Katy Perry's New Music Video: A-maze-ing

"This music video is the labyrinth of my life." -Katy Perry

Earlier today, Katy Perry released the music video for "Wide Awake."

Ms. Perry stated in an interview that the clip is filled with symbolism involving her life. This includes her rise to fame, personal difficulties, marriage and love, etc. I found the video to be a good mix of fantasy and reality.

Watch it here first!

KP certainly doesn't disappoint when it comes to her music videos. My favorite part of this one is that it's personal to Katy, yet fans can still interpret it to make it personal for themselves. It's another hit, as far as I'm concerned.

What do you think, fellow Katycats?

-Jakey

P.S.- For an interesting analysis of the video, click here.

Raindrop Single

Local artist time!

Zach Knell released his first single a few weeks ago, entitled "Raindrop." It is from his forthcoming debut album. Over a period of about a month, Zach recorded the track at Heftel Studios in Provo.

Lyrically, the song is poignant and sweet. It speaks of yearning to make a difference and never wanting someone to feel alone, suggesting that we all help one another out by loving each other. It also touches upon loving ourselves and that there is a feeling of freedom that can be found therein. Raindrops are a theme that is used metaphorically throughout.

The sound of the song starts out with, quite fittingly, a rainstorm. Piano, guitar, and drums then join into the mix, building layers, but never overpowering Zach's vocals. Speaking of Zach's vocals, they are soft and create a feeling that is quite soothing. The rain continues as the song fades to an end.

I really like this song. It makes me want to curl up with a loved one and drink hot cocoa as we watch the rain pour outside. And this kid has talent- I think he could go far.

Listen to it here.

What do you think?

-Jake Kelly

Sing!

Time for more singing and piano playing~

This time around, it's Lady Gaga's "Speechless" from 2009.

It's a song that's always been near and dear to my heart. It has power, emotion, and proved Lady Gaga as a legitimate songwriter. Anyway, I hope you like it.

Thanks for watching/reading.

<3, Jake

From Teenage Dream to Wide Awake

The final chapter of the "Teenage Dream" saga is about to unfold, according to a recent tweet from Katy Perry.

It is a song called "Wide Awake" from her recent "Complete Confection" re-release of her hugely successful sophomore album. I think it's quite fitting that it was released as a single a few weeks ago. The end of this era could not be more fitting- Katy wakes up from her teenage dream.

Two album arts, whaaat??

This electronic, mid-tempo track is obviously about Katy's recent divorce from Russell Brand. Critics have applauded the maturity found within this song. I find it both soothing and exciting at the same time.

A music video is coming soon. Y'all know it'll be here. For now, here's the lyric video.

I kinda like this. It shows how social media savvy she is.

Ooh, and a teaser! June 19th, can't wait.

A fairy tale/storybook theme. How cute. <3 She makes the best music videos.

Along with being a single, WA will be used to promote KP's upcoming concert/documentary film, "Katy Perry: Part of Me" as part of her deal with Pepsi. I find this to be a tad self-promotional, but I guess that's how the music industry works. It's important to keep a good balance of artistry and business sense, I think. KP: Part of Me should be pretty awesome. There'll be a post about it here, of course. :)

Anyway, what do YOU think of this song?

-Jakey

Keep On Dancin' Till the World Ends

Hey guys~

My intermediate jazz dance class at Utah Valley University filmed for a bit the other day. So I thought I'd share the videos.

I was gone for a little while, but I think I did OK. Here they are:

Some technique stuff.

A short combination.

Not too long, just thought I'd post those real quick. Thanks for watching, reading, etc.! <3

-Jaker

Royal Rihanna and Chinese Coldplay

Coldplay and Rihanna released a music video for "Princess of China" just the other day. Here it is!

There's not really an overarching plot to it, but it's very artistic. It draws influences from many Asian films, such as "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" with sword fighting, elaborate sets, etc. I also enjoyed Rihanna's interesting arm movements with other arms moving behind her. And she looked great. :)

What do you think, lovely dovelies?

-Jake

Everybody's got a dark side...

Kelly Clarkson is to release "Dark Side" as a single on June 5th from her latest album, "Stronger." This serves as a bit of a departure from her typical pop rock fare.

Even the first American Idol has a dark side.

The lyrics speak of loving someone despite their flaws. I commend this in a song. It's something that doesn't always get spoken about and everyone can relate to. I think it's a great message. :)

It starts off with a twinkling music box type of melody and soft vocals from Ms. Clarkson. The song's sound then grows as Clarkson's vocals steadily crescendo. By the end of the song, the music box has returned and the vocals have been reduced to a mere whisper.

Basically, this song is like pop meets Evanescence. This makes sense, as KC has stated in the past that she'd love to sing with Amy Lee, who is Evanescence's frontwoman. Now there's a collaboration that I'd love to see.

Anyway, here's the music video. It shows several people struggling with issues and coming to terms with them interspersed with clips of Kelly performing the song.

Do you like Kelly's change of pace, or do you think she should have just stuck to the basics?

-JaKelly