Today's Pick

Gavin DeGraw celebrates strong women and goes to the roller derby in the music video for his new song, "Fire," the one of three new tracks off his new greatest hits album, "Finest Hour: The Best of Gavin DeGraw," which is released today. Sometimes, work has you feeling tense. Where do you go to relieve that tension? For the ladies in this DeGraw's video, it's on the roller-derby rink, as the 37-year-old singer pays tribute to an under-appreciated female sport.
Produced by Max Martin and Shellback, "Fire" is simply vintage DeGraw. The catchy little number's music video fits in with the spirit of the song, as the lyrics serve as an inspirational message of rising above the competition. The clip is centered around three professional women who work hard and play hard. We see a female firefighter, doctor and an architect beat down by the stresses of their job. But after a long day, they're not ready to call it a night.
The three professional meet up in a locker room where it's revealed that they are team members for a women's roller derby team. They're fierce competitors and in the name of teamwork, look after one another during their matchup with another team. As DeGraw sings, we see three women going through their days, but longing for 5pm to roll around so they can go off and do what they really love. Next, we see them in a locker room, stripping down and suiting up with other women for their true love: roller derby.
As they put on their helmets and take to the rink, DeGraw sings, "Let's start a riot tonight/ A pack of lions tonight/ In this world, he who stops, won't get anything he wants/ Play like the top one percent/ Till nothing's left to be spent/ We don't care, we won't stop, call your mothers, call the cops/ We are the champions." Then, we see DeGraw in the stands, watching the roller derby match, interspersed with shots of him playing the piano on his own, and performing with his band. At the end of the clip, all three women are back at their day jobs.

Thanks to an addictive retro R&B beat, lyrics about a healthy body image, and an equally viral music video, Meghan Trainor is "All About that Bass" became an unexpected hit of the summer. Not bad considering Trainor is a 20-year-old Nashville singer-songwriter from Nantucket, Massachusetts, who got her start penning tracks for Rascal Flatts. Yet, if the record industry had its way, no one would have heard her debut single. With its throwback soul beat, its body-positive message couched in a cute metaphor, and its dance-filled, candy-colored video, Trainor's "All About That Bass" couldn't have been better designed to go viral.
Now Trainor has officially reached the top of Billboard's Hot 100 with "All About That Bass," which dethrones Taylor's Swift's "Shake It Off." This makes her the second female artist this year to do so with a debut song. (The other would be Iggy Azalea with her song of the summer "Fancy.") In a recent interview with ET, Trainor opened up about the positive-body image message behind the song: It doesn't matter what your body type is, as long as you know how to work what you've got. "I'm glad a lot of the comments I've gotten are about [girls'] eating disorders and how my song saved them - which is crazy, but amazing."
With its blend of country, pop, early '60s girl-group harmonies and throwback rock 'n' roll ode, has just the type of unique sound to break through the EDM rut radio seems to be stuck in. "All About That Bass" reinforces the idea that female bodies exist for men's pleasure, and that being desired by a man is crucial to a woman's self-worth. It says it's all about that bass, but it seems it's really all about the boys. "I wrote this song because I myself struggle with this concept of self-acceptance. It was written from a real place so I’m glad that other people can relate to it," Trainor sayd.
Directed by Fatima Robinson, the adorable pastel-ridden-pink video stars Trainor and a sassy troupe of dancers who have no trouble flaunting "all the right junk in all the right places." It also features Vine celebrity Sione Maraschino, a guy who has no problem shaking it along with the best of the ladies. They groove and flaunt what they've got as they campaign to "bring the booty back," and put an end to the unattainable standards of the beauty industry. Watch below, and let Trainor assure you, she "won't be no stick figure silicon Barbie doll, so if that's what you're into then go on and move along."

