Obsessions: Same Difference - Shine On Forever (video breakdown) & Maroon 5 ~ Misery (video breakdown)

Oh come on. This "analysis" of videos malarky is getting right out of hand isn't it?! First Adam Tyler, then Hugh Sheridan, then Ola Svensson and now two more? I'm sure it will stop soon. You are probably luck about a month or so ago when I was too lazy to do it for Kylie and JLS (has that song still not been released?! It feels ancient!) Anyway, today are diametrically different, yet two of my favourite groups and two of the most fun, addictive pop songs of the summer...

Same Difference ~ Shine On Forever (PhotoFrame)

Remember when Kylie was all lovely and sweet on her first two albums? The pop was ever so enjoyable but then Better The Devil You Know came out and it was this huge defining moment for her, because a) the song was all sorts of immense and b) more importantly, she suddenly became sexy. Well believe it or not folks (and you better believe, because you eyes will not be deceived!) Same Difference have just gone through a very similar metamorphasis. Their amazing new single, Shine On Forever (Photo Frame) basically one ups everything on the already and still spectacular Pop album and takes it to a new level. It is Better The Devil YOu Know to We R One's Wouldn't Change A Thing. It's Deeper Shade of Blue to Love's Got A Hold On My Heart. Heck, it's even Vogue to True Blue. The new image for the delightful Sean and Sarah had already been revealed to the world on their website, but now they have a video to go with their funky new look/sound and I couldn't be more pleased. Here is your step by step guide to the new yet same Same Difference...

• The video starts off in a party. Pause at four seconds and you see Sarah having a very Spinning Around style moment and haircut with some fairly attractive guy in the background in a yellow shirt.
• Sean is also there bumping and grinding with his lady friend. He looks rather dapper in a classic white shirt/black tie&jacket get up. Plus his hair is very popstar. There is a fuzzy elecro-pop vibe going on and then Sean starts to sing...
• It's a very confident start to the song and Sean is clearly getting his groove on and making love to the camera. The big reveal though is Sarah's vocal coming in. It's proper powerhouse and she looks positively sex kitten stunning with her hair up. She's draped all over a hunky dude and is clearly loving it.
• At about 45 seconds it cuts to a studio backdrop and the siblings look very river island friendly against some neon lights. They are evidently working up to a big dance routine. I assume I won't be disappointed...
• I'm not! In fact I'm positively giddy. It's all one could want in a modern dance routine - more Glee than High School Musical and linked appropriately enough to the words of the chorus. Which is very uplifting and singalong. Quite clever lyrically too...
• It's what the word "amazeballs" was invented for when 1m10-1m17s plays; they do this ace fist pump thing that links them to their We R One video and then do an almost bizarro dance move version of I'm A Little TeaPot. It shouldn't work but oh it really really does...
• Basically everyone in the world will be able to learn the dance routine that goes with the "pho-to frame" bit.
• New found sexuality alert! Sean is in some nightclub corridor at 1m35s for a little while and is being wallpaper danced by his lady friend. He does not seem to mind this at all, though he may need to put his hands in his pockets when he walks back into the dancefloor area...
• New found sexuality alert 2! Sarah (1m50s ish) is lying on the nightclub floor with her fella, gazing dreamily into his eyes while he rubs her arm in an alluring way. This is quite brave. I've seen nightclub floors at the end of an evening and i wouldn't want to be lying on the human residue that so sticks to it!!
• I like the juxtapositioning of the lyrics to the visuals at around 2m10s. It's talking about taking it back to the way it used to be and it goes back to their slightly less sexy times of their original outfits and being surrounded by lots of dancey folk including vaguely attractive yellow shirt man!
• Then it's the chorus and dance routine again. You should probably rewind this a million times and watch it over and over again because it is so much fun! If CD:UK were still going, they would be in the studio performing this right now and the kids would be loving it.
• The middle 8 is MAGNIFICENT> they both have a couple of solo "ooos" which are very strong and very euphoric. There is a new dance routine which is all sorts of brillo. And it gives me a moment to pause and reflect on just how fine Sean looks in a suit!
• Then it's basically all 3 settings edited together with lots of very good adlib type vocals going into the background as the song reaches it's explosive and ultimately extremely satisfying conclusion! Excellente :)

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how you do a comeback. Stand by to be stunned....

