Friday, January 29, 2016

Pillow Talk


   When is Zayn not completely killing it? His latest single and music video, "Pillow Talk", was an inevitable, dramatic, outcome of his solo career and it's beautiful in every possible aspect. First thing I noticed how unlike One Direction, Zayn isn't playing to his old career and really building something up for himself. He creates a synth-pop aura and large lead up to an extremely powerful and building chorus line. He plays with his vocal range immensely during the song, going fairly high up on the refrain yet keeping a vaguely husky tone throughout the verses.
   "Pillow Talk" illustrates an intense relationship with both highs ("paradise") and lows ("war zone"), both people are extremely different ("light and dark") but have incredible passion. The song is very much obviously about sex but less of the physical aspect and more on an emotional and mental level. They both are figuring feelings and dynamic out and find out more about each other through intimacy. There's discomfort at certain points but both parties trust each other and share power. I found it extremely impressive how eloquently Zayn went through this. 
   The music video is just as gorgeous with constant visual stimulation. Though some of it was kind of ridiculous (I'm looking at you, weird triangle effect), the artwork of it was incredible. The backdrops and shots told the story perfectly and didn't take away from the ultimate purpose of the song. 
   I'm amazed at how well Zayn has fit into the solo job and am unsurprised at the same time, we all knew Zayn could hold himself up without any doubt. His vocals are not only strong but the entire imagery is breathtaking. 
(I promise my next post won't be One Direction related)

Tuesday, January 26, 2016

Why One Direction's "History" Music Video Matters

 
   Only a few hours ago, One Direction dropped their final music video off of Made in the AM for "History". Though every single thing One Direction does is obviously extremely important in my heart, this video really emphasized something to me; One Direction was, like many other people's, first band I got into. And when I say "got into", I mean full on knew every song, everything about the members, and loved everything about this band. One Direction was a gateway into my intense love for music and though I definitely have distanced myself from that genre, I still give credit for being the first musicians that really truly meant something to me.
   "History" was one of the first releases off of the band's latest, and rumor has it, last album and an already emotional one at that. Though I hadn't even looked close enough to think of it as a song to the fans, and more a relationship in the stages of a breakup, with the recent hiatus, it makes perfect sense. The song promises to never forget the memories and moments they've shared along with the ending line of "we can live forever", a note of no matter where the band goes, they'll never burn out. The video centers around the highlights of each of the boy's careers, the high points, the sold out shows, the funny times on the road, One Direction illustrates their own history. Getting their start on The X-Factor, you see your favorite five boys grow up in black and white with color shots of the present day and honestly, the comparison is quite emotional to watch. There's one less member than the past videos along with the fact that they no longer are teenagers, the ever so lovable boy band resembles well, adults.
   The "History" music video takes you through the memories you've created with the boys, the day they were signed, auditioning for the X-Factor, the various music video clips, and all the stupid backstage moments you can't help but forget. There's a tragic nostalgia to it when you realize you've grown up alongside these boys and looking at how far they've come. You see the various hairstyles and fashions and eras of the band, there's that connection of the jokes and moments and songs that come along with it. There's also the huge elephant in the room: Zayn. Ever since leaving the band, One Direction has been fairly quiet about the past member and I really appreciated how they didn't try to erase him from their history. Malik is pictured in multiple different scenes and valued as a member who brought quite a ton to the dynamic. 
   The last scene of the video is probably the most emotional; starting with their first performance, the last black and white scene is taken from their last time onstage before going on hiatus. The shot shows how far they've come along with how little they've changed. They started out as your classic boyband and since then, the personalities, writing styles, and dynamics have changed. They've grown but still honor their beginning and everything that came with it; "History" is a tribute to five albums, countless sold out shows, more than dedicated fans, and the boys themselves, growing up along with it. The song and video illustrate the unknown future and where the hiatus and band will go from here and where they'll all end up, with the last present day bit of them all walking in separate directions and waving goodbye to each other, there's high ambiguity as to what it means and an overall worry with it. I'm not nearly ready for the ending of One Direction but this video was definitely an incredible tribute to the band as they begin a new chapter, band or not. 



Thursday, January 14, 2016

Ziggy Stardust: a Look Through of Outfits

   With the tragic loss of David Bowie this week, I found it only appropriate to honor one of my favorite artists on here after having him as no doubt my biggest fashion and artistic inspiration. After really debating on how to do so, I decided on a lookbook of my favorite Ziggy Stardust outfits/photoshoots to be the best way to commemorate such an iconic and interesting artist.

Easily one of the most well known shoots Bowie has ever done with obvious reason behind it- the thing I loved most about Bowie and Ziggy's style was every outfit was a costume. He took fashion as a means of artistic expression and wore these art pieces that really transcended the definition of avant-guarde clothing and styling.
Bowie looking all dressed up in this Freddie Burretti suit is just so gorgeous. The coloring of these photos was beautiful with the red hair and deep blue eyeshadow adding a pop to the washed out background and light blue suit. The overall styling of this was so interesting just how Bowie could make anything into a look.
I'm unsure why I was so drawn to this look but it could possibly be my favorite, the patterns are so interesting along with this color scheme and the tone of the photograph.