pop culture
08/16/2007
You Only Have God to Count On
In this video, a cool young guy is living fast and loose -- gambling, drinking, and smoking with his biker friends, bombing his presentation at work, flirting with women who are not his fiancee. And what does he have to show for it? Flat tires, workplace stress, and a fiancee who flings her ring on the floor at the mall. But then, after a life-threatening accident, he finds his way back to God, and he starts living the life he should have had all along.
Pretty standard Christian pop, right? Well, no. Because "You Only Have God to Count On" is actually translation of "Malak Ghair Allah." This is a Saudi video, and the God our wayward young man finds his way back to isn't Jesus. And this isn't just a Saudi video -- it's the first Saudi video. Ever.
Filmed entirely in the kingdom, with an all-Saudi cast and crew, this production is one of a kind -- a music video produced in a country where music and all forms of non-religious entertainment are banned in public places. In order to cast a Saudi woman as the fiancee, the director had to go to the actress' parents for permission -- and they, in turn, consulted the entire extended family. So, yeah. This is a big deal.
No, it ain't "Bootylicious." But the times, they are a changin'.
06/11/2007
Paul Potts Wows with "Nessun Dorma"
I'm a sucker for two things: underdogs and arias. So it goes without saying that this clip from UK talent show Britain's Got Talent tugs at my delicate little heart strings like no other.
No one underestimates the significance of a Simon Cowell smile -- the guy rarely cracks one. But when Paul Potts opens his mouth and lets loose a flawless rendition of "Nessun Dorma," Cowell can't help but grin from ear to ear. Potts is a mobile salesman by day and exudes a genuine humbleness that is rare among talent show contestants. It might be early in the game, but we're betting on him to go all the way.
01/11/2007
Thinking About You - Norah Jones
Much like Nora Jones’s previous hits "Come Away with Me" and "Don't know Why," this slow, lackadaisical song makes my want to stare out the window of a train and watch the countryside slowly pass me by. The first single from Jones’s third album, "Thinking About You" is a familiar continuation of the Grammy winner's breezy, jazzy style . Simple and melodic, this single implies that Jones's new album will further her career as talented songstress with serious pop appeal.
Exploring the windows of the singer/song writer’s mind, the newly released music video explores the clouds of thought that distract and dilute the brain -- especially on a long subway ride. Animated with fuzzy clouds and pulsing hearts, the dreamy video reveals the web of Alice in Wonderland-esque fantasies.