Ed Sheeran premiered the dance-driven music video for his beat-driven slice of funk lite "Don't," the official second single from the British singer-songwriter's eclectic sophomore album, "X." Though Sheeran's latest single, "Don't," was inspired by a bitter breakup, the singer has taken a more optimistic approach with the track's new video. Directed by Emil Nava, the clip focuses on one dancer's journey from poverty to wealth, as he limberly pops and locks his way from the ghetto to a mansion.
The Benny Blanco and Rick Rubin co-produced mid-tempo "Don't," the biting cheating anthem is all about a ex-girlfriend who cheated on Sheeran, and moving seamlessly through life. Sheeran almost didn't include "Don't" on the final cut of "X," as he felt it was "a bit too personal." Label and friends ultimately convinced Sheeran. He opened up to Rolling Stone about the song's origins, saying the funky cut was inspired by a real-life romance with another singer who slept with one of Sheeran's close friends while they were staying in the same hotel. But despite internet rumors, the track wasn't written about Taylor Swift, a songwriter known for penning tracks of romantic revenge.
Despite the song's downer lyrics about a celebrity breakup and betrayal, being packed with a pile of attitude and a sprinkle of revenge, the video delivers a cheerier vibe with a rags-to-riches story about a guy who dances his way to the top. Played by the 25-year-old sinewy hip-hop dancer Phillip Chbeeb, aka PacMan, who was a season 5 contestant on "So You Think You Can Dance," and steals the show in a rags-to-riches saga, as he springs into action, locking, popping, high-stepping and levitating up the social ladder and make his way through the city of Los Angeles until he's ensconced in a mansion.
The video opens with Chbeeb sleeping outside on a weather-beaten mattress, but once Sheeran's soulful falsetto kicks in, he wakes up by a shack, and begins his epic dance voyage. After some quick breakdancing, the man walks into his house and puts on a shirt; from there, he slips in and out of several increasingly nice homes. While he's back in the streets doing his routines, he's checked out by Sheeran from his window as he passes by in a black SUV. And he finally arrives at a fancy mansion, where he finds a nice suit to wear, shows off some Matrix-styled moves, and sits by the grand table to enjoy a massive Thanksgiving-style feast.

Jason Mraz is back with a music video for the tender song "Love Someone," the lead-off single from the 37-year-old San Diego singer-songwriter's newly released fifth studio album, "Yes!" The 14-song release promised a purely acoustic and more intimate sound. The New Age-minded musician does believe that saying "yes" to other things can open an internal door to creativity, and he tries to say "yes" about things in his own life.
"Love Someone" isn't about a specific personal relationship; instead, the love in question is a more general feeling of being lucky, especially as relates to music. "When I let go in a song I feel like the mental chatter, anything that might show up as doubt or fear, that tends to fall away," Mraz says. "You just lock into one beautiful thing, which I feel is love, and when I sing to someone or with someone I feel that's giving the love away. You get it back in return with how amazing you feel." Mraz sure knows how to make love melodic.
He teamed up with the all-female eclectic rock-folk group, Raining Jane, for "Love Someone," and Mraz wrote it with the lady quartet while walking down a dirt road in Virginia with a small herd of goats. "We all grabbed an instrument and we're walking down the road just making things up," Mraz told Radio.com. "That's really what songwriting is. It's taking risks and making things up and seeing what sticks. It was an observation of how wonderful love is," he added. "When you give it away it comes back to you immediately. It really is what gives us life."
The clip truly captures what it means to fall head over heels for a life partner and the progression of a relationship from its early, carefree stages to the days when having that special person by your side. Zoom in on house at night, Mraz quietly strums on his guitar and backed by his flawless band of lady angels in all white while scenes of couples at varying ages flash on screen. The story follows a couple throughout their relationship and the great lengths it takes to maintain a special bond. Feel the joy, laughter, and tears - mixed with a whole lot of heart in the sweet video.

Remember when ABC Family used ZZ Ward's soulful title track "Til The Casket Drops" in the haunting promo for their smash hit series "Pretty Little Liars" Season 3 in 2012? Well, the network has once again turned to the talented crooner by tapping Ward's new single, "Last Love Song," and to set the mood for the upcoming Summer Season 5, which returns on Tuesday, June 10th. Be sure to tune in for a crazy time, dolls! Along with the exciting ad placement, Ward's emotional single has also received a proper music video, premiering exclusively on Billboard.com.
Penned by Ward herself, and produced by Ryan Tedder and his OneRepublic band mate Brent Kutzle, "Last Love Song" is the third single and a highlight from pop-rock singer-songwriter's debut album, "Til The Casket Drops." Lyrically, it finds her singing about a post-relationship retrospective. The breakup ballad is easily the most heart-wrenching of the three. It pulls the emotional strings in this stirring and chill-inducing song, making it the perfect fit for the ups and downs of the popular characters' relationship.
Basically, the emotional charged guitar driven number is suitably romantic with Ward's raw-soulful vocals and bittersweet lyrics. In a recently interview with Ward, she stated that she chose "Last Love Song" as the next single because it would show fans her more vulnerable side, and she was right. "I'm so excited about the video for 'Last Love Song,'" says the musically gifted songbird. "Its message is something I think a lot of people can relate to. I wanted to convey that message and the song's raw emotion in a way that would connect with my fans just as much as the music and lyrics do."
Filmed in both Los Angeles and San Francisco with director Joseph Toman, and the beautiful black-and-white clip for "Last Love Song," is beautiful in its simplicity, showing a more vulnerable side to the sultry, soul-rocker's raw and vulnerable breakup ballad and gives the first glimpse at Ward without her signature fedora. The heartrendering clip also makes perfect sense when placed next to Pretty Little Liars' ongoing saga that chronicle the roller coaster love story between Aria Montgomery (Lucy Hale) and Ezra Fitz (Ian Harding).

