One Direction Criticised After Using Chained Up Chimp in New Music Video

Just when you thought role models for millions of teenagers might think to have an ounce of sense, they do this... 

Pop tweens One Direction are under fire after filming new video Steal My Girl which features a chimpanzee named Eli. Accompanying the release were a number of images, one in particular with members Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik posing with the animal visibly tied up. 

Animal rights charity PETA are now involved, saying they have evidence that the owners of the monkeys have been locking the animals up for up to 18 hours in extremely cramped cages. 

As spokesperson for PETA voiced their concern, saying 

"PETA has been in touch with the band, and will be writing to them again today, to advise them that the animal trainer who supplied the chimpanzee for their latest video has been cited numerous times for shocking violations of the very minimal standards of the US Animal Welfare Act, including for failure to provide adequate veterinary care, locking chimpanzees and orang-utans in 'night housing' (small cages) for up to 18 hours a day with no enrichment items, failure to supply adequate shelter from the elements, denying animals adequate space and failure to provide adequate ventilation, clean cages and proper feeding" 

With the music video set to be released tomorrow at 4pm, it is yet unclear as to whether the team behind the boy band will prevent the release of the video, or edit out any parts which feature the exotic animal. 


It was recently revealed that the band make a whopping £1 million a week alone, so perhaps they could be putting that money to good use- pushing it towards the prevention of cruelty to animals would be a start. 

Ken Dahl Targets Haters with New Single 'Casper'

For New Yorker Ken Dahl, a passion for songwriting came from an unlikely place. After a suspension from school which resulted in an isolation from all access to technology, he picked up a pen and paper to express his thoughts, experimenting with R'n'B sounds inspired by the likes of Brandy and Toni Braxton. 

New single 'Casper' tells the story of internet trolls who, like ghosts, are able to become invisible- his aim is to oust them into public view and put them down for criticising others. His track has a finger-clicking beat, memorable lyrics and a thesis that a large amount of listeners can really connect with.

A honeyed and honed voice, Dahl's fierce attitude and truly unique visage has earned him acclaim by the likes of big time showbiz blogger Perez Hilton. 

His video is a sassy feast, as Dahl dons serpentine-esque lipstick with sport luxe attire to out his cyber enemy. The song also holds significant relevance as it relates to the recent phone hackings and leaked celebrity images and it's effect on one's esteem. 

Watch out cyber bullies! Ken Dahl is coming for you. Watch the video here: 

Jessie J, Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj Release Bang Bang

When a single with three supposed pop titans is released, you expect to be nothing less of extremely impressed. Not the case when big booty rapper Nicki Minaj, whiney short-haired powerhouse Jessie J and a-little-bit-too-cute Ariana Grande joined to throw together what they liked to call a song. 

Heavily reliant on a generic beat, the track sounded as if the songstresses were unaware of their cue, generating off kilter pieces that had clearly been cut together. The song really did wreak of the industry's appalling commercialism- the churning out of songs they constantly push to call music. As individuals, all three women are extremely talented and although a matter of opinion, all three have several different qualities they could have given to a track- unfortunately this was not it. 

Bang Bang was released yesterday and is set to be the lead single of British singer Jessie J's third upcoming album and will also feature on Grande's deluxe album which is set to drop at the end of August. It speak volumes that these artists need the track to inject life into their current music, as oppose to Minaj whose own songs have her trending on Twitter within seconds. 

Will it be a success? probably. Will I continue to complain about the wasted talent? definitely.

LISTEN HERE: 

Review of Britney Spears' "Britney Jean"

For Britney fans, the two year wait is over as Britney Jean has been released on iTunes! Despite the release date being in early December, eager listeners are able to preview the tracks and for those of us cheeky enough, leaked tracks are available from dark corners of the internet. 

As a major Britney fan, I was fully expecting Britney Jean to be similar to Blackout and Femme Fatale- full of club bangers, but lacking soul and the old Brit we loved in Baby One More Time. I couldn't have been more mistaken as it seemed that (just like she promised) these tracks contain a surprising amount of heart, for a star that seems to keep a lot close to her chest. 

