Today's Pick

Pitbull takes girl band G.R.L on tour through the Playboy Mansion in Los Angeles and the Vizcaya Mansion in Miami in the Playboy inspired new music video for his upbeat hit "Wild Wild Love," the newest single off Cuban-American rapper's "Meltdown" EP. Pitbull continues to impress us with all of his hard work as the Miami MC's follow-up single to his global No.1 smash hit "Timber" with Ke$ha, is another blend of rap, EDM and country.
This time, Pitbull teams up with 5 newcomers: Emmalyn Estrada, Simone Battle, Paula Van Oppen, Lauren Bennett and Natasha Slayton, who were formed by choreographer Robin Antin. They were originally intended to to be the new line up of The Pussycat Dolls following their disbandment in 2010. Artin later reformed the quintet as a brand-new group with a different name. One of the G.R.L members, Lauren Bennett, previously featured on LMAFO's smash hit "Party Rock Anthem."
Pitbull, isn't playing this era, who co-wrote this folktronica tune with Dr. Luke, "Wild Wild Love" follows the winning formula of his last cut - incorporating acoustic elements and a lovely vocal from rising girl band G.R.L. The addictive anthem begins with the folk-tinged chorus before Pitbull launches into his rap. He spits rhymes about the usual things, but injects enough humor into the song to overlook the questionable lyrics. Mr. Worldwide is clearly taking one for the team as he surrounds himself with the quintet as a way to introduce them to the world.
The 'wealthy'-themed music video opens at the Playboy mansion, though Hugh Hefner is nowhere in sight. As we see Pitbull channeling Playboy's Hefner while at the Playboy Mansion, and trying to close a business with the G.R.L ladies as as the girls are dressed as playboy bunny business women in some kind of hilarious effort to make the members of G.R.L seem intelligent, who join Pitbull on an exploratory business trip, traveling from the Playboy Mansion to Mr.305's own hometown of Miami, provocatively dancing and singing the whole time! Could G.R.L follow in the footsteps of Pussy Cat Dolls as the next group of fantasy girls to lure us on the dance floor? Only time will tell.

Ellie Goulding gets lost in a forest in the enchanting music video for the ethereal "Beating Heart," one of the many contributions the British songstress that are featured on the "The Divergent: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack," just released this week. "Divergent," the upcoming new teen movie sensation, will open in theaters across the States on March 21. The quirky pop goddess was appearing on MTV's studio with the cast of "Divergent," namely stars Shailene Woodley and Theo James on Wednesday when the official visuals for the tune were given their first outing.
Goulding wrote this song specifically for the film "Divergent," which is an adaptation of Veronica Roth's popular teen novel of the same name, and she also lent three of her "Halcyon "tracks to the film. "'Beating Heart' is about being away from someone or knowing that you're always going to have to be apart from someone that you really love," Goulding has told MTV News. "And it's painful, but it's hopeful because there's always a chance that they'll collide again like two people collide. Like the universe will bring them back together. I think the song is basically that. Sort of relying on the fact that if you're meant to be drawn back together you will be."
The 27-year-old star also provided the "musical voice" for lead character Tris Prior (played by Shailene Woodley). "For me, the movie is about a young woman finding herself, transforming herself and becoming powerful on a societal stage," explains director Neil Burger. "It's an intimate, personal portrait, but on a grand scale. Ellie's music has that very intimate quality. You are in the heart of her characters, in their souls, in their minds. When she sings her voice resonates inside you. Her music was a perfect way to do all that for Tris—to feel what she was feeling inside."
In the nearly four-minute visuals, Goulding singing the song while walking around and wandering through a forest , and she's not sure where she's going. Dressed in a lovely short silk black dress, she will eventually face her lover who is also sporting a Dauntless fire tattoo, matching hers, inspired by the dystopian movie. With the dark hues and magical forest atmosphere, it's like we've stepped back into the Twilight days, sans sparking vampires. By the end, she wants to feel his beating heart, finally meeting her tempter face-to-face.