With her Freddie Gibbs ("Criminal") and Kendrick Lamar ("Cryin’ Wolf") assisted genre-blending debut album "Til the Casket Drops" still receiving plays around since last October, the buzzing blue-eyed soul singer ZZ Ward drops off the official video to her Hip-Hop influenced album's closing track, "365 Days." An eclectic and innovative performer, Ward's mix of backporch blues and gritty hip-hop beats has been resonating with both fans and critics alike.
The song "365 Days," written by Ward, showcases her soulful voice, keyboard prowess and echoes a sentiment of empowerment as a bad relationship fizzles, making the song not only relatable but a fan favorite. Ward herself said "'365 Days' was the perfect song to end my record with. It's about waiting around for someone too long. JP Keller's (from Blended Babies) guitar solo ends the song with a perfected clumsiness it's right on the edge of falling apart. They really think about the story when they produce, just like it my lyrics, and it shows."
On Booth debut "Lil Darlin'," featured back in November of 2012, Ward pleaded with her man to "please, please, please quite draggin' [her] heart through them coals." Evidently he didn't listen; sick of waiting on him to change, the Hollywood Records signee unceremoniously cuts him loose on the newly-released "365 Days." The Blended Babies' rhythmic piano chords back Ward as she shows her two-timing fella the door, delivering her kiss-offs in a smoky vocal style sure to elicit a few comparisons to Adele. Ward soulfully takes to the streets with her grand piano in this optical illusion of a music video for "365 Days."
Featuring some trippy, Inception-esque special effects, the Ramon & Pedro-directed official visuals offer an imaginative illustration of the record's theme and shows a poised Ward as the relationship spirals (literally) to its end as the Oregon-born singer playing the keys on the sunny streets while the city stays buzzing. The video plays back a year in the dysfunctional relationship—making excuses for your man over and over and over so many times that it literally has you spinning on your head. Don't get dizzy watching this one, and we hope we're never on the wrong side of the breakup with this girl.

Gavin DeGraw premiered his new video for his latest single, "Best I Ever Had," the lead single from the golden-voiced singer's upcoming fifth studio album, still untitled, which is the followup to his 2011 release "Sweeter," and is scheduled for release this fall via RCA Records and Sony Music Entertainment. The 36-year-old is back in action with one of the most up-tempo tunes of his music career and "Best I Ever Had" takes you for a joyride from the first thump of the bass drum to the last strum of the guitar. The video like the song itself, it's a little fast and frantic, with a bit of romance thrown in.
Instead of composing a few tunes alone and co-writing the rest, the musician enlisted the help of other songwriters on every single track for his new album. Working with artists like Boys Like Girls' frontman Martin Johnson and OneRepublic frontman Ryan Tedder. Outside the comfort zone of his past hits, DeGraw served up a foot stompin', heart felt, in your face single in "Best I Ever Had," which moves to the rhythm of a pounding kickdrum, galloping guitar and a horn section that recalls contemporary folk-leaning artists like Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros and Of Monsters & Men.
The song shows a clear evolution to his sound by adding a melody closer to folk rock, whose style may remind the English band Mumford & Sons. A perfect mix between folk and country music. This tribute to life on the road was co-written by himself with the collaboration of Martin Johnson, who also produced the track, the song moves to the rhythm of a brisk stomping beat. "I'm sitting in the room with Martin Johnson, the guy I'd been writing with before who's really gifted, and he's like, 'Hey man, what do you think of this track?'" DeGraw recalled to Billboard magazine. "He just starts playing this jangle-y, uptempo kind of thing, which ultimately was the foundation for 'Best I Ever Had.'"
Filmed in early July and was directed by Shane Drake, The song's official music video is full of fast cuts, preachy images, to crazy out of control country beats. The fast-paced visuals for "Best I Ever Had," finds DeGraw getting close to the 2013 Miss USA titleholder, Erin Brady who plays his love interest, as DeGraw sings in front of a screen with changing images that reflect and fit the song's rapid-fire tumble of lyrics for most of the video, while shots of Miss USA. of her in a field are scattered in the video. The end of the video features DeGraw being kissed by Brady. The video is enough to bring the folk and country-inspired song to life.

