"Give Me Love"

       Ed Sheeran's latest music video is an otherworldly representation of his song, "Give Me Love", that will make you think twice about the meaning of his lyrics. The song  is off of his album “+” and is to be released as his newest single on November 26th of this year. Ever since Sheeran's album came out at the end of 2011, I have wondered how he would choose to portray this, almost nine minute long, song in a music video. The lyrics of this song describe a plea for love, which could easily have resulted in a very average boy-meets-girl music video. The way in which Sheeran chose to convey “Give Me Love” is anything other than average. The video, which is compacted into about four minutes, begins with a scene of a distressed female who is in search of some sort of insight into her existence. An unexpected turn of events begins when the female begins to pluck feathers out of her bare skin. As she starts to grow wings, her role becomes known to the viewer as a modern day Cupid. She spends her days and nights shooting strangers with her arrows, causing them to fall in love instantaneously. In the end, the protagonist craves the love that she allows others to experience so much that she shoots herself with an arrow. Although she seems to have taken her own life, the video ends with an unexpected twist. 

      I always find it interesting to see the unique ways in which Ed Sheeran portrays his songs in music videos. Each music video that Sheeran has released has made me completely reconsider what I once thought each song was about (i.e. Rupert Grint professing his love for Sheeran in “Lego House”!). In my opinion, music videos should never just regurgitate what the artist has already sung about in the song, but they should instead give new meaning to the song and Ed Sheeran does that perfectly. This music video is filled with beautiful imagery as well as a story line that is sure to keep you intrigued. 

To find out if Cupid ever finds true love, watch the music video for Ed Sheeran’s “Give Me Love” here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOjdXSrtUxA&feature=player_embedded

Rating: 5/5 ★★★★★

Rihanna Shines Bright

          For any singer, the first single of a new album sets a precedent for what listeners can expect to hear on the rest of the album. With this new song, Rihanna demonstrates quite a divergence from her previous singles. Penned by “Titanium” singer, Sia, “Diamonds” is filled with infectious and repetitious lyrics such as, “shine bright like a diamond” and “we’re beautiful like diamonds in the sky.” At first listen, I noted more of a Lana Del Rey-esque melody, very different than what Rihanna has put out before. Because this song is not as “pop-y” as most of the songs Rihanna is known for, it opens doors for her to explore new genres. Although I didn’t enjoy the forcefulness with which Rihanna sings trying to reach some of the lower notes, I am a fan of Rihanna venturing into new styles when it comes to choosing singles. Within an hour of its premiere, “Diamonds” shot to the number one spot on iTunes and has maintained a spot in the top ten since then.

 Rating: 4/5 ★★★★☆

 Listen to “Diamonds” here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOGBIbqXwYE

The Complete Confection

       "It's not my third record. It's my second record, with a face-lift" the songstress is  quoted as saying. In an interview with MTV, Perry discloses that the focus of this "Teenage Dream" re-release is not to gain more fans, but instead to give her preexisting fans a more unabridged album: 

"I had the idea to do a reissue, like that one last 'wham-bam-thank-you-ma'am.' Like, 'Here's Teenage Dream, if you're on the edge of being a fan.' ... It's for that last push of, like, 'Jump in with me. Why not? You've already bought five songs, so you might as well complete your album!' ... But really, why I did it was because I know my fans always want more, so it's for the die-hard fan to have a nice, complete package."                                   

     
        Along with numerous number one singles, three new songs grace Katy Perry's latest release. Additionally, listeners will be to listen to acoustic versions and remixes/mashups of their favorite songs. In a previously unreleased song, titled "Wide Awake", which was recorded after the initial release of "Teenage Dream", Katy sings of her somber "fall from cloud nine" after "dreaming for so long", alluding to her not-so-fairytale ending with her ex. Perry hinted that she "needed to flush that out of (her) system" before she could move onto her next project.       
       Her next endeavor is the release of her 3D cinematic debut, an interactive concert film composed of footage from her California Dreams Tour in addition to never before seen, behind-the-scenes footage. From whipped cream guns and cupcake dresses, to elaborate peacock-esque ensembles, this 3D experience is sure to be quite a colorful spectacle.

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★

GRAMMYS 2012.

     
           Adele was the overall victor of the night. In addition to winning all six of the awards she was nominated for, her post-surgery comeback performance was flawless. Unlike the unneeded dramatics that came along with others' performances (ie. Nicki Minaj's exorcism) everyone's attention was solely on Adele's ability to hit each note with grace.

Highlights: Adele's performance, Bruno Mars' opening number, closing performance, Rihanna + Coldplay's medleys, Jennifer Hudson's Whitney Houston tribute

Fashion Winners: Rihanna, Taylor Swift, Jessie J, Alicia Keys + Swizz Beatz