music video Matt. video 6. levels, avicii

Levels, Avicii

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNYL7-Tu6fQ --> official video.

"Levels" is a song by Avicii. It was released on October 28, 2011, and is a more dance/club track that uses more beat than vocals. The video shows starts with a man in an office environment, talking to a fellow co-worker, when he suddenly starts to dance. He scribbles the word "Avicii" on various surfaces, and dances on tables, while co-workers disapprovingly observe. Later, he gets immobilised by a taser and falls into a coma, where he has a vision of himself pushing a boulder up a mountain while singing the chorus lines. At the hospital, just before he wakes up, a flower sprouts from his mouth, which infects the male nurses looking after him, making them collapse to the ground. At the end of the clip, all the doctors and nurses end up dancing, also presumably infected and the video ends where it started with a shot of the lift and the word "Avicii" on it.

The song contains a vocal sample from the 1962 gospel-inspired "Something's Got a Hold on Me" by Etta James, as written by Leroy Kirkland, Pearl Woods and James. "Levels" peaked at number one in Sweden and on the Dance music charts in United States, and became a top ten hit in Austria, Belgium, Bosnia, Croatia, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

Flo Rida's single "Good Feeling", which became a worldwide hit in late 2011, was primarily influenced by "Levels".

There were mixed reviews from the song on Youtube, one person named on Youtube, "ShakexJunt" said, "Pretty meh, did they have to throw the whole "good feeling" thing in? Seemed a little unnecessary, and to be honest the beat is just the same old same old." and "zenmaster171" said it was "One of the most overplayed songs of all time" while another people said, and a example of this is someone on Yotube called "Fidelia Flores" said that  "This version is better than Flo rida's". So the song had mixed reviews throughout.

In the UK chart when it released it was in 4th place, which for a remix is quite good, and in top 100 it was in 34th place which is just average, probably there due to the mixed reviews. The US chart it was in 60th place which isn't the best, however in the dance chart it came first. This shows it was more for a type of audience who go clubbing and it wasn't a type of song for mixed genre liker's. 

I chose to research this song because it was a song that got mixed reviews from different people, and I personally liked the song wanted to see why people didn't like it because from my group of people everyone enjoyed the song. I also decided to research on this song because it is very different to the other songs I've looked at as because I said previously it uses more beat than vocals.

Music video Matt. Video 4. Patience, Take That

Patience  --> Take That


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=273eSvOwpKk --> official video

"Patience" is a song by British boy band Take That. The video was directed by David Mould and was shot in Iceland. The video involves all of the band walking endlessly with some sort of equipment used in the band. They walk and walk and finally at the end of the song meet at the end by the sea and sing together. I think they did this because it was their reunion song so I believe it means that they have come back together after a long journey apart.

 It was released on 13 November 2006 as the first single from their comeback album Beautiful World. The single reached the top of the charts in Germany, Spain, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, as well as reaching the top ten in countries such as Ireland, Italy, Austria and Sweden.

Some reviews from UKMIX said that "Patience" is "Definitely a sure-fire contender for the top of the chart." and that "The song is superb, with an incredibly catchy chorus".

"Patience" debuted at number four on the UK Singles Chart and rose to number one in its second week, staying there for four weeks. It was the 8th best-selling single in the UK of 2006 and spent eleven weeks in the top ten, making it the longest that any Take That single had spent in the top ten until the release of 2007's "Rule The World". The song also became the 30th best selling single of 2007, the following year. The song just missed out on being the UK Christmas number one of 2006, being knocked off the top spot on Christmas Eve by X-Factor winner Leona Lewis' "A Moment Like This". The song was also the 20th best selling single of 2006 in Ireland. The song also won the Best British Single Award at the 2007 BRIT Awards and was voted The Record of the Year for 2006, polling 15.5% of the final vote. On 18 February 2007, it re-entered the UK top 10 after 14 weeks in the charts and on 11 August 2007, following the band's performance at the Concert for Diana, the single reentered the UK top 40. The song debuted at number one on the German Singles Chart, and since its release it has sold over 150,000 copies being certified Gold by the IFPI. Indie-rock bandThe Wombats also chose to cover this song on 9 January 2008 for BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge. Hank Marvin also covered this song on his 2007 album Guitar Man and Nick Lachey released a version as a single in the US.

I chose to research this video because I did Robbie Williams on his own so I thought it see how Take That did without Williams in the group. I also chose to do it because I liked the song and thought it was very catchy for a comeback song considering I didn't like them before they split. I found with this video seemed like a mix between studio work and instrumental because it seemed quite a natural flowing song that is quite peaceful, however it is a newer song so would have the technology that "Feel" didn't have. I like the video as they didn't need much of a set as because it was a reunion they wanted the video to be more focused on the band itself and I think it worked more than if it was a video like "Said it all" by Take That. 