Gavin DeGraw is honoring everyday heroes in the new music video for his love-as-a-battlefield anthem, "Soldier," the third single from his remarkable latest fourth studio album, "Sweeter," which is more radio-ready, heart-on-the sleeve pop that is pleasant enough but feels too inconsequential for an artist four records into his career. The video builds to a climax as the group gathers for a silent march with candles in hand with the meaningful message.
DeGraw definitely has a female-friendly reputation as a lover, not a fighter. But he's got more moxie than his image might suggest. The 35-year-old acclaimed pop-rock and adult contemporary musician is an excellent singer, with a hint of grit in his tenor that tips power ballads like "Soldier" toward soul music. The devoted love anthem was described by DeGraw as a "really beautiful sentiment." This potential wedding song finds DeGraw promising his girl everlasting love, and when she needs someone he'll always be there fighting for her. "Soldier" sounds just a little too tailor-made to serenade tuxes and gowns with its promises of eternal protection.
DeGraw does make further attempts at breaking away from his constrained, melodic pop rock other than the album's title track. "Soldier" is a soulful, rousing number that really shows off the dexterity of DeGraw's vocals, simply relying on a clapping beat and the ever present piano. It is by no means a drastic departure, but it is evidence of DeGraw approaching his sound with more thought than ever before. The racier moments are balanced out by more emotionally transparent songs like the uplifting "Soldier." which convey vulnerability while still managing to feel distinctly masculine.
Despite its title, DeGraw's "Soldier" is not about war, but instead deals with going the extra mile to help someone you love. The Carl Diebold-directed video picks up on that theme by shining the spotlight on regular folks doing heroic things for people in need. DeGraw is seen playing piano in the rain and singing, "When you get worried, I'll be your soldier," but the focus is on the cast of heroes. Among those featured are a few extraordinary yet incredibly regular people who are leading by example. They're fire fighters, people caring for ill family members and school teachers - the soldiers you sometimes forget to thank but DeGraw is making sure you remember their good deeds.

Ed Sheeran tackles the concept of giving love versus receiving love in an angelic new video for his melodic folk-pop tune, "Give Me Love," the sixth and final single from his hugely successful debut studio album "+," which hits the airwaves last September, and since then, the 21-year-old British star has swiftly built up a devoted international fanbase and collaborated with two of the biggest acts in the pop world, One Direction and Taylor Swift. And now he giving fans another hopelessly romantic song.
Sheeran's musical career was not taking off how he would have liked. That is, until Sheeran met singer-actor Jamie Foxx who took an interest in the songwriter as well as his music. He cares about in his own life, performing with a "soft toned, flexible voice" with a hip-hop theme and laying down of "+:" "I started recording in January in a friend's garden shed in Suffolk. I wanted to keep that organic lo-fi feel. I've got the rest of my life to make an album in a swish studio. This time round I wanted to stay true to the sound that's got me this far."
"Give Me Love," came through late in the recording process, penned by Sheeran, along with songwriters Jake Gosling and Chris Leonard, is tells a story not of falling in love, but of love lost and a message of hope that we can find love in others despite our shortcomings. Sheeran explained: "That's an important song for me. It's got a more fleshed-out sound, which I think is where I'm headed in future." He added: "It's about a relationship that fell apart and you're asking for it to be put back together. Most people get to a point where they drink themselves into a dark corner in that situation. It's that point of view."
Directed by Emil Nava, the brilliantly powerful storyline based visual revolves around a beautiful girl who becomes cupid. Follows the life of a modern day, the clip features a lonely Sheeran drinking coffee in a diner while an angel wanders through the city at night. Australian actress Isabel Lucas plays the Cupid-like angel and went around making people fall in love by shooting them with an arrow. In spite of her gift for bringing others together, her loneliness brings her to a tragic end.

