "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together," the first radio single off of Swift's upcoming fourth studio album, "Red," which relates to the intensity of her emotions during a series of failed relationships that were often very public. "All those emotions," she said, "spanning from intense love, intense frustration, jealousy, confusion, in my mind, all those emotions are red. There's nothing in between; there is nothing beige about any of those feelings."
Swift's finest songs are flawless in their construction and showcase her effortless, preternatural mastery of pop conventions. Inspired by an incident, the empowering kiss-off to an ex, is a pop song with bubblegum pop influences while the lyrics depict Swift's frustration at an ex-lover who wants to re-kindle their relationship. Swift told fans worldwide in a web-chat that the scornful yet fun song is about one of her former beaus and is what she refers to, in jest, as "a really romantic song, touching and sensitive to my lovely ex-boyfriend."
With its thumping kick drum, clipped syncopation, and mildly snarky lyrics, it's a teen dream in the vein of Swift's other sing-along jams like "Love Story" or "You Belong with Me," the guitar-based country-pop has anthemic in a slick pop way, rather than her usual modern country way. The track sounds like a brighter, more-polished Avril Lavigne tune, with an undeniable, instantly catchy hook in typical Swift fashion. It's such a welcome departure and a bread-and-butter breakup song, only without the hope of a story-book ending.
Swift, looks like so happy she's "Never Ever Getting Back Together" with one of her exes that she's having a blast dancing party exuberantly along with a group of friends in the Declan Whitebloom-directed clip. There is a capricious, childlike quality to the clip, and the 22-year-old superstar clad in a vintage-inspired, daisy-printed, squirrel-print pajamas and bright red lipstick, which only emphasizes her smile and how thrilled she is to have kicked her ex to the curb. So while it may seem that with her defiant new single, Swift may be venturing into more mature territory, her latest video should assuage her fans' fears.

After going all "Where The Wild Things Are" for their dark fairy-tale like video for "Never Go Back," Grace Potter & The Nocturnals take a much more low-key approach for their new starkly stunning video on VH1 Storytellers for a deeply personal tune, "Stars," the new single from the Vermont quintet's fourth studio album, "The Lion The Beast The Beat," which promises to be their most eclectic project yet, drawing on influences that range from 60's R&B to 70's rock to contemporary country.
The lead vocalist Grace Potter's signature wail left the crowd breathless as she roared through a set of soul-filled rock-n-roll while performing before an intimate crowd at NYC's legendary Metropolis Studios. She has one of the strongest female voices in rock music, and Potter is also quickly becoming a favorite in country circles. Along with her band, the Nocturnals, they're winning over fans with their high-energy set and infectious tunes.
On her motivation for writing "Stars," Potter recalled it as being about a recently passed childhood idol, who was "really wild and really wonderful," but who "always did take it a little bit too far. It's kind of like when you are a kid and you have a balloon that just sort of slips off your wrist," she said, choked up and with tears in her eyes. "And I wrote this song, because I don't like looking up when I think about this person. I don't like anywhere that I used to know her, used to see her."
In Philip Andelman-directed performance clip, though, Potter does look up. Wearing a sequined evening gown, she plays with her Nocturnals under a dark, starry sky, and surrounded by thousands of stars, her eyes fixed on Heaven's Boulevard above as she sings about how she cannot even stand to look up in the sky since her love left her. It's a contemplative affair, all black-and-white and quiet, Potter at once large against the stars and small underneath the sky. "It's a form of grieving, really, writing songs like this," Potter says.

Every time it seems like OneRepublic might be becoming old news, they come back with another uplifting video for new melodically lush track, "Feel Again," the lead single off their forthcoming as-yet-untitled third studio album due out by the end of 2012. The uplifting video is the perfect accompaniment to the song, and OneRepublic leads us through an electrifying light show in the after-dark visuals.
Colorado rockers have been a tad quiet as of late, but they find a way to "Feel Again" on their latest single, an up-tempo track, whose sales will, in part, benefit Save the Children's Every Beat Matters campaign. According to the organization's website, Frontman Ryan Tedder actually wrote "Feel Again" by drawing on recordings of children's heartbeats for inspiration. "'Feel Again’ was inspired by the heartbeats of children in remote villages where children are in need of life-saving care,” says OneRepublic’s record label, Interscope Records.
With its urgent hand-clapping and swelling vocal hooks, Tedder sings of a love that's revived him, transforming from 'a lonely soul' to a man who is able to love again. Tedder typically gets most of the attention, but "Feel Again" reveals the entire group's contributions, from the background harmonies to the big drums. Though "Feel Again" is far from original, the optimistic message and those 'woo-ooh-ooh' chants are hard to resist. There are strings of neon lights and acoustic instruments that light up, and when Tedder sings, strings of light come out of his mouth.
Amid all the lights, Tedder is able to "feel again," and finds his love, the one who has rescued from being a lonely soul, and who turns on his heart light, literally. It's a festival of lights. The Tim Nackashi-directed after-dark video was filmed in San Francisco, and it opens with the frontman alone looking at the horizon at dusk stumbling across a bright orb that leads him deep into the woods where he finds people just celebrating, dancing and in a care-free mood as lights, and more lights enchant the place.

As he celebrates winning his child custody battle, Usher getting all kinds of slowed down and wet with Victoria's Secret angel Chanel Iman in the soaking wet Titanic-style clip for his latest falsetto seducer, "Dive," the fifth single from Usher's latest seventh album, "Looking 4 Myself." He never disappoints his fans when it comes to sexy videos, and Usher's new clip for “Dive” is nothing short of spectacular.
The Rico Love and Jim Jonsin-produced smooth 'Looking For Myself' ballad, is a slow-paced R&B ballad with elements of pop music, with Usher making use of his falsetto range, to which Billboard's Erika Ramirez described as "soulful." The song's lyrics metaphorically compares love to the crashing waters of the ocean "Dive," which was interpreted by critics to discuss a commitment to a relationship, whilst containing a triple-entendre.
Usher takes a trip across the ocean and jumps into the deep end diving into love to create splashy visuals for "Dive," directed by Chris Applebaum who trenches the latest visual in warm sepia tones. It features the 33-year-old R&B crooner goes sans shirt and getting steamy and sensual with his love interest, the gorgeous Iman as their luxury cabin suite starts to flood on a private yacht enjoying the water and mostly each other's company while he breaths innuendo-laden lyrics and sings into the camera.
While Iman remains safe above water, the dapper heartthrob takes a dive under. Great vivid images along the water makes this one unforgettable trip. It ends with a gorgeous shot of him and Iman kissing under the water. Plot-wise, Usher's "Dive" video is half "Titanic," half a soft-core porn R-rated movie with lots of naked sexy time in it. Unfortunately, their vessel starts to go down, and water begins to fill the cabin as he makes passionate love to Iman. Eventually, he becomes submerged under the current, but his love remains afloat. They both decided that if they're gonna go down, they should find the time to squeeze in one more hot romp before it all ends.

