Today's Pick

Maroon 5 channel Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn circa 2005 in the goofy clip for their latest single, "Sugar," as they crash a handful of real wedding receptions and surprise random brides and grooms' nuptials with a little bit of their "Sugar" and an impromptu performances of their slinky funk-pop song, which is the third single taken off of the alt-rock outfit's most recent fifth album, "V."
Musically, "Sugar" combines the grooves of the funk and "synth-driven" of the 1980s music nostalgia feeling, and lyrically, Adam Levine sings the lines to his romantic interest. The idea of this love pop song's video was taken from the 2005 hit comedy, "Wedding Crashers," and the vibrantly cheerful and sweet clip was appropriately created with the film's director, David Dobkin. Heading out into the Los Angeles landscape with their guitars and suited up in slick-backed tuxes, the egomaniacs Maroon 5 try to crash as many weddings as possible and scream in ecstasy like the guests who went through just that.
What ensues is lots of confetti, cheers and tears. "It was an out of body experience. I had no idea I would be affected by the overwhelming reactions we received from the couples and guests. Being able to create an unforgettable experience for several people was the highlight of it all," frontman shares. At each venue, the film crew rushes in and sets up a massive white backdrop, as guests stare with puzzled curiosity. Once the band - in mid-performance - is revealed, the shocked and delighted faces of the newlyweds' reactions range from deer-in-headlights shock to hyperventilating glee. Check out the genuine, magical moments that the surprise created in "Sugar" video below.

Beyoncé graces the cover of this year's TIME 100 issue and she's made TIME.com the first official outlet by dropping intense, touching music video to her self-titled visual album's opening ballad, "Pretty Hurts." The TIME 100 cover subject makes an epic statement on the nature of beauty and the clip strives to explore the definition of pretty, in which we finds Beyoncé critiquing what she sees as a bankrupt beauty culture, and features a cameo from Harvey Keitel.
Beyoncé starts her self-titled fifth album with an assault on the pressures that women face to attain physical perfection. The touching opener, was co-penned by Beyoncé with Australian singer Sia Furler and producer Ammo, is a smoky pop and neo soul song with speechy lyrics about the tyranny of the beauty industry, intended as a self-empowerment anthem as Beyoncé sings about the fatal consequences that our common pursuit of the perfect body can have, and how perfection is a disease while looking flawless and negatively of beauty stereotypes. Well, the whole point is that beauty alone will not bring you happiness, especially when you've achieved it on someone else's terms.
Despite the fantastic lyrics, what you see on screen is a different picture. The Melina Matsoukas-directed clip is a graphic depiction of the stresses suffered by models and beauty queens and concludes with home footage of a pre-teen Beyoncé accepting a singing award after a presenter mispronounces her name. Beyoncé is portrayed as a beauty pageant contestant exploring the correlation of outer beauty and happiness, but she is also a troubled beauty queen who is addicted to diet pills and represents "Miss Third Ward," the area of Houston neighborhood where she grew up.
Miss Third Ward does everything in her power to look flawless, but still can't achieve perfection. While the concept for the video was conceived from society's view on beauty and the extremes some women go to to attain it, Matsoukas said she also pulled some of her inspiration from Queen B herself. It was Beyoncé herself who suggested that Miss Third Ward loses in the competition. And actually the woman who wins is an albino woman. "When you get this trophy, and you're looking at it, is it worth it?" Beyoncé asked. "That song represents finding that thing in the world that makes you truly happy."

