A Rhyme: "Make You Feel My Love" - Adele

On her debut album, 19, Adele covers the 1997 Bob Dylan song, "Make You Feel My Love". It was released as the fifth single from the album on November 3, 2008. After Adele performed the song on Comic-Relief it re-entered the UK iTunes top 100 songs at number 42 . This is a popular cover song, as Billy Joel covered the track for his greatest hits album in 1997 and country singers Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood recorded a version for the Hope Floats soundtrack in 1998.

I like this song because, like most of the songs on Adele's album, it focuses on her voice. The songs on her album are stripped down with little instrumentation. Adele brilliantly sings on the record (probably because most of the songs on her album are about a breakup or falling for the wrong guy) but then again, anyone can out sing Bob Dylan.



Source: Wikipedia
Picture Credit: Wikipedia

Music Video: "Someday" - Nickelback

The Canadian post-grunge band Nickelback followed up their 2001 album, Silver Side Up with 2003's The Long Road. The album's lead single was "Someday" which reached number 7 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart. It details the break up of a couple and a man's wanting to repair the relationship instead of just throwing in the towel.

I first saw the music video on Vh1's Top 20 Video Countdown in 2003. It's pretty literal in terms of the concept and how it explains the video. But the true plot slowly unravels starting at the end of the first chorus. It's a good video and while it may come off a little cliché (like the song's lyrics) everything works well together. The most important thing is the ending and it's anything but a music video cliché. It leaves you wondering about what happened. Check it out below or listen to the song at the right. (It's track 2!)

Nickelback - New Music - More Music Videos

Picture Credit: Wikipedia
Source: Wikipedia, MTV.com

A Rhyme: "Do You Realize??" - The Flaming Lips

"Do You Realize??" is the first single from The Flaming Lips' 2002 album Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots. Coyne revealed during an interview that while recording the album Steven Drozd was trying to rid himself of a heroin addiction. During breaks from recording the album, he would have a hard time with his withdrawals. Coyne, listening to Drozd cry and thinking about his own late father, he wrote "Do You Realize??", a song often considered one of the bands' most popular songs.

The song has been used in many commercials including a 2002 Hewlett-Packard commercial and a 2007 Land Rover commercial. It has also been used in commercials for Vh1--which is where I first heard the song. What I like about "Do You Realize??" is the bass and the bells. The use of those elements evokes a majestic feeling, a light feeling. This is the kind of song that just makes you happy and gives you hope. Check out the song below!

Picture credit: Wikipedia

A Rhyme: "Hanging On Too Long" – Duffy

Duffy's debut album, Rockferry was released on March 3, 2008. The album won a Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album at the 51 Grammy Awards in February. Rockferry was ranked number 30 on Rolling Stone magazine's Best Albums of 2008. "Hanging On Too Long" is the 6th track on the record and was written by Duffy, Jimmy Hogarth, and Eg White.

I have to admit, when I first heard Duffy and her debut single "Mercy", I didn't see what all the hype was about. But when my favorite singer Britney Spears mentioned that she likes her in an interview, I decided I'd giver her album a listen. To my delight, I thoroughly enjoyed the album. On of the tracks that immediately became my favorite was "Hanging On Too Long". I've always wanted to hear a song that went the way that song goes--the melody, the rhythm, everything. That song is one of my favorites ever. Listen to the song below!

Picture source: Wikipedia

"Rude Boy" (Music Video) - Rihanna

I first saw this video on Vh1's Top 20 Video Countdown. I'm not the biggest Rihanna fan but when I saw this video, directed by Melina, I couldn't help but watch. The flamboyant colors immediately capture you along with the extremely catchy hook. Whenever Rihanna says "want, want, want" or "boom, boom, boom" The words pop out in that pattern behind her. The video is clearly influnced by pop art.

The song itself has old school Rihanna written all over it, taking influence from her Bajan roots in Barbados. And the flashy colors assist the songs island flare; Rihanna even looks like her pre- Good Girl Gone Bad self when she dons a long brown wig for some of the video, but she still keeps it like her current self with the golden spiked leotard. And don't be fooled by the song's bright presence; this is the third single from RiRi's Rated R album and it's a little naughty. Lyrics like "I like the way you touch me there/I like the way you pull my hair/Baby, if I don't feel it/I ain’t faking, no no" are matched by Rihanna's suggestive moves on a lion and her coy winking after the verse.

I really enjoyed this video! Watch it below, and tell me your thoughts in the comments. :)

Rihanna - Sucker Free - MTV Shows

Credit: Ultimate-Rihanna, MTV.com

Extra: Britney Spears - "You Oughta Know" (Live)

During the second American leg of her tour, The Circus: Starring Britney Spears, Britney performed a cover of the Alanis Morisette song "You Oughta Know" in Greensboro, North Carolina. Since this song was not originally in the set, it surprised the crowed--in a good way! Britney stood at a blinged-out microphone stand and rocked out the song. What was most surprising about the performance was that Spears was actually singing live! That's right, Britney Spears was singing with her own voice with no lipsynching!

And while Britney didn't sound perfect, she sounded good. What pleased fans the most was that she took the time to sing with her own voice and not mime. She sang the song a few more times during the American leg of the tour, but then put the song to rest. This was the only song she snag completely live during her tour, pleasing her fans all over.

Check out the video below.

Source: YouTube, BritneySpearsBlackout.com

A Riff: Kelly Clarkson & P!nk

P!nk and Kelly Clarkson are two of my favorite artists.

I first really got into P!nk when I heard her song "Just Like A Pill" (posted about here). To this day that is one of my favorite songs of her's. Other songs of P!nk's that are my favorites are "Eventually", "One Foot Wrong", "I Don't Believe You" & "Mean". She'll definitely be posted on more on the blog.

Kelly Clarkson has been posted about on this blog more often than other artists. While I didn't see her on American Idol , I own her first album and have bought all of her records since. My favorite songs of Kelly's include, "Don't Let Me Stop You", "Maybe", "Impossible", and "Don't Waist Your Time". Kelly is due to release a new album later this year.