Kelly Clarkson is readying the release of her first greatest hits album on Nov. 19, can you believe 10 years have already gone by since she won the very first season of American Idol? Besides the recent country-inspired single "Don't Rush feat. Vince Gill", the project features lead single "Catch My Breath", which I gave a positive review soon after its release for its uplifting message and strong vocals. The song may not be heating up the charts at the moment, debuting, and so far peaking, at number 54 on the Billboard Hot 100, but the song should have no problem catching on once it gets proper promotion. The first step of that promotion is today's release of the simple, yet stunning accompanying music video.
I love this song, and I did not want the message to be ruined by some mediocre visual. Thankfully the first Idol went with a simplistic approach and ignored a crazy plot and storyline. Sure, some may say the four minute visual is a bit of a snooze fest, but what do they know? Clarkson steps into the light wearing a beautiful, black and slightly revealing dress that took my breath away with the first sight. And do not get me started on how flawless her blonde hair looks floating with every swoop of her head. If I did not bat for the other team, Kelly would be the type of girl that would make my jaw drop. Besides showing her standing still belting out the lyrics of the song, occasionally elements such as fire and water are featured beside her. Again, simple yet they make a statement. I was having problem catching my breath at times.
Call it low budget. Call it amazing. Just please watch it in its entirety and understand the kind of artist Kelly is and has always been before you throw in your two cents. The artist did not need to have a crazy mess happening behind her to get the message of her song across. Instead she decided to focus on her delivery and her beautiful appearance, I can commend that. The video, and the song, are a powerful statement to all those who have had doubts about her career. However, I feel the simplicity of the new music video is a way for Kelly to cleanse her past so she can focus on her future and the direction she decides to takes. Believe me, this is a woman who will be around the music scene for another 10 years. She has the voice, she has the motivation, and she has the looks. The video for "Catch My Breath" may not be "Since U Been Gone" or "My Life Would Suck Without You", but it is able to stand on its own two feet as a strong supporting visual.
Pop heavyweight Rihanna is getting ready to release a new project this month as well. Her seventh studio album, Unapologetic, will hit stores just a year after her last effort. Will this be the artist's first number one album? Maybe. But it is not because it will be groundbreaking. It will probably achieve the top spot since album sales have been somewhat in a slump. The lead single, "Diamonds", is not the pop masterpiece people have come to expect from the artist, although it is charging up the charts as I write this. My review of the song was average at best. While I commended the artist for finally using her true vocals, her voice is one not ready for radio and brings the quality of the entire effort way down. I am constantly making fun of the line "shine bright like a diamond", the voice is just too funny to not repeat.
Even though the song is far from my favorite from the artist, that award still goes to "Disturbia", I gave watching the new video a chance. Opening with a scene featuring millions of tiny diamonds that I wish I had in my hand right now, the music video is honestly a chaotic clutter of images that I feel only Rihanna will know the meaning of. We see the artist rolling and smoking a blunt of diamond and floating in a large body of water, but when the song finally begins the artist is shown nude with a somewhat depressing expression across her face. We are shown scenes of what looks to be the upcoming apocalypse and Rihanna trying to hold on to the man of her dreams. Could it be Chris Brown? That is for Rihanna to know and never tell us. I could not wrap my head around the video, although I do love the shots of the artist running down a deserted highway.
As the video progresses, horses are thrown in for good measure, probably there to represent strength and beauty. Did the video try to do too much? I think so. Are certain scenes beautifully appealing? Of course, but I do not know why they were included or how they went along with the lyrics of the song. The greatest aspect of the entire video is in every single scene the artist looks truly radiating. Her eyes evoke so much emotion that I wish she would have taken notes from Clarkson and released a simple, blank back scene video to accompany this mediocre track. The diamonds, the horses, the buildings on fire, the man's arm that seems to be that of Brown, may have been great on the drawing and concept boards, but did not translate for me. Maybe I am not looking into it deep enough. Maybe I need a die hard Rihanna fan to help me with this process. All I know for now is that Rihanna has released some powerful videos in the past, but this release just fell flat.
So who had the better video release? Hands down, my vote goes to Kelly! Do you agree?
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