Cover Drive have unveiled their Battle Of The Band themed music video for new single, "Explode," featuring ex-N Dubz grime rapper Dappy as the fourth cut taken from the band's debut album "Bajan Style." Originally from Barbados, the four-piece band with a style that they define as "Carib-pop." They're one of the most exciting, most talked about new pop bands of 2012.
The Cover Drive quartet have a gift for writing amazing, unique pop songs and "Explode" is no exception. It follows on from the band's previous UK chart smashes "Twilight," which rocketed straight to the top of the charts at the beginning of the year, their last single "Sparks," and their debut "Lick Ya Down." Having already built a devoted following in their native Barbados, the UK and beyond, Cover Drive have global domination firmly in their sights.
Lead singer Amanda Reifer explained the song's meaning to The Sun: "'Explode' is that feeling when you are really into someone and you are trying to contain it. When you are trying to hide the feelings, eventually you burst at the seams." "Explode" infuses the band's zesty Bajan roots with a vibrant feel-good rhythm that is sure to bring the sun to British shores after the most miserable summer on record - a definitive sound dubbed "carib-pop" that's every bit as unique and distinctive as each of these four talented musicians.
Directed by Marcus Lundin, the video follows the four Cover Drive members from a city rooftop to an underground nightclub where they compete and triumph in a Battle of the Bands competition in which they try to liven up a very bored judging panel includes "No Regrets" rapper Dappy sits in the audience, with a performance of their latest hit. For the song's middle eight section Dappy gets up from his judging chair and joins the band on stage, helping them score a perfect ten from the excited judges present.

On-the-verge Disney star Bridgit Mendler gets her groove on in her music video for her recently released single, “Ready Or Not,” the first single off of the 19-year-old actress turned singer's upcoming debut studio album, "Hello My Name Is," which drops on October 22 through Hollywood Records. “Yeah, it's not just about meeting some guy at night, it's about self confidence. I thought it was a great introduction song. It represents the style of my album in a good way and sends a fun message,” Mendler once said.
The song is about a shy girl who decides it's time to break out of her shell and Mendler definitely broke out of her own shell with this one. "I wanted to write something that was empowering for girls," she said in a press release. "I consider myself to have been that girl sitting on the curb waiting for the world to notice." The fun song is an upbeat, bright and sunny dance song, but it's by no means a club banger. Mendler is sugary sweet, but she isn't afraid to turn up the spice and the sass, from a lyrical perspective. She sings about being amidst a pack of people.
Mendler sings it like she means it, like a girl with a crush on the prowl. Even so, this is not a 'throw ya hands up' dance jam fit for the drinking set. Bolstered by a backbeat that follows her voice throughout the song, "Ready or Not" will inspire pre-teen girls to grab their hairbrushes and use them as makeshift microphones while they sing in front of a mirror. It's a cute, frothy, female-leaning pop gem. Overall, "Ready or Not" is a catchy - addictive, really - pop ditty that'll get stuck in your brain, much like a splinter under your skin, whether you like it or not.
Mendler is highlighting the sights of Los Angeles in the Philip Andelman-directed clip. With a group of friends in tow, she takes on the city, crossing off items on a crazy scavenger hunt all through Hollywood, including the vibrant beach and boardwalk of Venice. She hits a sushi restaurant, indulges in hula hooping, drives around in a convertible and soaks up the California sunshine, while performing her new single. We really feel like it shows off a whole new side of the actress.

Bobby Raym a.k.a., B.o.B is out of his mind and Nicki Minaj helps the insane B.o.B escape a mental institution in their just-released video for "Out Of My Mind," their crazy collaboration and the fourth single appears on B.o.B's sophomore album, "Strange Clouds." Minaj rarely has any competition when it comes to crazy, but in B.o.B's new clip, both rappers have completely lost it. All we have to say is they make one crazy couple!
We always knew that the Atlanta MC and a schizophrenic rapstress were just a little bit off, compared to everyone else in this rap game. But they both go a little... Damn. The rapper has been dealing with internal conflict ever since his 'B.o.B vs. Bobby Ray' mixtape, but we had no idea it was this bad. "Out of My Mind" is impressive testament to B.o.B's infectious, unflappable cool. The guy knows how to hang in nearly every sonic situation, and master it, just like a real rock star.
Minaj jumps on this track in her usual animated style. The Queens MC goes straight for the jugular as she bounces rhymes with B.o.B. Her verse on track is fun because she basically mocks B.o.B the whole time. But maybe the infamous Pink Barbie felt bad after the fact. And maybe that's why she decided to strip and give him a short lap dance in the visuals, which feature B.o.B as a mental patient and Minaj as a stripping mad doctor. The two bounce around rubber rooms and apply for parole as they try to plead their case that we are the crazy ones and they are the ones who are sane.
Filmed in Detroit, the Benny Boom-directed clip tells a disturbed story that begins with B.o.B locked in a mental facility. Though it may seem like the world is against him, B.o.B luckily finds a friend in Dr. Minaj. During a one-on-one therapy session, Minaj strips out of her clinical white jacket and gives the troubled MC a lapdance. By the end of her scene the pink-haired beauty slides a skeleton key from between her lips promising to help her partner in rhyme get free.

