BUMPER VIDEO CLUB: got me out here in the water so deep

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

First up, Estelle and Kanye's 'American Boy'. I have been waiting for this video to emerge for an age and it is now HERE. When I interviewed Estelle the other day she said the track came about as a complete joke, when she and will.i.am were trying to get John Legend into house; but then 'Crazy In Love' started off as a joke too innit. It's a brilliantly breezy track - her voice is light and supple and works really well over the casual 4/4 strut. I love the lyrics too. (I mean Estelle's lyrics, not Kanye's rhyming "UK" with "you, 'K".)

Next, Hercules and Love Affair's 'Blind'. H&LA is a DFA project which involves some producers and some singers, one of whom is Antony Out Of Antony And The Johnsons. I'd never been a fan of his voice - too much tremolo! - which stopped me enjoying the Johnsons' stuff, but I think it works magnificently when it's buffeted by H&LA's disco revival beats - it sounds grand and flamboyant rather than quavery and prissy. Queeny, but in a majestic way. Anyway: like all formalist retro projects there's the danger that H&LA just end up sounding like a tribute act, and the album does get boring in places, but I think for the most part there's enough fun and soul and personality in their music that it works. The video for 'Blind' is good! It features annoying bit-part British actress Jaime Winstone wandering into a Roman orgy.

Finally, and probably best of all, Jordin Sparks and Chris Brown's 'No Air': a supermegapowerballad to end all supermegapowerballads, full of surging chord changes and nihilistic despair. The video redefines 'overwrought' (a good thing, as the song does too), but it's all in the details as well as the hammy acting: I believe Popjustice has already pointed out Chris's little foot dance, but we also get Jordin drawing a heart in window condensation (at this point, I MELTED) and Jordin seeing Chris in her garden but as she gets closer he VANISHES. This is so real. Pas d'embedding but watch and be amazed here.

Comments

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

Kanye DOES say "Ribena, know what yr drinking"! Hahahahah.

Estelle is rapidly shooting up my husband list. She has the voice of an angel! And the way she grins at Kanye as if she is merely tolerating his presence. And she is verr pretty. Mmmmm Heidi your crown is in danger...

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

But then Kanye also says "dressed smart like a Lodnon bloke, before he speak his suit bespoke" :oooooo

My favourite bit in the Kanye rap is when Estelle joins in on "cool down, down, down, don't act like a fool now, now, now".

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

Jury is out on H&LA - you're right in that his voice is def more bearable when confined to disco bibbling. Tho saying that I keep expecting him to go an octave higher and into proper Sylvester territory :)

Chris Brown addendum

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

i) This (http://gofugyourself.typepad.com/go_fug_yourself/2007/08/fug-brown.html) is the funniest thing I have ever read about him
ii) The second funniest is reading the ONTD post about him going out with Rihanna, and then seeing the collective hiss of "I will CUT that bitch" below it from the ONTD commenters.

Re: Chris Brown addendum

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

I meant addenda.

[datura800.livejournal.com]

I've slept with one of the guys in the 'Blind' video.

That is all.

[chezghost.livejournal.com]

'American Boy' is better than I expected - and the video is great. Rare to see B&W vids in pop now - All Saints 'Rock Steady' was the last one i remember. As usual Kanye veers between annoying and impressive too but his turns are mostly entertaining. Look fwd to hearing the album.

would like to hear the three remixes of 'Blind' over the video as they're all better than the original. loving the album.

Not so into the Chris Brown, predictably - great as the foot movement is.

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

yeah the Hercules Club Mix of 'Blind' is great (and better).

Estelle's album = really very good; that plus Carl Craig, Erykah Badu and Miss Kittin are leading the 08 pack by some way.

re: your dislike of Jordin and Chris - we have already established your HEART OF STONE.

[koganbot]

Enjoy the first half of the H&LA, since it's as if Depeche Mode decided to shoot a Roman orgy, everybody walking slow or standing around in groups doing nothing, while the music mopes along.