Following the breakout success of "Wake Me Up" single, the Swedish producer Avicii has released a heartstring-pulling and touching tribute to the troops video for his latest single, "Hey Brother," which features uncredited vocals from American bluegrass singer Dan Tyminski, is the third single from Avicii's debut studio album, "True." Avicii's success this year has been well documented, from the young Swede being deemed a "global marketing machine," in part due to high-profile endorsements from the likes of Ralph Lauren, Sony and Macy's.
Inspired by music from the 2000 movie "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" "Hey Brother" has the traditional Avicii feel and is not afraid to cross into a variety of musical genres. Avicii is gaining something a reputation for churning out epic videos, so the stakes are high for worldwide smash “Hey Brother”. Happily, it looks like Swede has struck gold again. At least if the patriotic military-themed preview is any indication. The "Hey Brother" video takes on a passionate and patriotic theme, and expresses a lot of emotional aspects and themes by being simple and focusing on the main character.
In order to create a genuine all-American scene in the video, director Jesse Sternbaum shot the clip in Bakersfield, California, with producers holding a casting call there back in November in order to populate the scenes with authenticity. Avicii's "Hey Brother" Video tells the beautiful story between two siblings described in the the lyrics and will tug on your heartstrings. It could be the Swedish DJ's most audacious clip yet. Unlike his blockbuster "Wake Me Up" and "You Make Me" visuals, this new effort has a strong narrative - showing the impact of war on a pair of siblings.
The mini movie follows a heartfelt narrative that juxtaposes images from the life of two young country brothers growing up in an American small town with nostalgic scenes in idyllic middle America catching fireflies and going camping, barbecues and sleepovers together. When the scene flashes forward, the older brother is sent to war, from which he does not return. The younger brother is then seen carrying a folded American flag to his brother's grave as he receives a military funeral. Their family tragedy packs an emotional punch and it's great to see Avicii make an unexpected last minute cameo.

Fresh off his successful night hosting the American Music Awards, Pitbull took to his Facebook page to premiere the new video for his RCA label mate Ke$ha collaboration "Timber." The Dr. Luke-produced catchy "folktronica" track (inspired undoubtely by Avicii's "Wake Me Up"), serves as the lead single from the Miami-born rapper's new EP "Global Warming: Meltdown." Pink suits! Country-line dancing! Pigs swimming in the ocean! Fitting the song's country-western vibe, the video finds Mr. Worldwide living it up in a classic Southern honky-tonk along with Ke$ha, a Nashville native.
Of the many charming things about Pitbull, perhaps the most charming is his ability to have a blast wherever he goes. A beach party? A weird roof? The set of Men in Black III? All are made just a little more fun with Pitbull's goofy grin. Pitbull revealed in an interview that the featured artist on "Timber" was originally supposed to be Rihanna. At the time, however, he stated that Rihanna was already asked to be the featured artist on the lead single off Shakira's upcoming album and didn't have time to record "Timber." Pitbull later asked Ke$ha to be the featured artist and she accepted.
What goes up must come down. It's the simple law of gravity. Pitbull and Ke$ha's harmonica-infused dance anthem "Timber" doesn't require too much introspection, but there is a clever use of metaphor and double meaning. The song furthers the idea that before you go down for the nigh to, you know, sleep, you must party hard. Here is why the use of the word "timber" works so flawlessly in this song. It's going down. The night will end with someone face down, either hungover or from dance floor exhaustion. The night is eventually going down - you can't stop gravity or the morning light, so live it up while you can.
The harmonica-tinged and square dance-inducing party jam gets a visual which is expectedly wild and straight out of the saloon, with the sultry Ke$ha walking in slow motion while a gaggle of back-up performers get their "Coyote Ugly" on. But it's not all cowboy hats and mechanical bulls: Pitbull pops up in the Bahamas for his verses, apparently gazing upon the livestock from afar and instead looking on with childlike wonder at a group of sharks in the crystal-clear blue water beneath his boat. This country-dance visual that plays off the song's fusion of big beats, quasi-yodeling and barnyard belting, but that's really the point of a night you won't remember.

The disk jockey Tim Bergling, aka Avicii partners with Ralph Lauren for an All-American adventure in the new clip in support of his latest single, "Wake Me Up" the lead single off Swedish DJ and producer's upcoming folk-inspired debut studio album, "#TRUE," arrive in September 17. The track is a different take on the DJ's usual pounding electronic tunes, featuring a soulful vocal performance from Aloe Blacc and guitar riffs from Incubus' Mike Einziger. The two lost souls find themselves through music in "Wake Me Up" video which mixes the then and the now, is like the song itself, which features folky, lived-in vocals and of-the-minute beatsmithing.
Pick-up trucks and horses might not be the first images that come to mind when you think of Avicii. The 23-year-old Swedish progressive house superstar is more associated with massive outdoor festival stages than a country road. Avicii made the choice with "Wake Me Up" to step out of his EDM comfort zone and produce something noticeably different from his other cuts, as the DJ describing it a "complete change in style," features bluegrass-inspired guitar riffs coupled with Avicii's trademark sweeping house music chords to dive headfirst into uptempo folk.

