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.

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.

Watch pop-rock artist Colbie Calliat teams up with Gavin DeGraw released the official music video for their duet song "We Both Know," to be featured in the closing credits of the upcoming Nicholas Sparks movie, "Safe Haven." The film, about a woman who is forced out of her shell and troubled past, costarring Josh Duhamel and Julianne Hough, hits theaters on Valentine's Day.
While touring together this summer, Caillat and DeGraw wrote the ballad on a bus ride to Nashville. "It was an overnight drive on the bus and it all just kind of happened. It was awesome. It was magical, it was [sings] this magic moment," explained DeGraw to Billboard magazine. Caillat explained the song's meaning to CBS Local: "It's a song about a relationship where you need time apart and you get perspective on who you are as a person and who you are in the relationship," she said. "It's a beautiful ballad."
DeGraw knows meaningful lyrics and Caillat knows romantic lyrics. Their respective music is thought-provoking, and they sing what we all feel. They each have this unusual tendency to manifest the feelings of our hearts into words, and words into art. Their passion overflowed into these lyrics, giving them depth. This musical match is blissful. And this track is the musical equivalent of The Notebook. "We Both Know" hasn't been set for either artist's upcoming album yet, but both say they would like to see it on their respective future releases.
Shot in Nashville, the music video for their beautiful and soulful track "We Both Know," beautifully weaves in romantic scenes from the film as well as scenes of Caillat and DeGraw. Ths clip shows Caillat on set, sitting on a wooden floor in an off-white dress next to a can of yellow paint and a paintbrush. There's also a heart, which has been painted on the floor. DeGraw, meanwhile, showing him standing on what looks like a wooden pier.

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.

Proving to be at the top of his game, Gavin DeGraw returns with a new video for "Sweeter," the second single and title track from DeGraw's fourth, and most recent album. If this new album proves anything, it's that producer Ryan Tedder has some warmth buried somewhere within his icy soul, but it's enough to expand and freshen his bearded blue-eyed soul, making it feel not quite so studiously stodgy.
"Sweeter," has a pop-funk kind of vibe, which DeGraw thought was a great way to kick off the album. The chugging guitar and piano combination provides the track with real drive, and when you add DeGraw's strong and soulful vocals on top, it all makes for a purposeful opening. The song finds DeGraw fantasizing about another guy's girl. He told Billboard magazine many of the songs on the album "ride the vulnerability spot." While experimenting with new sounds, it resulted in a "potent, swaggering strut, both musically and lyrically, on sexually charged songs like the R&B-infused "Sweeter."
The 35-year-old singer had to balance up writing about emotion and hoping to get "a reaction from the female listener" without chasing the men away. "There is always that risk and trying to get that correct is a fine line. Some people will hate you for sounding vulnerable at all, so you can't win 'em all, right? You have to accept that stuff... The things that make writing challenging are things that make it the most enjoyable," DeGraw talking to Billboard about the song.
DeGraw also told VH1 News that the Lenny Bass-directed clip is about a girl being "Under-appreciated by her man. She decides she's going to get out of the place and grab me on her way out." It features Sports Illustrated model Genevieve Morton. It begins in a bar setting where DeGraw woos Morton away from a less than enthusiastic boyfriend. Fortunately, he fares a little better and gets the girl, and they take off on an afternoon adventure together, and speed off in her Mini-Cooper. They end up at a seedy motel, rolling around on a bed while Morton ends up blindfolded in black lingerie.