MIKA has released the video for his new track "Celebrate," a pair-up with rapper and producer Pharrell Williams, will serve as the lead single from British-Lebanese singer's upcoming third studio album, "The Origin of Love," which was inspired by his love affairs with men, and will be released on September 16. "It's an album about crazy love songs and tolerance," the 29-year-old gushed.
MIKA's comeback couldn't be better-timed. "Celebrate" is an upbeat, uplifting vintage-sounding pop record, and on the topic of moving on, is a decidedly straight affair. The summer song has a retro synthpop clubby feel, and its message is clear - he simply wants the whole world to celebrate life. The synth-heavy pop, yet head-nodding, sound that allows MIKA to blossom. It also shows that the Neptunes mastermind brings his smooth vocals, giving it a another dimension.
Speaking about the recording of the song, MIKA explained: "This kind of collaboration is only possible when everyone throws themselves into it wanting to have fun and without any ego. This collective and open attitude was at the heart of 'The Origin Of Love.'" Unlike his usual potentially window-shattering falsetto on other songs, we actually hear what MIKA’s voice actually sounds like when he wants to take it down a few octaves. The song is reminiscent of the party club songs of the late 70s and 80s and makes you want to put on your best platforms or acid wash jeans and get down on the dancefloor this summer.
The clip was directed by BB-Gun and shot in New York. It opens with the Brit pop-sensation sitting in front of a piano, seemingly trying to compose new tune, but having trouble in writing the lyrics. Frustration ensues and torn paper stacks up until he finds inspiration within his surroundings and realizes he simply wants the whole world to celebrate. And as we see MIKA jet off to a dance club and boogie down in a state of euphoria, leaving his cares behind in the process.

Lupe Fiasco sparks a conversation and discussion with the powerful video for “Bitch Bad,” the second single from the 30-year-old Chicago rapper's upcoming fourth album, "Food & Liquor II: The Great American Rap Album Part 1," which addresses the overuse of the word "bitch" in hip-hop culture, is slated to drop digitally and physically on September 25th.
Fiasco may be best known for delivering fans his unforgettable debut album "Food & Liquor," but no matter what, the LP the Chicago lyricist always manages to give us food for thought. In "Bitch Bad," the outspoken MC lyrically contemplates the long-term psychological effects of the word "bitch," by weaving together a narrative of both a young boy and girl who are separately exposed to the degrading language. He once again uses provocative imagery to get his message across in the visuals for the gallery’s dissection. Perhaps the new clip will purvey the track's intent better than the mp3 did.
The visual according to Fiasco aims to elevate the Hip Hop dialogue around women beyond the all too common 'booty' and 'bitches,' and also takes on the stereotypical imagery of the Hip Hop thug placing these stereotypes in blackface portraying them as modern day minstrels. It was shot in a retro style, and filmed on a stage in a theater, to emphasize the idea that we're being told a story with a lesson to be learned. Fiasco makes sure to be as respectful as possible, though perhaps a bit on the nose, the video certainly adds weight to Fiasco's in depth breakdown of the word.
Young boys and girls watch the Chicago MC narrate a play in three acts that hopes to deconstruct the word “bitch” in hip-hop songs and show its negative affects it has in shaping the mindsets of children in the African-American community. Act One narrates how young men learn and interpret the term, Act Two narrates the same for young women, and Act Three demonstrates the communication clash amongst the two groups. As Fiasco discussed with MTV Rap-Fix, he hopes that by starting the conversation, kids will continue the discussion themselves and hopefully make a change of how they view (and call) themselves and others.

The pop diva and prospective American Idol judge Mariah Carey may be emancipated, but she makes 'triumphant' return in front of the lens shooting a new video for her current rap-heavy anthemic track, "Triumphant (Get 'Em)," which features rappers Rick Ross and Meek Mill. Carey's honeyed voice is perfectly matched by Ross's lower rumble and Mill's bold, energetic delivery. Ultimately, it's a classic Carey track, lacing potent R&B beats and vocal patterns with an urban street edge.
Served as the lead-off single from Carey's hotly anticipated fourteenth, yet to be titled comeback campaign (the first since 2009's "Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel"), "Triumphant (Get 'Em)," is a midtempo R&B and hip hop inspirational song. Lyrically, the song is uplifting and positive. The 42-year-old revealed that she penned this song when she was going through a difficult time and it helped her get through it. She later stated that she wrote it when her husband Nick Cannon was in the hospital with acute kidney failure.
In a landscape that is dominated by uptempo, synthy tracks loaded with overly processed vocals, it left us wondering exactly where Carey's vocal acrobatics could or would fit in in 2012. Carey uses her best asset that gorgeous voice to her benefit, but thankfully, she's not overdoing it and shattering glass with her mega octaves. There is a time and place for that, but it’s not in the space of this particular song. Instead, Carey exercises taut control and that’s why the song is pretty incredible. When Carey does turn it up, she's on-point, a self-help guru with a five-ctave range.
Having a 1960s vibe with the word “TRIUMPHANT” boldly splayed across the back of his golden robe, Mill stars in Carey's husband Nick Cannon-directed clip as a boxer heading into the ring and hoping to demolish and triumph against his competition, a fitting metaphor for the song, while Ross watches from the front row with ever-glamorous Carey, who basically plays a cheerleader and does not disappoint in the pictures, looking like a Hollywood starlet in diamonds and a curve-hugging gleaming golden glory dress.

British singer Amelia Lily earned her chart assault the hard way after one of the most dramatic comebacks in X Factor history, and went on to finish third behind Little Mix and Marcus Collins last year — a huge achievement considering she was set to return to her job in a garden center near Middlesbrough. Now she's back with her debut video for her first solo single, "You Bring Me Joy," as the lead single from Lily's upcoming debut studio album.
Many X Factor (UK) winners have faded into oblivion, but several runner-ups have been the show's most successful exports. Lily is the one who keeps surprising us. "I dream of being as big as Katy Perry and doing a film of my career," says the Kelly Rowland-mentored 17-year-old X Factor star. Produced by Xenomania, this sophisticated, sort-of banger "You Bring Me Joy" sees Lily's impressive voice take center stage.
The danceable electronic pop record is straightforward, honest and obviously brilliant the first time you hear it and increasingly brilliant over the subsequent twenty or thirty listens. There's no enormous synth riff, no dubstep breakdown, and no "oh-oh-oh" lyrical bit. What remains is a very elegant take on the modern pop song. It's quite dignified, in a funny sort of way. It just feels very fluid and natural, and it works brilliantly with Lily's vocals. And that's what Lily's single is, and it's got the airpunch-friendly chorus to prove it.
As for the video, it seem to glow with an effortless summer sheen with a plot that conveys an idyllic teen summer outing, sees the blonde starlet enjoying herself with friends going on a road-trip through Los Angles, while peppered with flashbacks of times where she with her former lover and looks a bit more sad. All these scenes are intercut with Lily performing the lyrics, either on the hood of the vintage gold Mercedes or in front of a beach. It finishing up at a beach party in the evening while Lily sings the closing lines of the song.

