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Paul McCartney's Still Got It: Music Video Roundup

Mara Hyman |
October 28, 2013 | 11:27 a.m. PDT

Associate Entertainment Editor

Every other week, Editor Mara Hyman takes a look at the buzzworthy short films coming from the music video universe. Here are her latest picks:

Little Mix - "Move"

Little Mix is back! Known as the first group to win "The X Factor UK," they've achieved a lot of success with their first album "DNA" and their hit first single "Wings." Now they bring us the first single off of their sophomore "Salute" album which is super fun and catchy. It's essentially a clubby song without being too clubby. The song has a lot of attitude and a slight '90s vibe as we get to hear highlights of each of the members' unique sounds. They also incorporate a ton of harmony which the girl group is known for. 

The song is great on its own, but the video further emphasizes an old-school pop vibe. The scenery pans between a dark room with neon lights, a white room, and an open dance space with flashing spotlights. There's a lot of intricate choreography balanced with slo-mo shots sprinkled in between. The girls look great as always and definitely seem to have grown confidence and sass since their earlier days. Are you a fan of the British group?

Paul McCartney - "Queenie Eye"

He's still got it. After a hiatus since his last solo album, Paul is now promoting his latest album called "New." This track is based around a game he used to play when he was younger, giving it a nostalgic, innocent feel. The chorus is extremely repetitive but catchy, and incorporates a call and return for listeners to sing along to. Frankly, his iconic voice still sounds the same and it feels as though he never left!

The video starts with Paul jamming out on the piano in the Abbey Road Studios in London where The Beatles first recorded together, adding to the nostalgia and making it a sweet moment. Gradually people appear in the room, listening and jamming out to the song, mostly with their backs to Paul. There are several celebrity cameos including Johnny Depp, Meryl Streep and Kate Moss. Eventually it turns into one giant party as Paul taps his foot to the music. It's a fairly simple concept, but at the same time the song spoke for itself so the video didn't need extra fluff. Have you listened to his album "New?"

Enrique Iglesias - "Heart Attack"

If there's one thing we know about Enrique, it's that he churns out good dance tracks. This one is no different, except that it has more of an alternative rock influence mixed with some dubstep. However, this is probably the most auto-tuned he's ever sounded on a song, making one question whether he can actually sing. The song is more vulnerable for Enrique as it's like a break-up ballad.

The video stars Camilla Belle who plays his girlfriend. The premise of the video surrounds Enrique standing on the tip of a bridge debating whether he should jump as we see flashbacks of him and Camilla. The song builds up to the "heart attack" moment when he walks in on her with another guy and he proceeds to punch him until he hurts his hand. Aesthetically the video plays a lot with slo-mos, smoke and lights for a dramatic effect. Are you an Enrique Iglesias fan?

Daughtry - "Waiting for Superman"

If you too were wondering where Chris Daughtry went, have no fear: he's back and coming out with a new album! His newest single is a heartfelt story about an ordinary guy becoming a hero and saving the day. The lyrics are extremely intricate and well thought out, highlighting Chris's rich voice. The song touches on an interesting issue how even when someone tries to do the right thing, they're not always considered a hero and thanked for it when they should be.

The video is amazing, appearing like a mini-movie as we see the lead saving the day in different ways such as saving a guy who almost committed suicide from his window who then yells at him. He then protects a girl being bullied by a group of people, but is attacked by the police because someone saw him pushing them in order to do so. We see Daughtry walking down the street and jamming out in an empty building, but unfortunately there's no cameo from the rest of his band. Regardless, hopefully we'll see more great hits from these guys now that they're back. Have you kept up with Chris since his "Idol" days?

Tamar Braxton - "Hot Sugar"

You might know Tamar from her family's reality show and her test run as a co-host on "The Real" talk show last summer. Like her famous sister Toni Braxton, Tamar is trying to dabble into music as well. She's had some success with her songs "Love and War" and "The One" which both show off her powerhouse R&B voice, but perhaps this song takes her a couple steps back. While extremely catchy, "Hot Sugar" doesn't quite match the vibe of the other songs on her album and has more of a hip-hop influence. 

While the song can be fun and tounge-and-cheek, the video has received a lot of controversy - currently it has about half likes and half dislikes on YouTube. Mainly, people on YouTube have criticized it for the concept and having all gay male dancers. On paper the video seems like a cool concept, imitating an Instagram set-up with each picture a different video and with different filters, but there isn't enough substance to make it great. Some of her moves also make her seem like a Beyonce copy cat, but nevertheless she has some good songs and this shouldn't take away from that. Are you keeping up with Tamar?

Reach Associate Entertainment Editor Mara Hyman here.



 

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