Tracklist 

1. "Alien"  

2. "Work Bitch"  

3. "Perfume"  

4. "It Should Be Easy" (featuring will.i.am

5. "Tik Tik Boom" (featuring T.I.)

6. "Body Ache"  

7. "Til It's Gone"  

8. "Passenger"  

9. "Chillin' with You" (featuring Jamie Lynn)

10. "Don't Cry"  

For those who love 'Old Britney'

Alien

What a track to open on. Electro pop definitely works to Britney's advantage and I love this mid-tempo track that depicts a person feeling lonely in the world they live in. It's not the first time she has based something on outer space- remember that amazing Oops! video? 

Perfume

The second single to be released, I LOVE perfume. Again this one is mid-tempo but still packs a punch and it's all about Britney's vocal skills, something Ive been waiting yearsss for. 

Passenger

I love the mystical lead-in to this track, and again, so much of old Britney here which made me very happy. The song is all about letting go of self control and it's definitely a feel-good bubblegum pop track, listen out for the fabulous high notes. 

Don't Cry 

This one was my favourite, by far. I loved the '80s style keyboard action and I loved hearing a less auto-tuned Britney and it just reminded me of her first album. Total nostalgia with this track, it's been on repeat ever since. 

The Club Bangers

Work Bitch

First single to be released, Work Bitch has already proven itself to be a hit- addictive and motivating in many ways. See the proof below !

It Should Be Easy ft. Will.i.am 

This one has to be my least favourite track on the album, simply because I think Will.i.am autotuned Spears to his level, to keep them on equal ground. There is nothing wrong with a bit of tuning but this is slightly robotic. A massive tune though and the chorus is definitely a dance hit. 

Til It's Gone

With a cheeky addition of dub, this track is crazy and definitely rivals the likes of Avicii and David Guetta. The song is all about loss, about belonging and having it taken away- deep for a dance track, kudos to Britney. 

Listen to the whole album on itunes! 

Feel-good album of the year, I give Britney Jean   

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 

Review: One Direction's Midnight Memories Leaked !

It's every singer's worst nightmare, but it's not surprising that the world's biggest boyband's upcoming album has been leaked. One Direction's Midnight Memories was due for release next week, but the internet has been whipped into a frenzy as Directioners across the world are sharing the leaked songs with each other. 

          From www.aceshowbiz.com

With two mainstream studio albums already released, the band promised more of a rock feel to this album, but I cant help feeling that they seemed almost scared to stray from their pop roots. 

Tracklist: 

Best Song Ever

The first single to be released back in July, Best Song Ever originally broke the 24 hour record on VEVO, gaining 12.3 million views. 

Story of My Life

The second single to be released from the upcoming album, the video received a large amount of critical acclaim due to the personal nature of the music video 

Diana 

Although they have kept fairly quiet about who Diana actually is, Liam once joked that it was about a random girl on Twitter- "She’s tweeted us so many times, we just felt like we really owed it to her. She has like 70,000 followers, too, so we thought it made some business sense. " The song has deep pop tones and a stupidly catchy chorus. 

Midnight Memories

This song is definitely about being on tour, partying and not caring. It is reminiscent of Rock Me, an unreleased track from Take Me Home. Any McFly fans will appreciate this song for sure. 

You and I 

This track was my favourite on the album, I knew the group had to have an equivalent to Little Things, and this one is it. This may be a cheesy love ballad, but it shows off the vocal range the group has, and stripping back the music to the bare minimum is a welcome break from the rock/pop that consumes many of the tracks.  

Don't Forget Where You Belong

Very much a song about exploring the world, yet still looking forward to being back home, this track is pretty cute, and definitely gives Directioners a slice of fangirling in three minute form.  

Strong

With a heavier beat, but still maintaining the mainstream pop, this one is a sure fire contender for the next single to be released. 

Happily

As albums go, this one reaches it's optimum feel-good scale with Happily, as the five members belt out " I just want it to be you and I forever"... Directioners everywhere swoon. 