Fresh off their spinning chairs, the Irish alternative rock band The Script have just released an inspiring music video for their new Will.i.am-assisted cut, "Hall of Fame," that serves as the lead single from their upcoming third studio album "#3," due out on September 10th in the UK. The single falls slightly flat on this point, resulting in a soft rock number that could easily have been an offering from The Script alone. However it's nice to see the Voice judges working together instead of against each other.
The Script provide a twist to their familiar sound on this single, collaborating with Will.I.Am' who adds a unique element to the song, which features elements of rap-rock and is uplifting and catchy. The inspiring track is about following your heart, your dreams, reaching one's goals and striving to reach the top, with breathtaking and faint inducing specimen of a music from "#3" album. The guitarist Mark Sheehan commented about the uplifting piano-led track: "We wanted to capture as much emotion in the track’s sound as there is in the lyrics, which are definitely some of the most positive and upbeat we’ve ever written."
Frontman Danny O'Donoghue decided to hook up with The Black Eye Pea rapper after the pair worked together as coaches on 'The Voice' UK. O'Donoghue explained to The Sun: "I played Will a few demos backstage early on in 'The Voice.' We got to 'Hall Of Fame' and he immediately asked if he could have it for his new album, as it was exactly what he was looking for. It starts out like a typical The Script track, with O'Donoghue's vocals over a piano, but then both the beat and Will.i.am kick in and it's clear the band have done their best to incorporate the Black Eyed Peas star's R&B roots.
The Script teamed up with Will.i.am shot the music video for "Hall Of Fame" in Los Angeles earlier this summer. The video features two different characters, each with their own goal. One is a boxer, the other is a ballerina. A great video for a great track. The inspirational video goes well with the theme of the song which is all about self empowerment and belief. The Script will make a triumphant return to the road in North America, kicking off their headlining tour on October 9 at New York's prestigious Radio City Music Hall.

Boys Like Girls have released the video for the track "Be Your Everything," the first song taken off pop rock band's upcoming comeback third full-length studio album, "Crazy World," which reportedly is split between rock and dance, were clear in the MTV interview that they weren't making "a disco record," is expected to release this fall.
After returning from their brief hiatus, Boys Like Girls are back with a brand new sound that is exemplified perfectly in "Be Your Everything." They've got that same angsty charm as before, but now it's wrapped in pop melodies instead of punk ones. The quarter pop-rockers re-emerged at this year's Bamboozle performing several new songs from their upcoming record. It should come as no surprise that we have a little thing for Boys Like Girls and their makeout-able ballad, "Be Your Everything," which is set in a futuristic, post-apocalyptic world where "the world has littered itself to death."
The working title for “Be Your Everything” might as well have been “Two Is Better Than One.” It's another ballad, along the same lines as Taylor Swift's; the vocals keen up into falsetto and down into strength, and the guitars lilt the same way. The lyrics are what you'd expect–being on a mission to be shelter from the storm and your everything, you know how it goes. It is a perfectly competent, perfectly safe ballad, it's going to soundtrack a lot of relationships, and it is not risky at all.
The video isn't exactly what you'd think a video for a sweet, sentimental love song should be. It features the boys performing their new jam amidst the cinematic expanses of an apocalyptic desert, as frontman Martin Johnson searches for, and finally reunites with, his love interest. "I'm searching for life on the planet and there's one girl left and she's found the last flower on earth," Johnson told MTV News. "I don't know if it's love or procreation, or what it is but humanity will survive. We'll get through it." As they roam the town trying to find each other, puppy-dog-eyed glances are stolen until eventually the two connect and realize they were meant to be.

After ceding party-rock crown to LMFAO, 3OH!3 are back with a brand-new visuals for the electro pop duo's comeback single, "You're Gonna Love This," the first official single slated to appear on the hard-partying boys' forthcoming fourth studio album, "Omens," and designs for a return to the throne.
The Colorado duo have been working on their "Omens" album, and their last offering was 2010's mostly ignored "Streets Of Gold," and in the two years since, they've had LMFAO, Cobra Starship and Ke$ha steal the spotlight in the irony-loving-booze-guzzling-party-rocking niche of dance-pop. So where does that leave them? In the case of "You're Gonna Love This," it leaves them desperately attempting to play catch up.
The clip follows a slightly tipsy Sean Foreman and Nathaniel Motte as they make poor decisions and try to engage in an increasingly complex game of one-upmanship, one that involves little more than sinking impossible shots in and impress the same girl by engaging in various ridiculous games, including throwing a coin into a glass, hitting a golf ball into a trash can, and throwing a basketball into a swimming pool from a rooftop. However, it's a Tom Cruise impersonator who eventually wins the girl's heart in this clip which is set at Las Vegas' Planet Hollywood Casino.
The plot of the Isaac Ravishankara-directed clip, as it were, is simple and the sonics of the song itself, which, with its electro whomp, starry synths and robo-voco chorus, seems destined to dominate the clubs. They've spent a year in the wilderness, and now they're mustering forces and beginning their siege on the city, and it's the opening salvo in the war for our hard-partying future, a battle that 3OH!3 are determined not to lose. Will they succeed in reclaiming the crown from LMFAO? We'll just have to wait and see, and like any good game of thrones, when it comes to party rocking, you win or you die.

