¡viva la graham!

here’s a pleasant surprise. it’s young love’s new clip for “find a new way,” which can best be described as dead sexy. i must say he’s looking good without his shirt on, and i never thought he was attractive before this. the only thing ruining things here is that annoying brunette girl, who should not get more screen time than the dancing gorilla. but no matter! “find a new way” is the video of the week.

as for the song, it reminds me a little bit of dangerous muse, which is good. it’s safe to say this will be a dance hit, but i’d like to see it infiltrate the pop charts as well. fingers crossed.

[via popjustice]

timbaland, justin timberlake and nelly furtado have become somewhat of a powerhouse pop triumvirate, and their latest collaboration, “give it to me,” is pretty much as good as it gets. at the moment the single sits at no. 1 in the u.s., u.k. and pretty much everywhere else in the world, so how could i not feature it here?

the video clip isn’t the most inventive or well done, but the visuals here take a back seat to the beats, not to mention the three artists who are currently at the top of their game. the stars have definitely aligned for the trio. it’ll be interesting to see how long it lasts.

as is often the case with the catchiest songs, the lyrics take a backseat to infectious melodies. kaiser chiefs’ “ruby” falls into this category. so for hours after hearing it, i keep repeating, involuntarily, “ruby ruby ruby ruby…. do ya, do ya, do ya, do ya?” and that is all i can recall.

i absolutely love the song, and the under-construction miniature city in the video is just as fun. i wasn’t really a fan of kaiser chiefs before this (i wasn’t terribly taken with their first album), but i’m glad they’ve turned things around. it turns out they are actually as good as people said they were.

one woman is known for being bootylicious, the other for having hips that don’t lie. it makes perfect sense to put these two body-conscious ladies together for a serious superstar duet.

the fun part of beyonce and shakira’s new video, “beautiful liar,” is trying to figure out who’s who! i never really thought they looked alike before, but thanks to similar outfits and hairstyles (and a bit of rain and smoke), it takes a moment to tell in almost every shot. i know not everyone out there is a fan of either of these divas, but whether or not you like the song i think the effect is mesmerizing.

i know she’s made the blog rounds already, but i’d be remiss if i did not share an amy winehouse video with those of you who aren’t yet familiar. i’ve chosen “you know i’m no good” as the ¡viva la graham! video of the week even if the title is misleading (she is, in fact, very good). the charming jazzy number is the first u.s. single and it reminds me a bit of ms. dynamite’s “it takes more” — both instrumentally and vocally (but obviously without the rapping).

amy’s smooth sophomore album, back to black, just entered the billboard charts at no. 7, so congrats to ms. winehouse! looks like us yanks have discerning tastes after all… at least every now and then.

hmmm. i wonder what lily allen has to say about this.

despite my reservations, i like shiny goy guns. they might not be completely original, but i think they’re fun in a sullen electro-goth kind of way.

here’s the video for “you are the one,” their debut u.k. single and most likely their next stab at stateside success. on this one, frontwoman carah faye charnow graciously shares lead vocals with guitarist gregori chat petree. so they’re mixing things up a bit, you see?

as for the video, “you are the one” takes up where the scary spider-woman from the “le disko” clip left off, as it regrettably features an ominous winged creature. i’m going to let this slide because it is otherwise quite good and also because my 16-year-old cousin thinks they’re brilliant (and yes, i realize this also means that i am well past it).

oh yes! it’s also the video of the week…

related: attention hot topic shoppers!

i know this has made the blog rounds already, but i had to share it with those of you who might not have seen it already.

here’s robyn’s video for “konichiwa bitches,” a song that succeeds thanks to her formidable rapping skills. who knew, right? i was never a big fan of robyn in her euro-pop days (remember “show me love?”), but i think this track is really fun. plus the clip is irresistibly clever, which is why it’s the video of the week!

by the way, i highly recommend the trentemoller remix. in my opinion, the original version is too succinct and not as engaging.

much like fellow brits james blunt and paolo nutini, fresh-faced james morrison seems to be wearing his heart on his sleeve primarily to get laid. compared to his sensitive singer-songwriter peers, however, james’s voice is actually rather remarkable.

billboard magazine declared morrison had a “grit and edge” well beyond his contemporaries, and i actually agree with them… which is why his best single, “wonderful world,” is the brand new video of the week.

yes, i realize that my enjoyment of this sentimental, schmaltzy drivel me a sad man. but perhaps it also means i’d let mr. morrison take me to bed.

u.k. “new rave” outfit klaxons have garnered plenty of buzz, though i didn’t know what all the fuss was about until today. when i was listening to radio 1’s chart show, i happened to catch their latest single, “golden skans,” and yes, it is just as amazing as nme said…

…which brings us to the rapturous video. somehow the trippy clip, the ¡viva la graham! video of the week, enhances an already-outrageous affair, even if it hardly makes a lick of sense. really, all you need to know is that the band is floating through space wrapped up in shiny ribbons — and nothing else. enjoy!

i know that every other site on the web has already posted the new lily allen video for “alfie,” but i how could i ignore it? any clip that features a pot-smoking puppet deserves the attention. it is, of course, the video of the week.

seriously, this is almost as fab as when kylie sang with kermit the frog. almost.