Maroon 5 ~ Misery

I have to say I was supremely annoyed about 23 minutes ago when I popped over to the MTV site only to be told that as a Maroon 5 fan living outside of the USA I was not good enough to watch the video. How bloody rude! Luckily I found a way around that and got to watch the video here. Phew. Mood over with (it's also now on youtube, but my timings are based on the previous link). I think the tune is one of the most engaging pop songs of the summer and will effortlessly be number one on my countdown on Sunday. My review is here, and I haven't changed my mind just fallen more and more in love with it on every listen. So I was intruiged to see the video - and I initially thought, hmmm Chester French did it first and that perhaps this one would've done nicely! Here's what I made of the real deal...

• Adam falls from a great height and is probably lucky not to have broken his back. He shares this luck with McFly who nearly suffered the same fate in their I'll Be Ok video. In spite of this, he still manages to look all sorts of post modern Grease (the musical) fabulous and mountable in a quiff and leather jacket. Yum
• Clearly the lady in the video thinks so too, because she mounts him, gives him some sort of weird mouth to mouth resusitation (I assume :P) and then throws him against a wall. To revive him no doubt!
• Adam is clearly feeling a lot better because he is singing and has regained the ability to slap ass (19s). The lady in the video (as she will now be known - or Ethel) does not appreciate such wandering fingers and shows him that, much like Janet Jackson, she wants to be the one in control. Clearly this involves some quite intense lip biting...
• The band have clearly stuck to their "this is more violent than sexy" motif by having Adam looking entirely delicious and Ethel all over him like a fly on shit. I'm not sure the headbut was entirely deserved as Adam launches into the chorus though. Still it got him where Ethel wanted him (on his knees, one presumes!)...
• (no wonder the poor bloke is in Misery)
• There is an absolutely vicious and quite entertaining crotch kick at around 45s. Do not try this at home kids. The fella won't appreciate it and it's not as amusing as it looks. Plus potentially a crime :P
• At 50s Adam realises this girl is bad news and does a runner. Frankly this is a) about 45 seconds too late so he only has himself to blame and b) a bit silly because then he only gets run over by a car. The doofus.
• Oh it's all civilised now. Ethel and Adam are in a cafe and he has his feet on the furniture. Would he does this in his own home? (the bottom of his boots are surprisingly clean though)...
• Ethel is fingering a knife (this is not a euphemism, it's actually happening) at around 75s and then starts stabbing it on the table between Adam's fingers. It is clearly the "no respect for other people's possessions club annual outing". If you pause at 86s, she looks positively feral!
• Jesus! From about 90s to 123s there is a bit of snogging, some mounting in the cafe, some Adam getting the bejeezus beaten out of him in a toilet (oh how tacky) and a fall through a plate glass window. Oh and a band member getting run over just like one of the Plastics in Mean Girls. Amaze.
• It's a lot to take in though isn't it? Let's take a moment to reflect on how two good looking people have lost their way in the relationship so much! Clearly, they have an animal magnetism but are bad for each other hence "the misery". They are so infatuated with "the sex" that they cannot escape "the misery". This is what surbubanites call the last year of marriage, but you don't see them making a video about it...
• During the middle 8 there are lots of clips of Adam being beaten up. It's getting a bit tiresome really. His jaw/balls/cheek must be aching by now. And it's hard to pause it for a nice close up of his face without a slapped by a wet kipper look on it. Go for the pause at 153s and you will probably be able to please yourself for a while :P
• Jesse finally shows up at around 161s. He's looking increasingly fine as the years go on and although that doesn't have much to do with the video, it's worth pointing out. Plus he's clearly a bookworm...
• The rest of the video is more sex fuelled violence. Though the ear lobe nibbling looks quite a lot of fun to be honest. I'm glad Adam and the boys are back, but I'd like something less slappy next time per favor...

Back soon!