Brandy is well on her way back onto the music scene with her newly released sleek and futuristic clip for the catchy enough jam, "Put It Down," featuring fellow R&B singer Chris Brown, serve as the lead single off of her upcoming sixth studio album, "Two Eleven," set to be released October 16, and it is the first comeback album since 2008's "Human."
It is an up-tempo R&B song featuring tinny percussion and canned claps. Lyrically, it features Brandy complementing a prospective beau on his swag. Later, Brown adopts a Nicki Minaj-like vocal delivery and jumps on with a Hip-Hop-inspired verse. Brandy swaggers like we haven't heard her swagger before, matching the beats boldness with smooth yet forceful lines. She has always had a firework for a voice, and earned a killer single to put it to use. The single is straight out of the US R&B factory.
"It's called 'Put It Down,' but I like to call it 'Fall in Love,'" the 33-year-old told The Boombox. "But no one else likes that title. It's so new and so fresh. It's just a different vibe. It's R&B meets Hip-Hop and it's edgy and gritty, but it's about love, which is something we all want to experience and stay in love. I want to stay in love." The song is simple in its message, in the sense it is a bit of a love song, and Brandy does well, so we hope this comeback to relevancy works out for her.
Brandy takes it back to the old school, bringing modern art to the streets and rocking her signature braids from her "Sittin Up in My Room" days in this Hype Williams-directed vibrant video. The "Long Distance" songstress and Brown are seen flirting with each other while singing their respective vocal flavor on the hood of a white Ferrari, show off their moves together, get a little closer than expected and embrace their colorful surroundings switch from a dark night to a paint-splattered colorful wall.

Making a killer power-pop record dirtier and back to basics, Green Day released a new video for "Oh Love," the lead track to be taken from the punk pop trio's "¡Uno! ¡Dos! ¡Tré!" trilogy, a series of new LPs to be released from September 24 to January 14, 2013. Fans of Green Day, prepare to have your cup continuously runnething over for the next six months or so.
Green Day have spoken about the inspiration for "Oh Love," saying the song is about "shooting from the crotch." Speaking to MTV News about the track, frontman Billie Joe Armstrong said: "'Oh Love' is kind of like leading with your heart and not necessarily with your brain as much. And also kind of maybe losing your mind, and shooting a little bit more from the crotch area." The mid-tempo song matches Armstrong's description of the "¡Uno!" disc as stripped-down with minimal instrumentation.
Green Day successfully scale back their grandiose sound on "Oh Love," which is a choppy midtempo jam that recalls the ambling power pop of the group's pre-concept album turn-of-the-century stuff. The song's genre features elements of the band's early pop punk style, as well as similarities to their recent alternative rock releases. The power pop song is a tight, addicting bundle of pop-hook class and crunchy-punk fundamentals. It eventually opens into a catchy, sing-along chorus and even features a colorful and crisply strummed guitar solo.
The "Wake Me Up When September Ends" rockers are returning to their roots with this new classic rock video. The Samuel Bayer-directed video finds Armstrong and his bandmates Mike Dirnt and Tre Cool walk in to perform the punk-tinged ballad and up to their elbows in a bevy of beautiful and sufficiently tattooed models, who languidly lounge around a dilapidated party space while the guys rock out. Green Day sound the way you originally loved 'em, and refreshed: heavier and hardened from their time in the trenches but back in the garage, ready for rapture.

Ronan Keating gets back to his new solo career with the release of new video for his absolute belter of a song, "Fires," serves as the lead single and title track of his forthcoming album, his first original material in six years. The track marks the end of the Boyzone star's run of covers albums, as the new record will feature brand new material. Both the single and the album will hit shelves on September 3rd.
The 35-year-old Irish singer, formerly the frontman in Boyzone, has put his 'rollercoaster' 12 months behind him to come up with a new album, promising "rousing guitar anthems and yearning, heart-rending ballads." Keating described the LP as going "back to proper pop again," adding: I've been spending my time getting this album just right and I'm excited about people hearing it." The set marks his ninth overall studio record, is said to be guitar-led, with Keating previously describing the sound as having a 'folk feel.'
"Fires" is a great choice of single that recalls Keating's early noughties glory years, buoyed by a rousing chorus that he belts out effortlessly. This is straightforward good ol' old fashioned pop without a hint of the dubstep or autotune that currently saturates the charts. Wise enough not to try to keep up with the trends, "Fires" should at least appeal beyond the housewife demographic who have been targeted by his recent releases.
The Phil Griffin-directed promo sees two versions of the singer running and driving to the same location, and ending with the Bentley-driving Keating meeting up with his 'other self.' He acts, cries, runs, drives a Bentley, and wears Madonna's gloves. There is almost nothing that Keating doesn't do in his latest solo offering. Except that growly-singing thing of his, he doesn't do much of that in the 'NOT-autobiographical' Fires, his first song after a bout of writers' block. It's recommended that viewers watch right through to the end to experience the most masterful of the man's acting exploits.

Chris Rene makes his grand entrance into The DJBooth with his first video release as a major-label signee for his debut promo single "Trouble," the second single, follow-up to his star making hit "Young Homie," from his upcoming debut studio album, is out in October but no album art or title released yet. The new video with a laid back Sublime feel that is forgettable to watch is definitely safe and uninspired without a shred of originality.
If you tuned in to the first season of 'The X Factor USA,' you likely remember Rene, the Santa Cruz trash collector who stole the show with original jam "Young Homie." While he ultimately finished third overall in the competition behind Melanie Amaro and Josh Krajcik, program judge L.A. Reid was so taken by the hungry up-and-comer that he promptly signed the 29-year-old singer-rapper to major label Epic Records.
Co-written by Alex Lambert, the upbeat, toe-tappy track is a breezy ode to the perennial allure of the "bad girl," this mellow summer jam finds producer Busbee layering reggae-tinged guitar strums over punchy hip-hop percussion as the singer describes how he fell for that woman his mother always warned him about. Though he knows he should run, all his protests are for naught-after the first encounter, he was permanently hooked.
The clip was filmed in New Orleans and features Tyri Rudolph as his leading lady. In which, 'X Factor' finalist goes looking for "Trouble" and finds it in the form of a cute girl he can't get out of his head. The clip begins with Rene wakes up in a spacious bed, reaches over and puts his trusty fedora on, which seems downright bizarre, except that a brief flashback shows the hat actually belongs to the girl. He then walks the streets with his guitar and sings about his infatuation. He gets to make out with her in some scenes, but those seem to be in his imagination.

