Zarif is one of ScopiSat's "ones to watch" this year, as the Brit singer/songwriter is gearing up to be quite big (and by "quite big" we mean "will scrape a top 75 hit out and impress all the critics without ever actually selling any records"). Zarif is from Harrow, London, which, incidentally is where ScopiSat lived and went to university. Oddly, Harrow is becoming a little hotbed of music activity - Jay Sean, Scouting For Girls, Kate Nash, and Lady Sovereign all hail from the suburb.
With her new single, Zarif takes the retro 80's movement and winds it back about 40 years to give us a swinging big band pop tune... With rap... while for the video, she has chosen to film inside a MAGIC PHOTO BOOTH where "things" happen and pictures are taken of those "things."
Here are those things:
Bonus points for using "that swing song everyone knows but no one can name" in the middle 8.
Much blog ink has been spilled over up and comer Sky Ferreira (pictured here having a wee in a supermarket) and her rosy future prospects. The L.A. based singer/songwriter is only 17, but since signing with EMI Records last year she has been riding a promo train that many established stars would kill for. Her buzz track '17' didn't make a ton of impact, but that's probably because it sounded like a bargain-basement Ke$ha b-side.
But fear not, pop minions! Ferreira's proper debut single 'One' dropped the other day and we're delighted to say it is much, much better. It's not just good, either. It's 'this song gets us excited about popular music' good. It's 'makes us forget that Nickelback squeezed eight (EIGHT!!!) singles out of their last album' good. It's....well, we don't want to over sell it, so just have a listen for yourself:
It's always nice when 'the blogs' get it right, eh?
Lady Gaga went on (of all places) Larry King Live last night to talk about her health, Michael Jackson, and her new video 'Alejandro.' Contrary to reports prior to the show, she did not premiere the whole clip, but instead offered an odd sort of teaser. It's short (as teasers are, we suppose) and gives some idea what exactly might be in store. It's a whole black and white stylish affair that brings to mind Madonna's 'Vogue' and 'Justify My Love' clips. Funnily enough, Gaga's current incarnation seems to be a pretty by the book restyling of Madge's early 90's 'Erotica' phase. Severe makeup, art deco influences (round glasses much?) and a dash of the 1930's. The video is, thankfully, stripped down a bit from her usual wackiness, but as we pointed out when the 'Telephone' video premiered, she seems to just be progressing chronologically through Madonna's various career incarnations. Let's take a look, shall we?
Could a short pixie cut be next? Judging by her 'performance' in 'Telephone,' lets just hope she doesn't get the acting bug... 'Body of Evidence,' anyone?
Still, we're pretty darn excited, as despite any feeling as to Gaga's current career choices the video itself looks pretty great. What do you readers think?
Kelly Rowland (pictured above pretending she is Toni Braxton for some reason) is back with a brand new video for 'Commander,' and it is big, bold, cheesy, cheap and a little bit amazing but in an oddly crap way. It starts with a sort of 80's kitschy-ness, but at the same time has the sugary gloss of a budget Euro-dance clip - you know, the ones that cast lingerie models as 'dancers' and are by bands named things like 'Groove All Star Rave Junkies'. Then in the middle it goes a bit 'Destiny's Child except with only Kelly' split screen-y and then she jumps through some safety glass and it ends.
Regardless of the video's relative shortcomings, it certainly ticks all the boxes for what it was meant to do. For once Kelly looks self-assured and comes off as an actual grown woman in charge of herself and her career. Just the other day we were at a dinner party and agreed with our friend who said Miss Rowland would never really make it as a club act. But suddenly, and quite unexpectedly, it seems as if this whole 'dance diva makeover' might work after all.
Lee Ryan, (whose Twitter account makes GREAT PAINS to point out that he is STILL A MEMBER of the superstar boyband BLUE) is stepping up promotion for his forthcoming second album, and if the lead single is anything to go by, it's going to be very very good. ScopiSat were big fans of his underrated debut track 'Army of Lovers,' a #3 hit in the UK and a #1 in Italy for some reason. Unfortunately, his next few singles didn't fare as well (#12, #15, and #101...yes, #101), but he is back in a big way for his new LP 'Confessions.' The kickoff single is a double A-side, with 'I Am Who I Am' and 'Secret Love' getting a simultaneous promo push.
Here is 'I Am Who I Am,' the far superior of the two tracks, done as a special acoustic performance. It's already brilliant, but the video makes it much better by the inclusion of a number of photos and video clips of Ryan himself. He is not difficult to look at, no?
And here is the video for the chav-tastic 'Secret Love.' Its title is appropriate, since ScopiSat has an actual "secret love" for this song. No seriously. Don't tell anyone. Please.
For once Eurovision got it right. They actually chose the best song as the winner, and, in fact, the one ScopiSat wanted to win. Lena is a 19 year old singer, who sings with an inexplicable Cockney accent and for that reason comes off as a sort of brilliant Eurotrash Kate Nash. For that reason there is RIFE SPECULATION (read: some drunk on Twitter) that she learned English by listening to Lily Allen songs. If you don't believe us, check out the official video for the German winner:
We made no big secret of our loathing for Rihanna's new North American single 'Rockstar 101,' but luckily the rest of the world gets 'Te Amo,' the much more palatable jam from the sexy singer. Sexy, here, is the operable word, as RiRi gets all kinds of lesbo-racy up in her new clip.
Some vital points:
1. The video is CONTROVERSIAL because there is extended girl-to-girl eye contact and a smattering of lingering hugs
2. Ri looks great
3. The 'other girl' looks great
4. It was shot in France
5. The song is still kind of crap :(
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