"Wake Me Up" has scored the fastest selling single of 2013 so far, is a collaboration track with glam-pop artist Adam Lambert and musician Nile Rodgers. The disco song, which he has previously played at various music festivals in recent weeks, is a feel-good tune that showcases the "American Idol" alum's powerful vocals. As chart-friendly EDM continues to reach the furthest corners of the globe, staying ahead of the pack can prove a tricky task, especially when more and more acts arrive on the scene turning out mixes with identikit build-ups, tired lyrics and uninspired breakdowns that newcomers to the arena lap up with excitement.
The arguably Oz-esque narrative-driven video, directed by renowned fashion and celebrity photographer Mark Seliger, is an escapist fantasy in multiple ways. It feature two sisters, a little girl and a young lady who ventures out and finds a way out of a boring, hostile past into a party-laden big city and they celebrate finding their rightful place, they join a rave party similar to Avicii's massive outdoor festival performances. As she arrives on a horse, she comes into hordes of other soul-searching folks bearing the same Avicii logo as hers and her younger sibling, whom the big sister goes back for and fetches, having found the place where they belong.

Natasha Khan, known by her stage name as Bat for Lashes, is ending 2012 on a high note. After releasing her third album, "The Haunted Man," in October to critical acclaim, the 33-year-old British singer returns post-apocalypse and gets mildly creepy to deliver a new coinciding aesthetic video for the shivery song, "A Wall." This one tells a labyrinth-like modern fairy-tale love story in a house party setting.
The haunting goes in all directions on Bat for Lashes' magnificent 2012 album, "The Haunted Man." The specter of war haunts the male characters, but "your ghosts have got me, too," Khan sings at one point, and on the cover she literally carries a man's weight on her shoulders. It should go without saying the record is haunting for the listener, too. "A Wall," a vocoder-inhabited electro-pop song with synth work by TV on the Radio's Dave Sitek, puts even more of the burden on Khan's lyrical protagonist, a situation that comes surreally to life in yet another spellbinding video from the album.
“A Wall” comes lensed once again by director Noel Paul, whose muse is clearly Bat for Lashes. This time around, however, Paul's got her in an intriguing blond-wigged, getting a little too saucy and extravagantly drunk at a strangely sedate party with actor Harry Treadaway, whose slight figure looks quite a bit like that of the man on album's cover. He's wearing something furry, and he's clearly somehow unwell. Haunted, even. Watch Khan roll around with a male furry in this cute, but semi-twisted love story that could have been easily shot at the Overlook Hotel from 'The Shining.' Surreal party, labyrinth and all.
A labyrinth-like hedge, through which the two fail to escape, subtly evokes the song's hook: "Where you see a wall, I see a door." Meanwhile, Khan nuzzles her uncanny man, whose odd attire also distantly recalls the fallen angel in R.E.M.'s classic, Gabriel García Márquez-inspired "Losing My Religion" video. It's not giving away too much to point out Khan looks happier, and more like herself, by the video's end - the wig comes off! - but all in all it's a vibrantly creative, beguiling look at the things we carry into our relationships. And how we keep each other from falling down.

After liberating the audio to great reception, Ellie Goulding has released a simple yet powerful visual on the singer's official YouTube channel for a free track on her Soundcloud, "Hanging On," which features rapper Tinie Tempah. The 25-year-old English singer does not have the spinning peppermint bra of Katy Perry or the tabloid-baiting love life of Rihanna. But she consistently puts out good music without any need for bells and whistles.
"Hanging On," is her first new track in over a year, and a cover of a song by Active Child, it was introduced by Goulding on her Twitter as "the beginning of my new journey. Enjoy and share responsibly. It is also a free download so please share and enjoy irresponsibly." It seems to suggest she's ditched the acoustic guitars in favor of something more compelling. What the song could have done without is Tempah, who destroys any sense of atmosphere with his monotone delivery. Seemingly inspired by a more lo-fi aesthetic.
Goulding's compelling new direction is spoiled somewhat by Tempah rapping about his problems with acid indigestion. We've not heard that much from Goulding since her performance at Prince William's wedding last year. While work on her sophomore album with Calvin Harris and Swedish House Mafia is underway, Goulding has started to tease her new direction. She stated, "It's started to sound very dark and very weird. This album is going to be even more emotional. I wanted to make it so there is hope. I want to make an effect whether it's happy or sad."
The blonde electronapop sweetheart zaps our emotional core in her new clip for sonically-stuccato song "Hanging On," which shows footage of Goulding having a late night wander while wearing a leather jacket and an orange beanie, and interspersed with shots of her staring intensely at the camera. Lights flash and flicker throughout the whole trippy video as scenes of the singer and other bystanders are shown. She appears significantly more bare as she sings "I just can't keep hanging on, to you and me," while plainly standing with her back against the white wall.