ASCAP award-winning singer-songwriter Jason Reeves is back with a beautiful music video for his duet with Nelly Joy, "More In Love With You," the first official single from his newest third full-length album, "Songs Are Silent Films," which is out since June 12th. The record will be available through the artist's own abeautifularmyoftrees label both digitally and physically.
Reeves started on piano at the age of five, took up drums for awhile, and taught himself to play guitar when he was a teenager. Grounded in the music of great songwriters like Bob Dylan and James Taylor, he has since won an ASCAP award as a songwriter himself. He has an incredible voice for slow and folk music. Famous for singles such as "Skydive," "Save My Heart," and tracks featuring Colbie Caillat, "Droplets and No Lies," he is now becoming famous at age 28, not bad for a guy who self-produced album while finishing high school in Iowa.
With his newest solo release, "Songs Are Silent Films," Reeves returns to a stripped-down approach to his songwriting. Each song intertwines acoustic guitars with piano to create unforgettable melodies that form the album's eleven tracks. "I wanted to go back to the basics," affirms Reeves. "Each song becomes its own little movie that you can imagine seeing. There's not necessarily an overarching story per se, but all of these songs are written about falling in love."
Written with frequent collaborator Danelle Leverett of the JaneDear Girls and featuring her alter ego Nelly Joy on vocals, the sun-soaked ballad, "More in Love with You," is a classic love story and it echoes the best of classic Nashville finger-picked guitar with a modern touch of soulful harmonies and lyrics for which Reeves has become known. The video was directed by Nathanael Matanick, and was shot in the hills of Tennessee on the brink of spring.

After dropping the visual for his cover of Whitney Houston tribute "Exhale," Robin Thicke keeping things grown and sexy, and decides to release the official video for another sexy slow jam, "All Tied Up," the third single off of his fifth 2011 effort "Love After War." The 35-year-old entertainer spends a lot of time pondering romantic turmoil, but he's at his best when he reverts to classic loverman form: squeezing gentle bossa nova chords on his acoustic guitar, and letting his feathery upper register do the dirty work.
During an interview with Chelsea Handler on Chelsea Lately, Thicke explained that he wrote this song after his actress wife, Paula Patton, refused to have sex with him one week when she was busy on set. "I was losing my mojo," he revealed. "I was taking care of the baby - we have a new year-and-a-half-old son, Julian... After a week or so, I wasn't gettin' none... I was like, I need to make a song that's gonna put her in some lingerie." Hear the panty-dropping crooner hit all the high notes above.
We were full-on expecting sexy ladies sexily tied up in sexy ropes and sailors knots in Thicke's latest visual. But the only thing tied up here is a shoelace, but that doesn't mean the kinky Duets judge didn't bring the titillation. The video is giving you exactly the naughtiness that the title suggests. The "Duets" star keeps it simple, sultry and sensual in the artistic black-and-white shots featuring him and some lovely eye candy getting close.
Heats up the screen in his new steamy video, the R&B crooner strips shirtless to show off what his wife Paula Patton has been working wit. He even breaks from his normal falsetto that he's known for and seduces with his alto range while he getting up close, bumping, grinding, petting heavily and becoming increasingly naked with a smoking hot supermodel for comfort. Peek into their intimate escapade. "All Tied Up," is going to make you wanna explore your sexuality immediately but in a safe, consensual way, obviously!

The blue-eyed soul sensation Kendra Morris takes the cinematic approach to the visual for her latest summer slow jam, "If You Didn't Go," the second single from the soulful siren's forthcoming LP, "Banshee," due out late summer. Morris oozes soulful vibes that gently melt against nostalgic production but are her ambient vocals enough to cast a spell over you?
The NYC soulstress is back and is as soulful as ever. "For some reason, a lot of my life has revolved around recording in closets and tiny spaces," laughs Morris. You'll hear tinges of Amy Winehouse, Alicia Keys and Erykah Badu mixed in with 60s soul; what comes out is purely and uniquely Morris, a stand out young crooner from the big apple. Morris' rich and mighty voice is a courier to a world where story telling is the only means for passing on life's lessons, humor, and drama. Her real strength lies in combining mysticism and the strange emotions invoked by the human spirit.
"If You Didn't Go" has vintage motown vibe that slows the pace into a deeper and lush string laden ballad is reminiscent of the days of late 60's early 70's blue-eyed soul. It's a gorgeously dissonant downtempo cut that's the perfect soundtrack for a sad, sun-dappled desert day. "'If You Didn't Go' is an extremely visual song and from the day I penned the first word and heard the first vocal melody I had warm colors set in my mind," she shared. The mellowed out 70's R&B-Soul vibe that she mastered so well. Pure soul. Turn it up.
Morris goes through make-ups and break-ups and deals with the loss of a lover in Jacob Arden McClure-directed new clip. Shot in washed-out yellows with the appealingly grimy backdrop of wind turbines, run-down motels, and vintage cars, the desert-set video set on a deserted highway, Morris portrays a feisty woman who, after an argument with her lover, takes a long walk down the road to reflect on their troubled relationship. The highly melodic, syncopated and simply sparse song grooves along well with visuals.