Tristan Prettyman just released the music video for her latest single, "My Oh My," the lead single off her upcoming third studio full-length album, "Cedar + Gold," and fans can expect to hear it in full on September 25th. The 30-year-old breezy San Diego singer-songwriter told CBS Local it's a song about "this journey through your first love." and in the clip, a relationship is stylishly portrayed as a 'The Cat And Mouse Game,' literally. Click through to hear swaying her love-is-the-drug rocker.
Prettyman has been making beautiful music since a young age when she found her father's guitar and promptly borrowed it. She was inspired to write and perform by one of her musical idols Ani DiFranco and began playing at clubs and cafes in her native California. Soon she was tapped by Jason Mraz to accompany him on tour. From there her music gained more and more exposure and a large fanbase of music lovers who like her laid-back, poignant musical style. Breaking up is hard to do, but I imagine "hard" is an understatement when you or your ex are in the public eye. She dealt with this struggle after splitting from fiance Jason Mraz last summer.
"My Oh My" is an intimate song that chronicles her struggle with being attached to someone in the deepest way, yet he keeps showing back up in her life. She can never cut him completely out and fighting to escape their "spell." Prettyman further revealed how the song details the cat and mouse game of a relationship gone wrong. "The whole song is this journey through your first love and breaking up and thinking you'll never see him again and there's no chance and then they come back into your life. And you're like, 'Oh man, I still like you. What's the deal with that?'" she said.
"Why do we keep going back to things that aren't good for us? How much is going to be enough? How hurt do we have to get to get over it finally?" Fascinated by being in the presence of someone that makes your heart skip a beat, Prettyman learned from her own mistakes while writing the song. "Writing that song made me more aware of the situation that was actually happening," she said. As far as finding closure within her current single, Prettyman is still trying to figure things out. Watch the Jay Martin-directed clip below as she tries to escape the cat and mouse game once and for all.

Rascal Flatts debuted a new video for their heartbroken ballad, "Come Wake Me Up," the second single from their eighth studio album, "Changed," is another fine example of how this trio continues to work at a level few country artists are aware of, and the track fits well with their classic ballads while also having a slightly different sonic landscape to the past songs along with a return to more of their classic harmonies on the choruses.
The drippy and introspective piano-driven ballad finds a despairing Gary LeVox conveying the pain of a broken relationship. A perfect Rascal Flatts song is easy to fall into, but not so easy that it relies on banal metaphors or country cliches. "Come Wake Me Up" is certainly a familiar story, but it's an original emotion and voice that will immediately connect with fans, especially those going through a difficult breakup. The trio simply soars above the mini-orchestra that marks the climax. It takes a few deep breathes to come down from this drama. The performance overflows with sincerity.
The music video was directed by Shaun Silva and filmed in Nashville, stars the group's guitarist Joe Don Rooney and wife Tiffany Fallon as a young, impossibly good-looking and really wealthy, yet troubled couple. They look smashing wearing designer clothes and walking around their ultra-modern house help tell the lyrical story as their love turns sour. Being young, rich and beautiful is not all its cracked up to be, at least not in this video, which explores the thrill of the chase and the blurred line between reality and dreams.
Rooney and wife Fallon's make-believe home is filled with "irreplaceable" items, and it's clear that their relationship is fractured. The raven-haired, rebellious beauty muses about how 'things' means so much to her blond beloved. He actually calls the things "irreplaceable," and it's clear that something is amiss. When do things have more value than a person? When did we become this disconnected from other people and place more worth in inanimate objects? It's food for thought and Rascal Flatts' new video effectively provokes that idea.

Tamar Kaprelian recently dropped the music video for her latest single, “California,” the the lead single and title track off her new five-track debut EP, a sun-soaked song shot through with summery wistfulness, and sparkles with an independent artist feel, released in June, two years after her successful debut album, "Sinner Or A Saint," which is real and true to her, both personally and artistically. The new clip follows Kaprelian through the classic journey out of the desert and into sacred California.
The piano prodigy with the soft siren voice has been in the music scene since her song “New Day” was featured on MTV's "The Hills." Kaprelian says she's taken much inspiration from Billy Joel and Paul McCartney and aims for "thought-provoking, hopeful, playful, and honest songs." The 25-year-old independent artist is now at Columbia University studying political science and creative writing.
"California" is a breezy tune with Kaprelian driving around parts of California and walking in the desert in flats but making sure she rocks the high heels in the bedroom. Kaprelian explained: "It's about trying to lure someone to move somewhere for you because you're in love with them, and what better place to live than a place that's always beautiful, always sunny and always puts you in a great mood." The song adds that personality that only a smaller label can allow, and gave Kaprelian the opportunity to shine creatively and the result is a combination of well written, catchy and fun pop songs.
In the brand-new video, Kaprelian takes a quintessential top-down drive in a vintage convertible, strolls through an abandoned field with wind in her hair, and cools off with an afternoon dip in the type of pool that could only exist in California, all while trying to convince a dude to join her out West. Some more adorable dresses and an unexpected, but impressive harmonica solo break later, the clip comes to a close with the sun setting on Kaprelian, who's still en route to California, sans companion. It's a picture-perfect postcard of the Golden State, which she recently left to study at Columbia University in New York.

The cutesy duo Karmin have finally served up the music video for their new pop rap single, "Hello," the second official single and title track from their Epic Records debut EP. Karmin took the internet by storm last year after posting a cover of Chris Brown's "Look At Me Now" on YouTube, which instantly went viral and became one of YouTube's most viewed videos of 2011.
After enjoying the success of their chart-busting single "Brokenhearted," the Berklee grads are back and go back to hip-hop roots - like big drums up front, with with the promo of their next single "Hello." The Stargate-produced tune, is more than a few dance beats away from their acoustic YouTube covers of yore, and shows off Amy Heidemann's impressive rapping skills as she flows over a catchy beat about their rise to fame and the people who doubted them along the way. "This one gets a little darker, the sound is darker, there's more rap in it, it's a little more aggressive," she said.
The swag-pop duo show a darker, more mysterious side in their new video for “Hello,” and in it, Heidemann wanders through vibrant Chinatown looking a little lonely and also a little mischievous while her real-life beau Nick Noonan is at home, shaving his head. He eventually shows up and the pair hug while looking seriously dour. "It's mostly performance-based and we do it in Chinatown in L.A., that's where it was filmed," Noonan explained their real-life chemistry unfold on-screen.
In the video, a long-haired Heidemann rapping in her daisy dukes as she struts her way alone throughout the Asian-inspired urban backdrop on a Beach Cruiser, changing into a black trench coat when she hits the town at night. Meanwhile Noonan gives himself a brand-new look as he shaves off his golden locks in anticipation of a date with his other half. It all gets sorted out in the end, the two reunite as Noonan picks up his fiancée in a classic convertible car and the ridiculously sweet couple drive off together in style.