Janelle Monáe find love in a robotic place in a stylized, high-concept video for her Miguel duet, "PrimeTime," the third single from the 27-year-old soul singer and dancer's latest sophomore album, "The Electric Lady." Just days after being named Billboard's Rising Star, Monáe took to the "Saturday Night Live" stage to showcase just why she's regarded as one of music's next big talents with a high-energy burst of retro soul-pop in the form of two tracks from her new album.
This sensual R&B ballad about two people finding themselves in the right place at the right time. The song's video, directed by Alan Ferguson, is a continuation of the epic sci-fi story Monáe tells on the album. "PrimeTime" is a love story based on the early adventures of a bar waitress called Cindi Mayweather (Monáe) and her first love Joey Vice (Miguel). Monáe explained: "The Emotion Picture gives a glimpse at Cindi's humble beginnings as a 'cyber-server' at the Electric Sheep nightclub, a syn bar serving high-class 'show droids' to the rich and lonely in a dangerous section of Metropolis known as Slop City."
She added: "Incidentally, the innovative cybersoul music played at the club directly impacted Cindi, and she began singing and performing her own innovative compositions a short time after quitting this assignment. In addition, Cindi became determined to change the public perception of what an electric lady could be, dream and aspire to after working in the dismal conditions at the club."
In the dark and stylized video for "PrimeTime," which is set in a Blade Runner-like world, the R&B stars play lovers in a futuristic search for love. The site, naturally, is a night club where dancer droids are programmed to entertain male clientele with Monáe playing a humble cocktail server. As Miguel arrives and catches sight of her, and like a lot of us, is unable to pay attention to anything else - not even the body-rolling dancers on pedestals. Conflict ensues, but Miguel's chivalrous nature wins in the end - they head back to his place for Chinese take-out.

John Legend gets artistic and up close and personal in his another ultra sexy stripped-down new video for the new pounding ballad, "Made To Love," the second single from the 34-year-old soulful crooner's upcoming fourth studio album, "Love in the Future," due in stores September 3rd. The minimalistic visuals definitely align with the album title and perfectly captures the tune's sensuality, as they portray the R&B singer and other subjects in a very futuristic, computer-generated manner.
"Made To Love" is a futuristic, yet tender R&B mid-tempo, was produced by Legend's long-term collaborators Kanye West and Dave Tozer, along with Da Internz, and Nana Kwabena. Legend is a stickler when it comes to creating captivating visuals, and things become a lot more colorful as the emotional tune draws closer to the climax. A big lovefest, that's the best way to describe Legend's new video for "Made To Love," which was directed by acclaimed fashion photographer Daniel Sannwald, and the concept came from Yoann Lemoine, who directed Katy Perry's "Teenage Dream," Lana Del Rey's "Born To Die," and Drake and Rihanna's "Take Care."
The simple and straightforward approach of the generally black-and-white-themed steamy visuals fits the mid-tempo R&B ballad in the sense that it features down-to-earth lyrics with just a repetitive hook that rings of the song's title. But the tune is brought to life by Legend's soulful rendition further accentuated by New Zealand recording artist Kimbra, who provides the haunting backup vocals and scatting on this song. The New Zealand singer-songwriter is best known for her contribution to Gotye's hit tune "Somebody That I Used To Know."
Although the sexually-charged video features nude bodies, the treatment is quite artistic, using paint splash and distorted screen effects to ward off any possible indecent exposure. The visuals complement the track in more ways than you might think at first blush, and is an artistic rendition of nude bodies making love to his new R&B tune. It's very artistic, sexy and easily one of Legend's braver clips to date and incredibly vibrant and intimate, providing lovely imagery for the song's lyrics. There are black and white scenes of Legend singing the ballad, but most of the video is filled with scenes of people making love while being completed naked or covered in paint. Again, it’s a striking visual for a soulful song that has a bit more dynamics than his usual fare.