Robin Thicke hits the dessert and adds a touch of old Hollywood charm to the video for his Lil Wayne-assisted single "Pretty Lil' Heart," the second single off soul crooner's fifth album "Love After War." The R&B's leading man channels the late actor James Dean in the Marc Klasfeld-directed clip, which was filmed at a motel in the desert, as he lies down beside a toy monkey playing the cymbals, the cinematic sounds of old time movies echos before his rapper pal, Wayne jumps on the beat.
Thicke, 34, shows what could go wrong in the life of someone who has it all. "The inspiration behind this song was really just about when you're in a relationship and you're faced with all the challenges of temptation and attraction to other people, how can you trust when you're not with that other person they're doing you right?" Thicke tries to embody a little bit of that old cinematic charm, the golden age of Hollywood, and try to capture a little bit of that and put it into some soul music.
The cinematic visuals were inspired by a modernized '50s vibe. "I'm a big movie fan, especially of old movies. So I really wanted to embody a little bit of that old cinematic charm, the golden age of Hollywood, and try to capture a little bit of that and put it into some soul music," he shared about the video concept, "I think that we all have those fears and this video is about some of those fears being realized in a fantasy realm, almost in a dream-like state, and yet we still are telling the one we love, don't worry I got you, I only wanna be with you."
The video's playful opening offers a softer side of Thicke as he hangs out with a mechanical monkey toy. After a featured rap from Wayne, the cinematic-like story reveals montages of the singer playing a modern Marlon-Brando-meets-James-Dean character. If that image doesn't make you sweat profusely, you also get Thicke in a white tank top, he strumming his guitar from bed, and wowing a crowd while playing the piano in a lounge on center stage. Throughout the video, the L.A. native gets close to a handful of women, all while reminding them not to worry their "pretty lil' heart" because he's a one-gal kinda guy.

Longtime friends and collaborators Jason Reeves and Colbie Caillat have finally teamed up for their duet track "No Lies" from Reeves's new album "The Lovesick," which features an "edgier" sound that showcases Reeves's unique blend of modern folk and pop sensibilities. Reeves has crafted an elegantly entrancing pop masterpiece that's as hypnotic as it is heartbreaking. Reeves pens songs with a mastery a la Bob Dylan and a sense of wonder reminiscent of Coldplay. He's made an incredible, infectious opus that anyone can feel after just one listen.
Much like the rest of the songs on "The Lovesick," "No Lies" combines folk-style guitars and Pop/Hip-Hop undertones, is one of those quintessential songs of devotion, which Reeves sings with a yearning ease. Shot in the scenic hills of Malibu and Santa Barbara, the Nathanael Matanik-directed video is a tasty-sweet ending to one long summer. It features the two pop darlings writing love notes to each other across a rocky beach landscape in separate scenes, with Reeves sitting under a tree in an empty valley while Caillat appears on a beach, each writing letters to one another. The two ultimately collide on the same beach, where they exchange their letters and read them side by side, with the final frame focusing in on the duo's matching foot tattoos.
"This is the first music video Colbie and I have shot together after all these years of writing and singing together and I'm very excited about that! We went back to the places along the California coast where we wrote our first songs and used to hang out when I had just moved there from Iowa," Reeves told AOL Music. "This song has that perfect tension that makes a duet work and I love that the video is in a way a confrontation. She is my lost-girl sister and there will never be somebody with a voice quite like hers again."
"'No Lies' is my favorite song of his," Caillat also tells AOL Music. "The realness in this song opened my eyes with a wake-up call, a beautiful wake-up call. Every person has felt this way before, and should always remember to live honestly. This song even helped inspire my album title 'All Of You.' Shooting this video in my home town of Malibu, Calif. with my lost-boy brother was such a fun day. Waking up before sunrise to start shooting, eating breakfast at our favorite beach, getting in trouble by security guards... felt like kids again."