Keyshia Cole is boxed in and wants out and shares screen with rapper Lil Wayne for her broken-heart single, "Enough of No Love," is the lead single listed in 30-year-old R&B singer-songwriter's upcoming fifth album, "Woman to Woman," as a true reflection of where the singer is in her life. With a new single "Enough of No Love" and upcoming reality TV show, Cole's now back with a vengeance and is doing a lot to make sure that she stays busy and keeps those coins in tact.
The song is believed to be a heartfelt single, tells of a strong woman who is fed up with a relationship where she isn’t appreciated, and its composition may be a flashback to Cole's debut album, "The Way It Is." It's reviewed to be a old school track with a hip-hop vibe. It finds the lovelorn songstress wondering if she should depart from a crumbling relationship. "I can't stay here 'cuz I've had enough of no love," Cole declares. Joining Cole towards the end of the song is Wayne, who makes light of the singer's predicament.
The visual was shot in June in Los Angeles, and was directed by award-winning director Benny Boom, who previously helmed the clip for Cole's platinum hit "Let it Go." Boom described the concept behind the video saying "Conceptually I wanted to do something that was strictly fashion and beauty and just a little of narrative. I just wanted people to see her come back, just performing crazy. So I came up with this idea of her sort of being in this padded room as if she had lost her mind over love."
Based on the song it seems like Cole has come back to her original form. The video is just as good as the song, and showing blonde Cole lingers in an empty hallway with a white wedding dress locked inside a padded room before singing about another love struggle and breakup to an unfazed-looking Wayne, who rapping in his usual style on a black grand piano and gives a male's perspective. Roses, shoes, necklaces and other expensive jewels are falling into a baggage. Cole busts a move with some dancers and sings under love-patterned shadows at one point. Cole seems to be so comfortable throughout the video.

The dewy sweet girl next door Norah Jones that fans fell in love with in 2002 has been scorned and she wants you to know about it in her new music video for her exquisitely angry "Little Broken Hearts" ballad, "Miriam." As fans of Jones' new summer album already know, the song “Miriam,” is the most chilling she has ever recorded, and the onetime soft-jazz wunderkind throws us another curveball and takes one of her Danger Mouse-produced album's creepiest, most unsettling songs and gives it a full noir treatment.
The deceptively soft-spoken singer has always been known as somewhat quirky and mysterious, both musically and personally. Now it's Jones who is out for revenge and shows dark, twisted side in new album, where she dispatches with the calm niceties and unleashes a vengeful rage and fury few knew she had within her, after her boyfriend's infidelity sent her back into the recording studio. The spooky murder ballad "Miriam" describes the way she murdered her cheating boyfriend and his other woman respectively. Jones starts with what appears to be a nice stroll through the pond, but ends up taking a very dark turn.
"Obviously I care a little bit about what people think, but I try not to," Jones told Exclaim! Magazine "I feel pretty secure in who I think I am and what I know I do. It's not like I do anything crazily different [on 'Little Broken Hearts'], just a couple of songs were a little mean. It's not like I'm such a bad girl. I'm an adult. I'm not a little kid... It's not like I'm pulling one over on people. I am a nice person." The line between quietly soothing and disgustingly creepy has always been a thin one in popular music. A good music video can certainly help such a song over the borderline, as Jones' new clip does here.
Adding grim visuals to the already dark lyrics, the Phil Andelman-directed clip is the perfect visual marriage to the song. The camera moves slowly paced melodies create an uncomfortable sensation and snake-like, producing a video that provides a couple of shocking reveals and a juicy coda feel that song produces. It finds Jones, as a scorned '50s housewife, floats alone in a boat with a blood-speckled oar at her feet. The crime of passion, by a jealous lover, is deliberately laid out, though we never know for sure the method. However, the video solves that mystery.

Phillip Phillips continues his journey and gets his first-ever striking clip to support his debut single and coronation song "Home," since he captured the American Idol crown in May. "Home" is expected to appear in Phillips' upcoming contractually obligated album which is yet to be titled. And it couldn't come at a better time, considering this powerful “Home” video has been used as a official theme song for the 2012 US Olympic Women's Gymnastic Team.
With certified gold, it's the most successful American Idol winner's first single since Kelly Clarkson and the Coldplay-esque tune “Home,” is enjoying a second life on the charts thanks to the Olympics since the song's popularity resurfaced when it was used during the Olympics. So the release of the video is both timely and genius of producers. "The triumphant track is easily the coolest, most relevant song ever used as a reality TV coronation song, which have a tendency to be horrifyingly embarrassing.
"I don’t write songs like that,” Phillips told reporters of the track. “It's a very good song and I'm glad people enjoyed it, but I'm itching to do my own stuff." The triumphant track scratches a particular itch for a return to acoustic-based instrumentation and "organic" approach to recording and mixing. That's how the other folk-inspired acts next to rock best-sellers on radio and the charts. There's a demand for vocal-front, melody-front songs with roots instruments that is being met. Phillips may just be poised to break the Idol curse that has plagued several of the past winners.
As for the Joseph Toman-directed video, it's actually a real video and set up like a documentary that combines performance footage of Phillips and general everyday life footage includes some candid moments in homey settings. The fairly straight-forward affair that follows the crooner from Georgia strumming his guitar and looking pensive as he hits the road and travels the country performing in live concerts at various gigs. Phillips is laid back and dressed casually throughout most of the video, and his girlfriend Hannah Blackwell also appeared in the video