After a rise to fame last year following her hit single "Starry Eyed" it's been a quick game of catch up for British artist Ellie Goulding. The 23 year-old is repackaging her critically acclaimed debut album "Lights" and gone with a cover of the 1970 Elton John's classic "Your Song" as the lead single from her upcoming re-release album "Bright Lights," in stores on November 29. The new tune is already on iTunes, and is set for huge exposure across Britain as it's been scooped up and tipped as a contender for the Christmas No.1 for the popular John Lewis' Christmas TV advert, which explains why Goulding switched her "Bright Lights" first single from "Lights" and "Human" to "Your Song" so suddenly.
"Your Song" was produced by Ben Lovett of Mumford & Sons and was also remixed very well by Ewan McGregor for the 2001 romantic musical film "Moulin Rouge!" Goulding's "Your Song" smartly eschews any bold (and potentially disastrous) stabs at modern re-invention and keeps things simple, the backing arrangement's striking wintry ambiance at the perfect distance to frame and highlight Goulding's thin wisp of a voice. And if Goulding's vocals have never blown you away in the past, they definitely will here, the fragile edges to her soft warble coating these familiar lyrics with the just the right touch of vulnerability and innocence to make you fall in love with the song's tender message all over again.
The video for "Your Song" has a real homely feel to it, and seems to show a real personal side to her, almost as if expressing how she's still human and normal since having been rocketed into fame. None of the passion is lost with her much gentler vocals, a really nice cover in all. I have to say it's beautiful rendition, with a simple but effective video. It's good to hear too Goulding's more vulnerable and organic side, in comparison to her electro-pop alter-ego in songs like "Starry Eyed", where her voice is super distorted. Still, "Your Song" is risky choice to put out as a single. As much as I enjoy her cover, I'm not convinced it's going to be a hit in the UK. I like it muchly and her voice is up to par. I doubt radios give it lots of spins.
Goulding is about to gift us all again with a new re-release of successful debut and she is hoping all of us will gobble up this holiday season. On the revamped version she is not only including six new songs, but is also trying her damndest to pull at the heart stings of us pop culture loving fools. Goulding has been working hard this year resulting in getting a lot of attentions and getting on a lot of persons radar in 2010 and I guess that things payed off. "Your Song" takes on a more whimsical and somewhat lonely nature, a new sound from the other aforementioned tracks, and one that works ridiculously well for Goulding.

British indie-pop princess Ellie Goulding premiered the music video this weekend for her fourth single, "The Writer," off her acclaimed chart-topping debut album "Lights," her label has wisely gone with her lush, will be released in the UK on August 9. Goulding's delicate touch perfectly suits the summery ballad. Apparently, the single is the "most personal and emotional song" the starry eyed star has ever written. It's fair to say she plans to take full advantage of all her album.
Goulding sprang to fame after she came top in the BBC's prestigious Sound of 2010 poll. Her new album "Lights" features ten tracks of sparkling future pop and Goulding herself has written a few words about each track. When asked what "The Writer" was about, endearingly Goulding said: "The Writer is the most personal and emotional song I've written yet. It's about how you'd do anything and change absolutely everything about yourself if necessary, just to be noticed by this one person."
"The Writer" is a pretty ballad, but not really loving the sleeper music video. Obviously, the label didn't have much budget for her latest single. The lullaby-inspired music video was filmed at Happisburgh Lighthouse in Norfolk in June. It was released onto YouTube on Sunday. The video shows the 23-year-old Brit Award-winning singer wandering through a field and exploring the Happisburgh Lighthouse, which was constructed 220 years ago. It also includes in-studio sequences of her in front of a bright screen, giving the impression that she is in front of the actual light of the lighthouse. It's an understated affair. If you've ever wondered what the inside of a lighthouse looks like, you'll love it. There isn't really much to say about the video. It very much suits the romantic mood of the song and sees Goulding looking all virginal and white while strolling through some scenic, rural imagery with plenty of close-up shots.
Despite it's personal lyrics, "The Writer" has a very typical pop ballad sound and sees Goulding sacrifice some of her trademark quirkiness because of this. Her voice still sounds as distinctive as ever but the production, lyrics and vocal hooks are kept on the straight and narrow. However, sometimes quirkiness needs to be put to bed in order to hear the real person behind it so I think "The Writer" is a lovely song and I hope it does well.