Music video Matt. Video 3. Feel, Robbie Williams

Robbie Williams --> Feel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPaGujo9p9o--> official video

"Feel" is a song by British singer-songwriter Robbie Williams. it basically shows a western/countryside love affair set around Horse Riding and freedom. The video shows Williams in a cowboy-like lifestyle. It gained some attention in the United States thanks to Daryl Hannah's appearance as Williams' love interest. There were two versions of the same video, one shot in black and white and the other in colour.
"Feel" was written by Robbie Williams and Guy Chambers. According to Williams, most of the vocals are from the original demo recording, as he felt unsatisfied with the re-recorded vocals. He commented, "I just couldn't sing it as well as I did on that day."

 Guy admitted that initially he was quite scared by its lyrics. "Because it is honest," he said. "It's deep - it's a deep lyric. I think it's one of his best lyrics." 
Williams said; "It's a beautiful song. Most of the vocal we used on the finished thing is from original demo. I tried to sing it again and I just couldn't sing it as well as I did on that day. I pour my heart out.

 It was released on December 2, 2002 as the lead single from his fifth studio album,Escapology. The song became an international hit, reaching the top of the charts in Austria, Germany, Hungary, the Netherlands, and top five positions in countries such as Denmark, Ireland and the United Kingdom.
The song was aimed to become the Christmas number-one in the United Kingdom, but peaked at #4. It still spent four weeks inside the Top 10, however, "Feel" became Williams' biggest international hit and his best selling single in Europe: the song topped the charts in Argentina, Hungary,Italy, India, Latvia, Portugal, Mexico and the Netherlands. The song was also successful in Canada, where it reached #10 and spent a total of 54 weeks in the chart. Despite Williams' major success in the most of the world, "Feel" failed to reach Billboard's Hot 100 in the USA. To date Feel sold 245,000 copies in the UK.

I chose to research this song as it was a song that came out in my childhood and I listened to it often, its very different compared to some of the songs I have researched such as Rihanna and Coldplays "Princess of China" which used more editing and the use of a studio to create the music, whereas this song used proper instruments, so i thought it would be good to compare the differences, this song is much slower and seems more natural, the video isn't as quick moving as others viewed and I lie the fact it isn't too hurtful on the eyes.The colours in the video are also vastly darker than the newer types of videos and I think more effort was made into making the video beautiful and to get it to a higher standard. 

Music video Matt. video 2. Stay Awake, Example

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5CcOq8UzkI --> official video.

"Stay Awake" is a song by British recording artist Example (aka Elliot John Gleave)  for his third studio album, "Playing in the Shadows".  And is a mixture of Dance, electro-house, dubstep and British hip-hop. The video basically shows different sets of people throughout the video having a good time, in their own locations, whether it being partying, doing sports such as dancing or basketball, and acting young. I like the video because it shows freedom and life and people doing what they love and not following everyone else, whether it being style or interests. 

 It was released on 28 August 2011 as the album's second single. The song was written by Example and produced by Nero.The song shows The song was added to BBC Radio 1 playlist. The song premièred on BBC Radio 1 as Zane Lowe's 'Hottest Record In The World' on 4 July 2011. On 4 September 2011, the single debuted on the UK Singles Chart at number 1.

Stay Awake generally received a positive response upon its release. Robert Copsey of Digital Spy Blog gave the song a 4/5 star rating and stated its "The perfect pick-me-up for those on a post-festival comedown... and a harsh lesson for those who aren't"

I decided to chose this song in my list because I like Examples music and I like the range of shots the video used, from the close up of Elliots face, and the after effect used on others to show focus to something in a shot.I think it is n artistic video, where it shows all the mid shots of different groups of people and how it shows the different things in their culture. 

Music video Matt. Video 1. Rihanna and Coldplay, Princess of China.

Princess of China.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Uw6ZkbsAH8 à the video itself.

About the song:

The music video “Princess of China" is a duet track recorded by British alternative rock band Coldplay, and solo singer Rihanna. It was recorded for Coldplay's fifth studio album “Mylo Xyloto” that was published in 2011. The song was written by band members Guy Berryman, Jonny Buckland, Will Champion, and Chris Martin, along with Brian Eno, and draws influences from the music genres of electronic rock, electro pop and R&B.

The response:

The track was met with a generally positive response from music critics, with some praising the collaboration between Martin and Rihanna, though others criticized it for being uninspiring. The song performed well on international charts around the world.  A reviewer for NME commented that the song is;

 “An attempt to sound as pop orientated as possible and compared the effort to one of Coldplay's previous singles, "Viva la Vida”. If you can get beyond the outrageously chart-hungry intro – that glossy synth sound wouldn't sound out of place on a Taio Cruz album – it's actually kind of awesome. For all the poppy surface sheen, this is a song with surprisingly hefty balls, possessed of a pounding momentum that recalls 'Viva La Vida'."