Janelle Monáe is back and spotlighting her hyper-stylish in her new tasty black-and-white schemed video for the equally impressive single, "Q.U.E.E.N." the first single from Monáe's upcoming sophomore effort, "The Electric Lady," expected for a fall release. Channeling the retro swagger of Elvis's "Jailhouse Rock" video, the 27-year-old soul-funk pioneer jams while surrounded by six dancing ladies rocking bold black-striped looks in this old school soul feeds new school funk.
The powerful Erykah Badu-assisted jam, "Q.U.E.E.N.," is an irresistible art-funk strut, and also, is terrific - a punk cabaret groover that drops back on Badu's verse to highlight an incredible, funky bass lick and then makes a string-heavy transition into Monáe's unexpectedly relentless rap. It's exactly the type of stylishly futuristic and playfully absurd aesthetic we've come to expect from Monáe, and the dystopian intro perfectly sets the tone for the defiant and quirky jam that follows. Its sexy, slinky, impossibly funky grooves demanded a next-level video, and the forward-thinking Monáe has certainly delivered.
Directed by Alan Ferguson, "Q.U.E.E.N." and takes place in an alternate future, the clip depicts Monáe and Erykah as frozen human sculptures in what could easily pass for an interactive Soho pop-up art gallery. As "Q.U.E.E.N."'s funk-tinged bass line kicks in, the sculptures flicker to life with Monáe twerking in her chair and singing about haters and their snap judgements: "I can't believe all of the things they say about me/ Walk in the room they throwing shade left to right." The clip gives off a very artistic, grown woman, sophisticated fun type of feeling.
The funky Alan Ferguson-directed clip, an absolutely deadly early-'60s mod mook, and explores a witty concept, sees hipster artist Monáe teams with Badu where the two star as a museum exhibit comes to life. Instead of her predictable black-and-white tuxedo, Monáe throws on some Givenchy heels and shows off her shapely figure and  some crispy dance steps while claiming her QUEEN-status. Backed by an aesthetically stunning bevy of mod '60s dancers, Monáe finally sidles up to a sexy look Badu, who's looking terribly regal in all white and gold. Together, they sing about female equality and loving oneself despite social pressure.

After hitting us with a brief preview a few days ago, Rita Ora unleashed the full video for her brand-new club-ready track "R.I.P.," which serves as her debut solo U.K. single. The 21-year-old singer, one of Jay-Z's Roc Nation artists, conquered the British charts with her DJ Fresh collaboration "Hot Right Now," but she's only getting started. With "R.I.P." stays true to her UK roots as well as embracing her new US family.
Penned by Drake and produced by Chase & Status, "R.I.P." basically boils down to her telling a dude that she's going to have him, so he'd better get ready. The seductive dub-inspired beat kicks off with a verse from fellow British rapper Tinie Tempah before the blonde bombshell unleashes her freaky side. The London-bred singer combines the sultriness of Rihanna with the rocker chick swagger of Gwen Stefani, one of her biggest influences. Vocally, her delivery was faultless, and the result is a sexy ode to homewrecking shot in a vacant parking lot with Tempah.
"I wonder if you'll be able to handle me," the blonde pop and R&B riser teases toward the end of the cut. "Mental pictures - no cameras, please." It's a classic show of rebellion from an artist who's clearly itching to set off some alarms. It's not unusual to see up-and-coming pop artists try and channel bigger stars when trying to gain an audience. But this is ridiculous. In the video for her single "R.I.P.," the British singer comes off like a second-hand Rihanna, from her wardrobe to the Talk That Talk-cribbing song itself.
Ora is working hard to dead in the new clip, video director Emil Nava and the styling team got her rough and tough, dressing her in wife beaters, beanies and leather jackets. She even dons a pair of sneakers in the video, which is rare for a pop chick these days. Ora runs and jumps around a warehouse and dances on top of cars all while flirting next to Tempah. It seems the only car parked in the garage has melted into the floor, and if that's the case, it's because Ora has exuded enough heat to actually liquify concrete.

The Grammy Award winning soul R&B artist India.Arie (born October 3, 1975 in Colorado) is back, and giving us a new, beautifully music video for her song "Therapy," the 2nd single off India.Arie's 4th studio album "Testimony: Vol. 2, Love & Politics," which was released on February 10, 2009. It debuted at No.3 on the Billboard 200, and No.2 on the R&B chart.
It's a bright and sunny love song. I'm glad this song finally got a video. The famed photographer David LaChapelle directed video depicts Arie living it up, and singing from the mountain tops in Hawaii. The clip sure does it justice, and a lots of vibrancy here with the backdrop colors and Arie’s outfits with her personality, and featuring roots reggae artist Roy "Gramps" Morgan. On it, Arie says that love is the best medicine: "You're takin' good care of me, boy I can't bear to leave, 'cause I need your therapy," she sings.
I love this great video, the song is beautiful and Arie definitely looks amazing and sparkling in this one. Also her lyrics and voice are a gem for the music industry, especially today. Stunning! I hope she will have a big hit with it! Enjoy the clip below.