Gaga 1, Leona 0

It really annoys me when music video directors get the wrong end of the stick. Yes, I know the words that spring to mind here are "anger" and "management", but bear with me.

Let's take the new Leona Lewis single, for instance. Before I saw the video, whenever I listened to Happy it struck me as a song about freedom, about walking away from a damaging or just not-quite-right relationship ("I've gotta find my place, I wanna hear my sound, don't care about all the pain in front of me - cos I'm just trying to be... happy"). It was a bit feminist, a bit euphoric, and a bit "yes, go for it Leona!".

But now that I've seen the video, it just seems to be about Leona standing around looking a bit miserable and being rejected in favour of another woman. The video is really tedious, which doesn't seem to fit with a massive dramatic power ballad. Did the director miss the point? Have I missed the point? (As if). Or is this just an effort to make the video fit with Leona's "oh dear poor Leona" image? Perhaps the next video will just be footage of her getting punched in the face at a book signing.

Anyway, it's here if you must watch it. Maybe the love interest rejects her because her videos are too boring. Maybe he "just wants to be... happy". That would make a lot more sense.

However, a music video not being what you expect it to be is not necessarily the end of the world...



I thought Bad Romance was a straightforward offbeat love song, but it turns out it's about sex trafficking and Lady Gaga being on fire.

I'm not going to review the video. You should just watch it - it speaks for itself. But if I was going to review it, that review would contain the following words/phrases: oh my god, amazing, feminism (again), BOOM, nipples, product placement, and "you might think it's a simple pop video but actually it's ART."

Funny how she goes around with her boobs out all the time but every man I know is completely terrified of her.