In the past few years, Iowa native Jason Reeves has worked his way from college dropout to accomplished one of the top indie singer-songwriters. Reeves is now getting ready for the release of his follow-up album, "The Lovesick," which features tracks co-written by Kara DioGuardi and is due out this winter. The first solo single, "Helium Hearts," was made available by digital retailers on August 17 and will impact radio on September 20. The "Helium Hearts" Tour begins August 26 in Seattle, and will stop in more than 30 cities across the States.
The 26-year-old Iowa native explained the inside story of the latest single: "This song is a fairytale set on fire. It is a daydream lit by the brightest sunbeam on earth. And I was madly in love with at least the idea of love when I wrote it, seen hiding in the eyes of the ghost of a gorgeous girl. I always write when I'm burning alive. Whether it's in pain or bliss or bewildered confusion. The idea of having helium hearts is a very simple but hopefully powerful metaphor for the way falling in love seems to lift us up and away from the madness of this world. To a place where everything is as surreal and mysterious as it ever could be. It's as if we're floating up into the sky away from a city that is being engulfed in silence by flames."
"This song was stumbled upon like almost all of my songs, like a secret golden pond found just over a hidden hill when I'm dying of thirst in an endless desert, and its light was caught and reflected from the pure and joyous exuberant bliss of real life potential love," Reeves continues. "I never set out to write songs like this -- they come like rare miracles through my brightest emotions. This is a song about wildfire love, written at its brink. And the video is intended to capture that feeling, even if only in the form of a glimmer." The video for "Helium Hearts" is as lighthearted as the song. It opens with Reeves greeting his girlfriend with a bundle of heart-shaped balloons, and the pair then wanders all over Los Angeles distributing them to strangers. The lyrics to "Helium Hearts" are also reflected in the video, with the young lovers wanting to share their joy with as many people as possible.
When a teenage Reeves encountered the works of Bob Dylan and James Taylor, it set off a chain of events. First he began working on his own songwriting, combining the classic singer/songwriter style with more modern influences like Radiohead and Sufjan Stevens. He then dropped out of college and moved from his native Iowa, eventually landing in California. The second person he met upon arrival was future pop star Colbie Caillat. The two hit it off immediately and it didn't take long for their friendship to turn into a songwriting partnership. Reeves is one of the most sought-after new co-writers around. Yet Reeves is also an artist in his own right, with a fresh honest approach that is rapidly winning fans everywhere. He is one of the best singer/songwriters out there with an incomparable knack for hooky melodies and profound lyrics.

British pop singer Natasha Bedingfield had a pocket full of sunshine, now she's back after a two-year hiatus with her phenomenal new video for "Touch," the Julian Bunetta and Steve Kipner co-production serves as first single from her upcoming fourth studio album "Strip Me," which she announced on her Twitter page earlier this month.
Originally from New Zealand, and grew up in southeast London, the 29-year-old is straight out of the UK school of "pop" pop star: antipodean, Anglophile and enviably attractive. "I'm not interested in lines that go 'blah blah blah.' I want something that provokes me as well as the listener," she said. In the tradition of British female singer-songwriters Annie Lennox and Dido, Bedingfield brings lyrical honesty and vocal clarity to her music: not surprisingly, record buyers throughout Europe and beyond have responded to those qualities in droves.
The dance track starts off reminding us a lot of Temper Tramp's "Sweet Disposition." The verses seem a bit rambling, but the catchy chorus of "we danced, and we laughed, and we touched" wins us over. The song is quintessential Bedingfield. Even though it has conformed to the current dance/electropop trends, it has an upbeat, sunny melody with inspirational vocals that only Bedingfield seems able to pull off. The opening lyrics that mesh with the sequence of images above are, "I was trying to cross the street when I tripped and spilled my coffee on a man who yelled at me, then he walked off in a hurry. Now he's gunna be late for work, so he called his secretary, said to cancel his appointment with the guy in the lobby."
While I find all her music perfectly blends into the background, this one is notable because she has created her very own literal music video! Yes, Bedingfield has taken all the fun out of it for us by creating one herself. Directed by Rich Lee , the video sees Bedingfield singing in front of a projector screen that plays out the lyrics to the song with showing everyone being connected in some way, and with some grainy film footage intercut of people enjoying life. All of which plays out in the most literal way possible, while the train of thought lyrics also call to mind the "In Living Color" spoof on Tracy Chapman.
2010 is all about electrosynths, and Bedingfield definitely knows so. "Touch" is quite a shift from her previous albums, delving more into danceable instrumentals. Actually, the verses are nothing special, but once "Touch" gets to the chorus, Bedingfield's amazing vocal prowess emerges in its full glory and it's so amazingly uplifting that I'm tempted to cut out the chorus and put it on loop for eternity. It almost makes up for the rap-ish verses, but all in all "Touch" is a great track that's keen on keeping our interest until the release of the album, which I hope will be soon because this new direction Bedingfield is headed has smash potential.