From hollywoodtimessquare.com

Right Now

This one really reminded me of a One Republic track, and for any 1D skeptic, the high notes hit in this song are almost faith-restoring. Bravo lads. 

Little Black Dress

When the group talked about the rock tones, this is as far as it went with LBD. This one was less about the solo snippets, but all about harmonising with each other. 

Through The Dark 

It was a breath of fresh air for the album to turn to more acoustic influences and I definitely think the band fair better when the music is stripped back. 

From www.blogcdn.com

Something Great

This track disappointed me the most, as although I enjoy the harmonies the group creates, this one lacked a strong, addictive chorus I was looking for. 

Little White Lies

Another song about girls that play games.. yawn! The super catchy chorus is what saves this one.. I'm still humming it. 

Better Than Words

Hello electronic influences.. I loved this song and how it was confused about whether it wanted to be upbeat or not. Cheekiest lyric of the album: "You make me wanna.... one more night"

Why We Don't Go There

This song is (close your ears young Directioners) about spending the night together... These boys are definitely growing up *winks*

From i.imgur.com

Does He Know 

In this track let's all boyfriends know that any of the five members of 1D have the potential to steal your girlfriend. Consider yourself threatened. " Does he know you can move it like that?" I assume they are talking about dancing here.. 

Alive

This one must have been written by Mr Styles himself. The proof: "I don't know why I want to be with every girl I meet". If they ever release this, I want the video to include an American diner, some serious quiffs and soft top cars. 

Half a Heart

Another Little Things substitute about how much they miss their loved ones.. aww. Definitely one for the soppiest oafs. 

Trying to leave their pop routes, they have ended up circling right back to what they know. A great third album, but not a spot on Take Me Home's charm. 

I give it:   ★★★

7 Feminist Elements of Lily Allen's 'Hard Out Here'

Never one to hold back, the fabulously  flamboyant and foul mouthed Lily Allen is back, and it's clear she is here to send a message.  Her comeback single, which she is hailing as a taster for what is to come next year, was released this week and it certainly sparked a lot of debate. For me I think it represents how perfectly ridiculous the music industry is nowadays- sexist to the point of stupidity, women are portrayed as submissive objects who flash their flesh at the click of slimy fingers such as Robin Thicke's. With his gratuitously iconic video Blurred Lines in mind, I have compiled 7 elements of 'Hard Out Here' which are not only feminist, but capable of inspiring females everywhere.

From i4.mirror.co.uk

1.   The Plastic Surgery scene

As Allen lays on a table while a group of men poke and prod at her, an older man tells the singer"Letterman says no". She pokes fun at the industry by highlighting the fact that she as a woman is being rejected by talk show hosts such as the latter and Kimmel, both of which are older men. For me it also emphasised the fact that the interviewing world is very much male dominated, and in general in presenting there are no older women at the forefront. The suited man standing up then describes her body as "terrifying". 

From primetime.unrealitytv.co.uk

2. She points out the unequal perceptions of sexual promiscuity 

Nowadays, most insulting words are female orientated, as Allen rightly says in the lines: " If I told you 'bout my sex life, you'd call me a slut. When boys be talking about their bitches, no one's making a fuss. "

      

3. "There's a glass ceiling to break"

Allen sings about the glass ceiling, and the fact that progress in equality is moving too slowly, and that she can't cope with the pace. Totally behind you on that one Lily! 

4. Owning the word "bitch"

At first listen, you might question why Allen decided to use a derogatory term multiple times in her song, but I think it is powerful AND feminist for two reasons:
1. It's a controversial thing to do, and definitely grabs the listener's attention.
2.  The emphasis on the word is a two fingers to the men who think they have the right to use the word against women. 

5. She sends up the female stereotypes

With the wonderful comparison of Blurred Lines, you will see in visual how Allen  sends up thepathetic Robin Thicke single. She emphasises that it's not about domestication, good looks or sex, it's about intelligence. 