Pitbull has decided to tap another internationally renowned pop star, Shakira, for a sexy new video "Get it Started," the first cut comes off of the entertainer's next seventh full-length, "Global Warming," which is due in the United States on September 28. The 31-year-old rapper, who began his artistic career as a teenager on the Miami rap scene, is one of the hottest commodities in music this summer.
The dance-pop song that blends a dance beat and up-tempo verses with a slowed-down, piano-driven pop chorus with a pummeling synth instrumental to back the Latin-rap heavyweight's high-energy verses. "Get It Started" continues Pitbull's journey through the club, and Shakira shows up to provide the heart-wrung hook their third time collaboration, emoting as the beat breaks off into a subtle stomp before quickly returning in full force seconds later.
The video was directed by David Russo, and it opened with some action-packed "The Bourne Legacy"-esque shots of Pitbull and a sexy brunette, the espionage-themed video centers on the Florida rapper who channels his inner spy and gets involved in a dangerous car chase when trying to save a lovely brunette lady from someone who looks like a mob boss. The Latin diva Shakira, meanwhile, is never seen sharing a scene with him. Looking gorgeous in a golden gown, the Colombian songstress is featured singing alone on a balcony while the sun shines through her blond hair.
The video plays much like a movie, is closed with scenes featuring Pitbull's concert which is packed with a lot of hot girls. Fireworks are seen bursting in the night sky as the concertgoers dance to the Latin rapper's song. The only storyline we can honestly gather from the video is that Pitbull is trying to make sure his lady friend isn't cheating on him, and the slicked-back-hair badasses have been charged with acting as enforcer. Of course, being Mr. Worldwide, this sly woman can't escape Pitbull’s reach.

Justin Bieber leaves behind his "Baby" days and shows some growing up in the brand-new video for his R&B and dubstep summer single "As Long As You Love Me," as a promotional single and the second single from his third studio album, "Believe," and is about the trials and tribulations young lovers would go through to be together. The five-plus-minute short film is gritty and quite dramatic.
"As Long as You Love Me," featuring rapper Big Sean, is Bieber's first foray into dubstep. Canadian pop star persuaded producer Rodney Jerkins to add the dubstep-heavy sonics after a trip to London, where the bass-driven type of electronic music is all over the radio. Bieber testifies how true love can overcome all circumstances on this "Believe" electro jam and it's a far cry from Bieber's "Baby" days, both literally and figuratively.
The 18-year-old singer teamed up again with director Anthony Mandler, who tones down the excess in favor of a genuine grittiness. Unlike the subtle maturity in Bieber's first "Boyfriend" clip which look like child's play. If that clip was a fantasy ride, well, then this gritty new mini-film for "As Long As You Love Me," is a reality trip. Adulthood isn't all fun and games, after all. This generation's superstar is trying making it known that he can be more than just a teen idol, and he makes that point with his latest video.
Part tragic love story, part pulpy thriller, the new video finds Bieber flexing his acting muscles opposite Kill Bill actor Michael Madsen, who plays an overprotective father who violently objects to Bieber dating his daughter. Of course, given that this is a tragedy, Bieber doesn't listen, and the couple then sets out to meet at a train station, but daddy dearest becomes privy to their late-night getaway and throws down until bruised and bloodied and drags his daughter away from Bieber, leaving a sad ending.

Despite the controversy, Nicki Minaj isn't planning to slow down this summer. She goes home and parades down the streets of her native Trinidad in her latest Carnivàle-themed colorful video for the pop-leaning song, "Pound the Alarm." The RedOne-produced dance number serves as the second mainstream single and fourth single overall from the 29-year-old Rapper's platinum selling, "Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded."
"Pound the Alarm" is a techno, electronic dance and rave influenced song, and sonically edgier. "It's got the pop element, but it's got some hard-core elements, some dance underground elements," RedOne told MTV News. The "let's get wasted at the club" fist-pumper finds Minaj singing about filling her "glass up a little more" before getting up and burning "this floor" as a preliminary to a one-night stand. The perfect trunk rattler to blast from your pink Barbie Bentley, with booming synths that build to a brain-numbing epiphany.
Directed by Benny Boom who did an excellent job capturing Trinidad's energy and colorful landscape, the bouncy and brightly-colored affair is infectious that brings Minaj to her native Trinidad with a full compliment of confetti canons and features a festive carnival theme. Sporting a gang of platinum blond spirals and a black, red, and white bejeweled Carnival outfit replete with crimson plumes, Minaj makes her homeland pride known. The femcee leads a posse of similarly decked-out dancers through the streets of St. James to a raucous outdoor bash reminiscent of the world-famous Trinidad and Tobago Carnival.
In between spitting lines about being a "bad bitch," the rapper reclaims her spot on the dance floor, thanks to the song's beat-heavy production. The shimmering, summery vibe of the video perfectly complements the bouncy track. When the sun sets and night falls on Trinidad, the fireworks explode and the party isn't even close to ending. But when the dust settles, Minaj is left cleaning up the mess her crew left behind. As she walks through the rubble of the bash, her silhouette, up against the moonlight, proves that she is the baddest in all of Trinidad.

Holding us over until his vocal chords gets back in tip-top shape, John Mayer released his new music video for his latest ditty, "Queen of California," the second single from his fifth studio album, "Born and Raised," which marks yet another change in Mayer's musical style, incorporating musical elements of folk and Americana that take influences from Bob Dylan, Neil Young, David Crosby and Graham Nash.
The track, a mildly country vibe, is a bit folkier than his usual bluesy, jazzy style, harkening back to the AM radio sounds of the 1970s. "Queen of California" also references Joni Mitchell, is cut straight from the Laurel Canyon of the early 70s with its gentle, acoustic start, a loose, jammy veneer and honey-sweet harmonies. Describing the song as a "relieving breath of fresh air," Mayer told NPR that the tune is about "being able to have a hopeful vibe about something again.
Mayer worked with director Sam Jones in capturing a natural set, which appears to be one long continuous take in which the 34-year-old singer crooner enduring a variety of weather phenomenons and musical happenings as he makes his way from the cold northern region to greener pastures and a warmer SoCal climate, including the snow-capped Rocky Mountains and New York City's hustle and bustle. That is until he finally reunites with his band on the set of the music video for the song.
The blues rocker goes through his own westward expansion on this low-key video, which matches the laidback feel of the song, and he's never made a leisurely stroll through scenery look more poignant, let alone visually arresting. Mayer is still trying to recover from a vocal injury that has forced him to take an indefinite hiatus from live performances. According to the singer's Tumblr blog, he is going in for surgery at the end of August. He adds, "but I'm excited to get back to it next year."