Current Video Reviews
Lindsay Lohan - "Confessions of a Broken Heart"
Kelly Clarkson - "Because of You"
Natasha Bedingfield - "Unwritten"
Artist: Lindsay Lohan
Video: “Confessions of a Broken Heart“
Director: Lindsay Lohan
OK, let’s remember, this kid is an actress first and sings as, well, a hobby – and this vid was clearly done with that in mind. She gets lots of opportunities for teen histrionics, and she can chew scenery like Bill Shatner when she gets down to it. That’s intended as praise, by the way. There’s nothing particularly new or original about the song – it’s well crafted hard pop, and it would have fit perfectly into a Pat Benetar album about 23 years ago. The appealing thing about this clip is that it uses the hard pop idiom to let Lindsay do what she does best, which is emote. The production values here are top shelf, there’s an able supporting cast, and, when all’s said and done, who cares if it’s nothing but a miniature soap opera? There’s a reason soap operas have been running since the dawn of TV – whether they admit it or not, people watch them. -Rick Brown
Check it out for yourself at: http://search.music.yahoo.com/search/?p=Lindsay+Lohan&m=video&x=21&y=15
Artist: Kelly Clarkson
Video: "Because of You"
Director: Vadim Pearlman
I’ve never watched even a single episode of American Idol. It DOES serve a useful purpose, however, even beyond the wonderful concept of having a British guy tell wannabes that they suck. It has identified and brought into the public eye some genuine talents, of which Kelly Clarkson is probably the largest.(Talent, that is, Ruben is undoubtedly the “largest”). In contrast to Lindsay (above), Kelly is a pure vocalist. Her command of delicate phrasing is nothing short of prodigious, and this vid is well designed to display that. Again, there’s no new ground being broken here, but Clarkson’s absolute mastery of her instrument is beautifully showcased. The girl has an incredible set of pipes, and even if you’re not a regular “Top 40” listener, you gotta admire that.
-Rick Brown
Check it out for yourself at: http://music.yahoo.com/ar-295638-videos--Kelly-Clarkson
Artist: Natasha Bedingfield
Video: “Unwritten“
Director: Chris Applebaum
Wow! Natasha actually makes gospel sexy! And she does it without anything that can be construed as “an appeal to prurient interests” Well, maybe the couple making out in the elevator, but that kind of thing happens every day. This is an inspiring clip, on several levels. It’s got a toe tapping rhythm, for one thing. For another, it’s an unabashed celebration of the blank page that is everyone’s future. I tend to take a rather cynical view of things, but I promise, you’ll feel better about everything after you watch this than you did before. It’s a four minute celebration of life, and, unlike so many other attempts at that, it doesn’t come off as even a little bit saccharine. -Rick Brown
Check it out for yourself at: http://music.yahoo.com/ar-14353468-videos--Natasha-Bedingfield/
Artist: Ashlee Simpson
Video: “Boyfriend“
Director: Marc Webb
It’s always nice to see rock vids use that classic movie device – fleeing from the cops. Alas, that’s pretty much the best thing that can be said for this one. Ashlee gives it her best shot, but she’s just too inherently sweet (and insufficiently street smart) to pull off the Courtney Love thing she seems to be going for here. It’s not a bad vid, it just comes up a little bit short of what one had hoped for. It’s still worth a look, and it’s a safe bet that this artist will settle into a more comfortable niche in the future. This one, though, is a near miss rather than a hit. -Rick Brown
Check it out for yourself at: http://music.yahoo.com/ar-304318-videos--Ashlee-Simpson