6.  She represents a strong female archetype 

My favourite part of the song is the bridge when she says "Sometimes it's hard to find the words to say, I'll go ahead and say them anyway". She urges women to speak up and speak out, it's truly inspiring. 

7. "Inequality promises that it's here to stay"

Allen highlights a completely true statement, but points out that even though injustice is here to stay, we shouldn't put up with it. 

Lily I've missed you! Welcome back! 

And just in case you really didn't get the video and it's intentions... 

Watch the video here: 

Justin Bieber's Music Mondays: Has He Redeemed Himself?

                     

For those of you who love to hate Justin Bieber, you may want to read something else. It seems as though his immature antics have been put on hold as he is producing some pretty impressive music. The Biebs has introduced a Music Monday in which his fans are able to listen to his freshest music through his Youtube channel.

Now I know what you are thinking, we are talking about Justin Bieber here, but really.. this stuff is GOOD. Reminiscent of old school Usher meets Justin Timberlake, the five songs he has released so far ooze smooth R'n'b/pop and would (almost) convert any Bieber hater. 

 

Heartbreaker

Back at the beginning of October, Heartbreaker pleasantly surprised me. With an addictive chorus and a pure R'n'B flow, you will be pressing repeat before you know it. 

All That Matters

This one is simple: a sultry love song that contains simple chords and simple lyrics, but it works as a chilled, slow jam. High five Biebs. 

Hold Tight

For fans of Drake and Conor Maynard, this one is for you. With sprinkles of that Future Sex/Love Sounds electro pop, this song strips down Bieber's voice and shows his vocal capabilities. 

Recovery 

By now, you would have guessed that this teeny bopper obviously has a broken heart. Picking up the pace with Recovery, there are definitely some elements of Craig David here. I love this one. 

Bad Day

When Bad Day was released at the beginning of this week, I was pleased to hear more of an acoustic influence. Listen out for the impressively high voice about a minute in. 

Dare I say that I can't wait for next week's music? BRAVO BIEBS. 

Shocker! Raw Footage from Britney Spears' 'Work Bitch' Leaked. Was She Airbrushed?

As all of us know, fame comes with an indescribable amount of pressure to look presentable and when it comes to pop princess Britney Spears, her whirlwind life in the public eye has meant she is especially prone to criticism. 

Making her comeback amongst the likes of Katy Perry and Lady Gaga, the 31 year-old released highly anticipated 'Work Bitch' this month, accompanied by a steamy video which showed her adapting to her new surroundings- the hot Nevada desert was a backdrop as she announced her two year residency in Las Vegas. 

The mother of two showed off her impressively slim figure for the release as she is seen in a bikini top and tiny metallic shorts, but was that body down to slogging it out in the gym, or a little computer trickery? 

New images were released today by HOAX films (the studio that dealt with all the visual effects on the video) seeming to show Britney with much thicker thighs and a more natural hip and stomach shape. 

 While you cannot take it away from Britney that she has worked extremely hard to lose weight of late, it was reported that the visual effects company were hired to 'clean-up' the video. This is not the first time the star has been seen airbrushed either.

(above: Piece of Me video)

Back in 2007, Britney was heavily edited in her Piece of Me footage, amidst her troubled hair shaving and weight gain. Again in 2010 the star was airbrushed for a Candies campaign shoot.

It is fair to say that throughout her career, Spears has never been overweight, and the unedited shots in all cases look remarkably natural and set more of an inspiring example to younger women. 

When will the airbrushing stop? 

5 Reasons Rihanna's 'Pour It Up' Shouldn't Have Been Released

From cdn.rap-up.com

For a lot of artists recently, especially of the pop descent, it seems controversial is very much the way to go. From Robin Thicke's 'Blurred Lines' to Miley Cyrus' 'Wrecking Ball', nakedness and crudity is extremely popular when it comes to music videos. With the hugely anticipated comebacks of Britney Spears, Katy Perry and Lady Gaga, I expected Rihanna to at least attempt to compete with the competition. 

Pour it up, is in its entirety, a pointless and indeed ridiculous video, I think we've seen it all before! Here are five legitimate reasons I believe the video should never have been released. 


