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Women Dominating Music Mid-Summer: Music Video Roundup

Mara Hyman |
July 7, 2013 | 9:14 p.m. PDT

Staff Reporter

Every other week, writer Mara Hyman takes a look at the latest creations coming from the music video universe. Here are her latest picks:

P!nk feat. Lily Allen - "True Love"

P!nk is back, coming off of the success of her last single "Just Give Me a Reason." This new song is definitely a feel-good track with the signature P!nk edge in the lyrics. It describes the typical love-hate relationship roller coaster that is sometimes necessary to discover true love. The video is very fun with a bit of a retro feel that includes fireworks, stars and bright colors.

Her real-life husband and adorable baby girl co-star alongside her which gives the video a nice organic feel. The real star of the video however is Lily Allen, who stands out both vocally and through humor as we see her chopping up veggies angrily and throwing them in a blender. What do you think of the collaboration between P!nk and Lily Allen?

Fantasia feat. Kelly Rowland and Missy Elliott - "Without Me"

She may have seemed to disappear from the music scene for awhile, but the former American Idol winner is back promoting her new album "Side Effects of You." Old fans of Fantasia may be a bit surprised by this new single, which infuses her typical R&B style with hip-hop. It almost has a similar sound to that of "Bust Your Windows" and a lot more edge compared to Fantasia's past hits. Kelly Rowland is a definite stand-out and works well beside Fantasia. Missy Elliott is also a surprise collaboration given that she's been pretty MIA from music even though she recently joined forces with Little Mix on "How Ya Doin'?"

The video matches the essence of the song perfectly with slow-moving elements, an electric blue permeating throughout, and even some dancing. While the "real" Fantasia has maybe shined brighter like in her recent single "Lose to Win," it's always refreshing to see an artist try something different. Do you like this side of Fantasia?

Janelle Monae - "Dance Apocalyptic"

Janelle really lets loose on her next single. The track is carefree and has an old-school, '60s feel. The video is very strange but also classic Janelle - she even wears her hair down for the first time! It takes place on the set of a tv show in an alternate world as her band jams out. There is a very sudden cut to a news report about plagues taking over, and a zombie even attempts to attack Janelle.

At the end, the crowd goes wild and Janelle is taken away by motorcycle. The video is just a snippet from the upcoming short film The Dance Apocalyptic, so it'll be interesting to see how the video plays into a film. Are you a Janelle Monae fan?

Cimorelli - "Made in America"

You may recognize the group Cimorelli as a large group of sisters who perform covers of hit songs on YouTube. They recently released their second single in time for July 4th, "Made in America," which unsurprisingly is very patriotic and gives shout-outs to people from all parts of the country. The song is very catchy and showcases the voices of all of the sisters.

The video however is pretty cheesy, showing one of the sisters waking up the others and them making food for the 4th of July. They also include a rap verse and a dance sequence which are both new for the group. Nevertheless, it's great to see them start to have success after years of hard work. What's your favorite Cimorelli cover on YouTube?

Taylor Swift - "Red"

Another Taylor video already! She is back yet again with the self-titled track off of her album "Red." With what is probably the most country-sounding track on her entire album mixed in with pop and even dub-step, the song explains Taylor's emotions with intense relationships through colors. The video is one big compilation of clips from her "Red" world tour. We see her interacting with fans, jamming out onstage, and lots of intricate stage effects.

The beginning is mostly black and white with a red light fading in and out almost like a beating heart, which is an interesting choice. Whether you're a fan or not, you can tell from the video alone that she's having a lot of fun on this tour and really loves her fans. Do you wish there were more country songs like this on the album?

Reach Staff Reporter Mara Hyman here.



 

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