"Idol" alum turned country star Danny Gokey is keeping busy these days opening for Sugarland and has a new music video out for his second single, "I Will Not Say Goodbye." The heartfelt ballad, with its compelling portrait of coping with the loss of a loved one, has been one of the most acclaimed tracks from Gokey's debut album, "My Best Days," while the poignant music video made its official premiere this past weekend as part of CMT's Big New Music Weekend. He said the video would be very compelling, and indeed it is. "I'm telling a story from personal experience, but we tell other peoples' stories at the same time."
Featuring a slightly haunting intro, Gokey sings the first verse of this Lari White, Chuck Cannon and Vicky McGehee collaboration like he's wringing out every ounce of emotion in his soul. "I Will Not Say Goodbye" is a song for anyone who lost somebody unexpectedly and doesn't want or care to 'say goodbye' to the one they loved. The lyrics are stronger than the average song of this type and Gokey's vocal performance, which is all in, is a definite show stopper. While completely a contemporary country production, producer Mark Bright's production never gets to be too much or overtakes Gokey’s strong, passionate performance.
His profound loss now acts as the impetus to create a beautiful piece of art in his new single "I Will Not Say Goodbye." The follow-up to "My Best Days Are Ahead of Me," the ballad focuses on the grief and anger that follow such a tragic loss. While many other ballads that tackle the same somber subject matter frequently come across as overly dramatic or theatrical, Gokey's single is laden with an honesty and sincerity that is inherently poignant.
The track starts out simply and organically, allowing Gokey's signature raspy and powerful vocals to create the emotion behind the haunting lyrics. He acts as a storyteller, sharing how life can suddenly change and be taken away within an instant. "I Will Not Say Goodbye" is a stand-out performance for Gokey that allows him to make the transition from being a mere singer to an artist, while also providing a sense of comfort to the countless others in the world who are also dealing with such unimaginable challenges and losses in their own lives.

"Fallin' For You" is the first single from Colbie Caillat's upcoming sophomore album "Breakthrough" set for August 25 release. The pop-ballad song was released today in the US. Colbie explained to Elle that the song is "about falling for a guy I was friends with. We went out on a date and I realized that there was no one else in the room. The room was silent, and I was on this high from it the next day and wrote this song."
Colbie debuted in 2007 with "Coco", which included hit singles "Bubbly", "Realize", and "The Little Things"; She recorded a cover of the song "Kiss the Girl" from The Little Mermaid for Disney's DisneyMania vol.6 CD in May 2008; and also released a song and video for the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics called "Somethin' Special" in August 2008.
"Fallin' For You" is honestly a very simple and mellow song. It really is quite relaxing, and follows well from the strength her other hits like "Bubbly" and her recent duet "Lucky" with Jason Mraz have score. I am very eager to see if Colbie's next record can shine just as well as she can sparkle. When it has came down it, there are honestly very few singers right now that simply touch you in the heart, that aren't all about gimmicks or fancy gloss, just a simple voice of the soul. Colbie has honestly has been one of those few. Since she broke out a couple of years ago with "Coco", she has really made great strides as a singer/songwriter.

Jason Mraz was born June 23, 1977 in Virginia. "I'm Yours" is Jason's international breakthrough came with the release of lead single from his 3rd studio album, "We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things". The song was nominated for Grammy Award for Song of the Year and Best Male Pop Vocal Performance at the 51st Grammy Awards. It was a huge commercial success in the US with it receiving a triple-Platinum certification from the RIAA for sales of over 3 million, and also was successful internationally and topped the charts in New Zealand and Norway.
The music video debuted in March 2008. "I'm Yours" was later featured as the Record of the Week on Scott Mills's BBC Radio One show scheduled on November 10, 2008. Since being added to YouTube it has been viewed over 43 million times before being taken down by YouTube authorities as a violation of copyright.It was filmed in Hawaii (Oahu and Kauaiin)in 2008 with veteran music video director Darren Doane.

Colbie Caillat was born May 28, 1985 in California. "Realize" is the 2nd single from her debut album, "Coco" and was officially released today. The song is an acoustic folk-pop song, where Colbie sings of having feelings for a best friend. Allmusic said "she sings about simple, everyday things in an unassuming manner, letting her melodies and girl-next-door charm carry the day".
The video was filmed in Canada. Colbie and her best friend both left a note for each other, and the two discover that neither is home, and slip their notes under each others doors. Instead of leaving, the friend decides to sit and wait at Colbie's door, and Colbie is shown arriving as the two exchange smiles.
I'm pretty like Colbie's singing style, and have a lot of favorite singles: Battle, Bubbly, Capri, Feelings Show, Kiss The Girl, Magic, Mistletoe, Older, Onde Fire Wire, Oxygen, Tailor Made and The Little Things.