The Blatant Sexism

                         From cdn.urbanislandz.com

Although I was only half surprised by the scantly clad women in the video, I was pretty disgusted with the abundance of pole dancing and the site of bikini-clad women violently shaking their derrieres to an inappropriate level. The video is almost laughable and she sets a horrible example to young fans. The lyrics aren't much better as she sings: 

"Goin' dumb with all my friends"

"Strippers goin' up and down that pole, and I still got more money"

"Bands make your girl go down"


It's Consumerist

From cdn.idolator.com

This is extremely obvious, but the song is all about having more money than everyone else. She repeats the line 'I still got more money' fifteen times throughout the song, and boasts Chanel earrings and what resembles a gold Chasity belt in the video. To add an extra element of greed, the singer wedges paper bills down her belt as money floats nonchalantly past the backing dancers.

It's Boring 

From www.missinfo.tv

There is nothing worse than watching an unentertaining music video, and I'm pretty sure the original people at MTV imagined these three minute wonders to tell more of a story, or give more of an insight into the artist's song. This video, it seems, is as shallow and nauseous  as the song itself. 

It's not a patch on the Pop Queens 

From www.hollywoodreporter.com

For fans of pop, Lady Gaga delivered Applause with artistry and a slice of quirkiness. Katy Perry sprang into the charts with a fresh single 'Roar' and Britney Spears soothed our pop craving with club banger 'work b**ch'. Rihanna lacks pretty much everything these three ladies have, and in the end, she just looks a bit trashy. 

We're not interested in twerking

From hiphop-n-more.com

Miley Cyrus showed us twerking, and then some. I'm sure I'm not the only one to be sick of seeing people twerk. It seems Rihanna's attempts to be contraversial are very much futile, as she just proves that 'twerking' is very much an unflattering and ridiculous action. Roll on the parody videos, which will no doubt be a hundred times more entertaining than this. 

Beyoncé's New Single 'Grown Woman' is Leaked

Currently on the set list for her Mrs Carter world tour, Grown Woman is one of the most highly anticipated of Beyoncé's singles to date. The tune was first heard after the release of Pepsi's latest commericial where the megastar is seen with several versions of herself in a dance-off. 

A full version of the latest single was released by Inside The Studio on Soundcloud, and it lives up to it's hype. The song is full of sass and was reportedly produced by Timbaland.  It has clear African influences, as two thirds of the way through it is dominated by voiced acapella percussion and island rhythmn. A feast for the ears, this infectious tune will be a massive hit and I cannot wait for a video and official release. 

(above: Beyoncé performing Grown Woman live)

The song is taken from Mrs Carter's upcoming untitled album and was reportedly written by The-Dream. Although it is a different sound to Beyoncé's traditional r'n'b, it is fresh and is sure to be a huge success. 

Beyonce's Big Announcement: Releasing Her Pepsi Commercial #BeyHereNow

 This is it! The moment all of Beyonce's fans around the world have been waiting for. The eagerly anticipated release of her Pepsi commercial which sees her dancing next to several mirrors before talking a gulp of the fizzy drink.

(Flashback to her Crazy In Love video)

Several personas then reveal themselves in the mirror including Sasha Fierce, her Crazy in Love and Bootilicious personas amongst others. The mirrors then spectacularly smash. Is the background music a snippet of what is to come in terms of a new album? 

(Beyonce dances with versions of herself)

(above: dramatic finish)

Watch the commercial here: 

The day of release is fitting, as April 4th is the anniversary of her marriage to rapping superstar Jay-Z, and a connection to the name of her up coming tour,The Mrs Carter Show. 

                           From stupiddope.com

Queen B kept us excited yesterday when she released a measly six second video that gave a whole new meaning to the word 'teaser'. The video saw the sultry singer dressed in a netted black top with her Sasha Fierce metallic hand and an intense look in her eye. 

The video came with the hashtag #BeyHereNow, a phrase which blew up social networking sites as people began to discuss what the hype could be leading to. 

 

Who is going to see her on her tour?