Josh Eells said, in his review of the album for Rolling Stone, that

 "Princess of China is a ballad about loss and regret, co-starring Rihanna. It's a partnership that probably came together over champagne brunch at Jay-Z's, but its synth-fuzz groove is offhandedly seductive."

Judah Joseph of The Huffington Post praised the song, calling it a "collaborative monster", and noted that the song was likely to be chosen as a single to gain airplay and because "it is simply too good". Neil McCormick of The Daily Telegraph reviewed the song favourably, and labelled the collaboration as "effective", writing "the richly textured backing bringing out interesting nuances in her sweet but tough vocal, but it is the very English soulfulness of Martin himself that really adds depth to Coldplay

The song entered the UK Singles Chart at number 33 on 5 November 2011, after the release of Mylo Xyloto. The next week it dropped to number 49 before falling of the chart. "Princess of China" re-entered the chart on 19 May 2012 at number 61. After five weeks, the single reached its peak of number 4 and stayed on the position for one week.[31] In Denmark, the song debuted at number 17 on 4 November 2011.[32] The song re-entered the chart at number 20 on 15 June 2012 and reached its peak of seven after two weeks. It stayed for a total of 10 weeks on the chart.[32] "Princess of China" debuted and peaked at number 14 for one week on the Finnish Singles Chart.[33]

"Princess of China" made its singles chart debut in Ireland and the Wallonia region of Belgium on 28 October 2011. In Ireland, the song debuted at number 22, which meant that Rihanna had four different songs from four different albums, including two of her own, in the top forty of the chart, with "We Found Love featuring Calvin Harris at number one, "Princess of China” at number 22, "Fly" with Nicki Minaj at number 30 and "Cheers (Drink to That)" at number 39.

"Princess of China" debuted at its peak of number 17 on the Canadian Hot 100 on 12 November 2011 based solely on digital downloads. The next week it dropped to number 41 before falling of the chart. The song sold 105,000 digital copies in its first week and debuted at number eight on Hot Digital Songs for the chart issue when it came out on 12 November 2011. But over next  few weeks it fell 56 places to number 76, representing the biggest fall for the week .The single re-entered the US Billboard Hot 100 on 11 February 2012 at number 98, following the announcement that Rihanna and Coldplay are set to perform the song together at the 54th Grammy Awards.  The next week it fell off the chart again, before re-entering again on 25 February 2012 at number 75. The single became Coldplay's fifth and Rihanna's twentieth top-twenty song in the US."Princess of China" debuted at number 39 on the US Pop Songs for the issue dated 14 February 2012and later managed to peak at number 24 on 31 March 2012.

When and how it was filmed:

The song's music video, directed by Adria Petty and Alan Bibby, was filmed in March 2012 in Los Angeles and released on 2 June 2012. The video shows a complicated love story of Rihanna and Chris Martin. The video was met with positive reviews, with critics praising the Asian theme of the video. The song was performed live on the 54th Grammy Awards held at Staples Center in Los Angeles.

As said previously, "Princess of China" was written by Guy Berryman, Jonny Buckland, Will Champion, Brian Eno and Chris Martin. During the recording sessions for their fifth studio album Mylo Xyloto, the frontman of Coldplay, Chris Martin confirmed the band had recorded a song with Barbadian recording artist Rihanna. Martin explained that the song was specifically written for Rihanna to be featured on, and hoped that she would like it enough to want to lend her vocals to the track. Martin also explained how he approached the singer about collaborating on the song, saying the album [Mylo Xyloto] is designed as a whole piece it has boy and girl lead characters and top of our list for the girl part was Rihanna.

Behind the scenes:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SfJH9XT3BeY  à  a video of behind the scenes.

From looking at the behind the scenes video clip from YouTube I have noticed that they use throughout the video a green screen with maybe a few props in front, for example the sofa Rihanna is sitting on in parts of the video. They use the green screen so it saves time, instead of taking everyone and all the equipment to real places.  And also so they can create any sort of atmosphere they desire. In parts of the video it looks like Rihanna and Martin are flying in mid air, behind the scenes you are shown they are being held in the air by an invisible wire, the wires can be easily edited out to save time, and it is more free so Rihanna and Martin can hold themselves in the positions needed in mid air to create the idea that they are fighting in the air.

I included this video in my research as I really enjoy both Coldplay and Rihannas music, and putting them together i think worked well and I enjoyed the song. I enjoy watching videos with Rihanna in as I like the fact she can change her appearance and the theme of each video she makes.