When we first heard/became aware of Ne-Yo's "Beautiful Monster" our premiere thought was: "This is both post-GaGa and sub-GaGa and therefore trite, contrived and incontrovertibly shit." Well, we still think it's transparently post- and sub-GaGa (*snore*, etc.) but perhaps it's not quite as dreadful as we'd first imagined. Basically, the choruses are 10% catchy and the synths in the verses are surprising and danceable so it is BEARABLE (we are not giving it the stamp of approval, though).
ANYWAY, whether or not the song is shit (it's probs shit) we can absolutely, hand-on-heart, 110%, whole-headedly say: the video is abysmal. It looks so cheap! It looks like it was made in 2004 or 5! It makes no sense! Does Ne-Yo have a dance double?!
Showing posts with label Ne-Yo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ne-Yo. Show all posts
25.11.09
We like this kind of thing!
Throw-backs. Self-referencing. Recycling. We like it at Shiny & New. It's nice to hear an artist briefly for a few seconds revisit a past song of theirs, especially if it's one we love, especially if they are doing it in a song we love. And lately, it might just be us, but there seems to be a lot of it going about! Check out the exampz below and feel free to let us know any we are missing out on and need to get with. We wanna know!
In her lead single from career-spanning greatest hits Celebration, Madonna was apparently meant to include a roster of lyrics hinting at her past hits but the only one that stood out for us was this lifting return to 1985's "Into the Groove", taking us back to possibly her finest, most famous, most simple dance song and changing the questioning of her dance partner into a firm command to move.
It's only been out a few weeks but we are already in love with P!nk's "Push You Away", a bonus track on the tour re-release of her 2008 masterpiece Funhouse. It follows the same lyrical themes as the brilliant "Leave Me Alone (I'm Lonely)", the song dealing with love/hate, push/pull that anyone in a long-term relationship could tell you about.
Guest-featuring on the effervescent Keri Hilson's "Knock You Down", Ne-Yo - not one of our favourites but undoubtedly one of the finest song-writing talents in music today - throws in the signature line and melody of one of his best known songs, paying tribute to Hilson herself in the process.
Finally, the biggest break-out artist of 2008 and 2009 combined, Lady GaGa has punched us in the balls and dragged us by them through an album and a half of the finest new pop music that has been produced since, what, True Blue? Despite this throw-back coming a year after the release of the song it references, we not only think this is completely deserved, but completely fits into GaGa's themeing within the song itself and the album it sits on. We love that. GaGa does themeing.
In her lead single from career-spanning greatest hits Celebration, Madonna was apparently meant to include a roster of lyrics hinting at her past hits but the only one that stood out for us was this lifting return to 1985's "Into the Groove", taking us back to possibly her finest, most famous, most simple dance song and changing the questioning of her dance partner into a firm command to move.Step to the beat, boy / That's what it's for
"Celebration", 2009
Step to the beat, boy / What will it be?
"Into the Groove", 1985
It's only been out a few weeks but we are already in love with P!nk's "Push You Away", a bonus track on the tour re-release of her 2008 masterpiece Funhouse. It follows the same lyrical themes as the brilliant "Leave Me Alone (I'm Lonely)", the song dealing with love/hate, push/pull that anyone in a long-term relationship could tell you about.I know I said that "You don't own me, / just leave me alone I'm lonely"
"Push You Away", 2009
Tonight, leave me alone / I'm lonely
"Leave Me Alone (I'm Lonely)", 2006
Guest-featuring on the effervescent Keri Hilson's "Knock You Down", Ne-Yo - not one of our favourites but undoubtedly one of the finest song-writing talents in music today - throws in the signature line and melody of one of his best known songs, paying tribute to Hilson herself in the process.Miss Independent / To the fullest
"Knock You Down", 2009
That's why I love her / Miss Independent
"Miss Independent", 2008
Finally, the biggest break-out artist of 2008 and 2009 combined, Lady GaGa has punched us in the balls and dragged us by them through an album and a half of the finest new pop music that has been produced since, what, True Blue? Despite this throw-back coming a year after the release of the song it references, we not only think this is completely deserved, but completely fits into GaGa's themeing within the song itself and the album it sits on. We love that. GaGa does themeing.I wanna Just Dance / but he took me home insteadDid we miss any?
"Monster", 2009
Just dance / Gonna be okay
"Just Dance", 2007/8
15.6.09
Stuck In Our Head: "Knock You Down" - Keri Hilson with Kanye West and Ne-Yo
Earlier this year we were vaguely damning about Keri Hilson's long delayed solo 'effort' - we just didn't think it had the personality to cut it. Well we'd probably still stand by that statement in terms of the album-as-a-whole, but that doesn't stop us thinking this single is VERY GOOD. It has enough hooks to keep everyone happy, and that sort of vaguely 'ravey' (take note, Steve Appleton) R&B synth that Timbaland made popular. The tune is also stellar. Yes, yes it doesn't reinvent the pop wheel and it's not going to change your life, but sometimes, as we've said before and we'll say again, you just have to let your ear-organs take over and just enjoy. Bonus point as well for:
"I was the captain of my pimp ship flying high."Classical!
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